In 1912, when the German Foreign Secretary, Gottlieb von Jagow, expressed the idea that if “Austria is forced, for whatever reason, to fight for its position as a Great Power, then we must stand by her” (Fromkin, 88-92), it provoked an immediate warning from the British Foreign Secretary that if Germany were to give what is essentially a blank cheque to Austria, "the consequences of such a policy would be incalculable”. Britain went so far as to state that it would intervene if Germany were to attack France (Fromkin, 88-92). At this time, the possibility of war were already a hotly-debated topic at the German Imperial War Council. Along with the announcement of the Russian Great Military Programme around the same time, the leaders of the German Army began to call for a preventive war against Russia. Although this call for war was stalled, Germany ultimately got what what was wished for when war hit in
In 1912, when the German Foreign Secretary, Gottlieb von Jagow, expressed the idea that if “Austria is forced, for whatever reason, to fight for its position as a Great Power, then we must stand by her” (Fromkin, 88-92), it provoked an immediate warning from the British Foreign Secretary that if Germany were to give what is essentially a blank cheque to Austria, "the consequences of such a policy would be incalculable”. Britain went so far as to state that it would intervene if Germany were to attack France (Fromkin, 88-92). At this time, the possibility of war were already a hotly-debated topic at the German Imperial War Council. Along with the announcement of the Russian Great Military Programme around the same time, the leaders of the German Army began to call for a preventive war against Russia. Although this call for war was stalled, Germany ultimately got what what was wished for when war hit in