tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17922979.post6779141950817687606..comments2024-03-28T17:30:42.500+00:00Comments on Seeking a Little Truth: CyberKittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17922979.post-76906402386081297722014-05-27T22:38:47.935+01:002014-05-27T22:38:47.935+01:00I know that the A-H Empire grabbed Bosnia when the...I know that the A-H Empire grabbed Bosnia when the Ottoman Empire began losing control of its Balkan territories. The then ruler of the A-H Empire was not fond of the Bosnians, saw them as lesser human beings than the other members of the A-H Empire. The heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand, though not well loved in his own family for marrying down to a woman the family never approved of, he was well liked by the people. He had spoken of plans to treat the Bosnians better and give them some autonomy when he came to power. The Serbians wanted that whole Balkan region under one pan-Slavic union, run by them. They wanted the Bosnians to break away and join them. If Franz Ferdinand ascended to the throne, they probably wouldn't, so the Serbs had Franz killed. That's what I remember off the top of my head. VVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08751403913379728345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17922979.post-27369016128976161822014-05-27T20:53:50.443+01:002014-05-27T20:53:50.443+01:00Thinking about things a bit more today I suspect t...Thinking about things a bit more today I suspect the author may have meant events over the preceding 50 years in Austro-Hungary rather than Germany. But I can't really guess what - except maybe oppression of the Serbs - as I know precious little about the area.<br /><br />More research (AKA book buying/reading) needed I think! CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17922979.post-19890562749365649542014-05-27T01:17:26.006+01:002014-05-27T01:17:26.006+01:00The beginning of German Nationalism comes when the...The beginning of German Nationalism comes when they beat the French. I can see that. If I remember correctly, Bizmarck lied and said the French were going to attack, to try and get the German provinces to work together against an outside enemy, instead of fighting amongst themselves and interfering with his plans for a united Germany. This would also be at the end of the Industrial Revolution in Europe, over-production, saturated markets, which leads to the Age of Imperialism, when everybody goes in search of other markets and resources, grabbing other territories. Shortly after the Franco-Prussian War, the division of Africa happens (1884), and Germany is definitely pissed that they don't get as much of Africa that they think they deserve, and go home to plot how to take land in Europe. That plan will come to be known as the Schleiffen a Plan. Okay, I tend to rattle on when I discuss history. Sorry.VVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08751403913379728345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17922979.post-35358949109437736682014-05-26T23:19:53.306+01:002014-05-26T23:19:53.306+01:00v v said: you say he said WWI was fifty years in t...v v said: you say he said WWI was fifty years in the making. I know of events twenty years back directly connected to the war. I'm interested to learn what else is connected.<br /><br />50 years from 1914 puts it around 1865 or so. The only thing that springs to mind immediately is the rise of Prussia and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. I'm afraid that my knowledge of European history around that time is.... limited.CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17922979.post-89349907138944256992014-05-26T22:06:35.661+01:002014-05-26T22:06:35.661+01:00I've just added it to my wish list on Amazon, ...I've just added it to my wish list on Amazon, along with two of his other books. I don't know enough about the Italian and Middle Eastern fronts, plus you say he said WWI was fifty years in the making. I know of events twenty years back directly connected to the war. I'm interested to learn what else is connected.VVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08751403913379728345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17922979.post-33443216504422067762014-05-23T13:17:15.232+01:002014-05-23T13:17:15.232+01:00It's no longer in print (just quickly checked ...It's no longer in print (just quickly checked Amazon) but you'll be able to pick up a cheap used copy. <br /><br />It's definitely worth a read. The author comes across as someone with a personal investment in the history without having too big an axe to grind. Having been there and done that his descriptions have a certain authenticity that is missing from historical accounts from authors in later generations. He writes really well too.CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17922979.post-9337189966726742832014-05-23T12:40:07.849+01:002014-05-23T12:40:07.849+01:00This sounds really interesting. I don't think ...This sounds really interesting. I don't think I've ever read a WW1 factual/history book that engages on a person level. One to look up, I think!Elliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362128444319074118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17922979.post-31346977795689890612014-05-23T09:36:07.680+01:002014-05-23T09:36:07.680+01:00sc said: people can know they're making a mist...sc said: people can know they're making a mistake, but things are already in motion and stopping it seems too much a challenge, so they double down and hope a little more effort, a little more Faith in the cause, will see it through.<br /><br />There did seem to be a lot of that in WW1. It was a failure to think differently. Indeed it appeared that if someone did come up with a different approach, or worse tried and succeeded with a different approach they were either criticised for it or even disciplined. The idea of the tank was heavily opposed for years before it became a reality - indeed it was opposed even after it showed its potential - and even the idea of increased numbers of machines guns was opposed at the very highest levels. I found such shortsightedness and basic lack of imagination hard to understand or credit.<br /><br />sc said: Three cheers for old books!<br /><br />For many years I thought old books = low quality books. How wrong I was! More oldies to come.... [grin] CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17922979.post-88449824658293412102014-05-23T02:35:25.339+01:002014-05-23T02:35:25.339+01:00I was reading in the White War that the Italian co...I was reading in the White War that the Italian commander had written a book on the virtues of the offense -- an army that kept pressing its attack, regardless of the terrain, would prevail. He literally wrote the book on tactics that were woefully outdated. I suspect there's some awful kind of inertia that overtakes campaigns of this size -- people can know they're making a mistake, but things are already in motion and stopping it seems too much a challenge, so they double down and hope a little more effort, a little more Faith in the cause, will see it through. <br /><br />Three cheers for old books! I'll see if I have access to a copy.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15097908023032528200noreply@blogger.com