Strange Indian behavior during WWI

[Eran of Arcadia]

Eran, every interesting thread I've found today, you're there. Coincidence? I think not.

I'm just an interesting guy . . .

 

[Verbose]

Eran, every interesting thread I've found today, you're there. Coincidence? I think not.

Anyway, interesting comment. I just finished Lord Kinross' The Ottoman Centuries which corroborates your statement. Up until the 1900's, the Ottomans had been closely allied with the English, even to the point of personal friendship between the sultan and the English Ambassador (I forget the names) around the time of the Crimean war. However, the lure of fabulous wealth offered by the Germans with their railway fundamentally altered the geopolitical balance of power when "the sick man of Europe" i.e. the Ottoman empire forsook it's historic alliance with the English for the upstart Germans, provoking the English to war.

Here is the point from which all modern conflicts flow: the need for oil; energy. The society which we call "industrialized" was baptized in oil and blood, and all military conflicts which followed, while appearing to be separate and individual conflicts, are in actuality merely a continuation of this singular western policy: That is OUR oil/*insert strategic resource here*. The fact that it is buried under your people's feet is merely a historical anomaly to be rectified.

The implications of the Berlin-Baghdad railway is usually not pointed out as a major reason for WWI, probably because the war would have been on with or without the British (if the Russians move, the Germans move, also against the French etc.), it would just have been a major conflict in accordance with German hopes and aspirations.

Possibly there's also a residual form of negligence of things colonial in the military and political history. It would seem Berlin-Baghdad gets rolled into the general "tension" between the established British empire and the "streber" fledgeling German one. As such its importance is rather as one more factor indicating the German leadership had lost touch with political reality when the expected the British to stay out of the war.

 

[Steph]

An Austrian emperor was shot by a Serb so Austria declared war on Serbia, because Russia was friends with Serbia they declared war on Austria. Because Germany was friends with Austria they declared war on Russia. Because France was friends with Russia they declared war on Germany and because Britian was friends with France so they too declared war on Germany. Australia was friends with Britian, Turkey was friends with Germany, and thats why we attacked them.

Stupidest war ever!

That's quite innacurate. Germany declared war on France because France was friends with Russia, and Britain declare war on Germany because they were friend with Belgium.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

About the only of the dozen-odd European countries who declared or entered after being provoked were Belgium and Serbia. The others could have stayed out if they really wanted.

 

[Steph]

I'm not sure I undertsand. Are you saying that Belgium is the only country with Serbia that entered the war after it has been provoked?

Or do I have difficulty reading your English today?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I mean that Belgium and Serbia were attacked, to the best of my knowledge no one else had that much provocation and could have stayed out of it if they really wanted to.

 

[Steph]

But as long as country A declare war on country B, can country B stay out?

Then France had no real choice once Germany declared war on France.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Sure, but Germany wouldn't have declared war on France except that they knew France wanted to fight. They allied with Russia seeing it as their best chance to get Alsace and Lorraine back.

 

[Steph]

Come on! The French are nice guys, we would have not attacked Germany if they didn't attack first.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

You did in 1870, didn't you? And that worked out so well . . .

 

[Steph]

Exactly, France declared war first and lose. So, you see? We would not have repeated it, the Germans had nothing to fear.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

hence the alliance with Russia . . .

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

Perhaps they thought that the war in Europe would spread to the colonies worldwide. Though it did somewhat.

Exactly, France declared war first and lose. So, you see? We would not have repeated it, the Germans had nothing to fear.

I probably missed something, as I've only read the last 3 posts or so. But didn't you declare war on Germany during/beginning World War II?

Yes, I know it was due to mutual "protection" pact of sorts with Poland, but still. I could be wrong, if so, oh well.

 

[Pannonius]

Did that Archie Duke fellow really had to kill that poor ostrich?

 

[Steph]

I probably missed something, as I've only read the last 3 posts or so. But didn't you declare war on Germany during/beginning World War II?

We are speaking of the war of 1870 and WWI here. You are one war late.

 

[Nobody]

what i dont understand, is why new zealands soliders tried to invade turkey, because some austrian got shot by a serb.

 

[Dachs]

Did that Archie Duke fellow really had to kill that poor ostrich?

That miniseries has already been mentioned.

what i dont understand, is why new zealands soliders tried to invade turkey, because some austrian got shot by a serb.

The UK had this fun idea of wiping out the Ottoman Empire, and you guys were closer to Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Gallipoli than to northern France. Besides, the Turks could have threatened one of the major British lifelines to India and Australia - the Suez Canal - and that would have been a no-no. As for why the Ottoman Empire and Britain were at war at all...has to do with Kaiser Wilhelm and the CUP being "best buds", so much that German ships running from the Royal Navy were given away to the Ottomans for free, crew and all, and later turned up in the Black Sea fighting the Russians...

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

We are speaking of the war of 1870 and WWI here. You are one war late.

I knew of what you were speaking. As it is clearly mentioned that you were speaking about the the war in 1870. One would assume you meant the next war (WWI), so I merely extended history a bit further, as it did somewhat apply to the topic at hand.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

About the only of the dozen-odd European countries who declared or entered after being provoked were Belgium and Serbia. The others could have stayed out if they really wanted.

Breaking a treaty isn't very honrable.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Maybe not, but it wouldn't have been the first time it was done.