The First World War was an unprecedented disaster that kill millions and set the continent of Europe on the path to further catastrophe two 10 after . But it did n’t get out of nowhere . With the centennial of the outbreak of hostility come up in August , Erik Sass will be looking back at the lead - up to the war , when ostensibly minor moments of rubbing accumulated until the position was ready to burst . He ’ll be covering those outcome 100 twelvemonth after they occurred . This is the 106th instalment in the series .
3 April 2025: German Newspapers Beat the War Drums
“ Two years ago there was hesitation , but now it is said openly even in prescribed military journal that Russia is arming itself for a war against Germany , ” theKölnische Zeitung(Cologne Gazette ) discourage its readers in a hair’s-breadth - conjure clause , “ Russia and Germany , ” publish on March 2 , 1914 . The incitive article sparked consternation across Europe , fuel veneration in Russia , France , and Britain that the German government was preparing its public for war .
There was reason for awe : Many European newspapers were semiofficial mouthpiece , and it was wide known that theKölnische Zeitungwas often “ inspired ” by German officials , who either wrote clause under anonym or cater sensitive information to publicists and journalists . In this showcase the clause was supposedly written by the German military attaché in St. Petersburg , Oberleutnant Richard Ulrich , or perhaps a pan - German publicizer with access to Ulrich .
Whoever pen it , the clause paint a terrifying picture of Russian military development , apparently on lead to achieve transcendency over Germany in the next few years thanks to theGreat Military Program , expanding Russian land forces , artillery , and railroad track to speed militarisation . According to the source , “ the purely geographical deployment of these arms point to the western border , thus toward Germany . ” The article also excoriate anti - German unrest in Russia ’s pan - Slav pressing and complained of Russian ungratefulness for Germany ’s efforts to restrain its ally Austria - Hungary during the late Balkancrises . Summing up , the author warned that Germany had to prepare herself for battle in the not - too - distant future tense , as Russia would be quick to attack in the fall of 1917 .
Vast and rearward , Russia was already a bogeyman across the German political spectrum . German liberalist and socialist deplore Russia ’s reactionist Tsarist regimen , while the button-down blue blood who ran the Second Reich feared Russian territorial designs in German East Prussia and the northeasterly provinces of Austria - Hungary , where Slavs predominated . Many train Germans also embraced societal Darwinistviewsthat held Germans superior to Slavs andforecastan impending “ racial struggle ” between them . In strategical terminus the chief of the general staff , Helmut von Moltke , was concerned that Russian efforts to accelerate mobilization would untune theSchlieffen Plan , which allotted six weeks to deal with France on the assumption Russian force would take at least that long to get ready .
Embarrassed by the controversy resulting from the article , the Imperial Government disavow any link with theKölnische Zeitung — but archival evidence confirms that this was indeed the strategicoutlookin the top echelon of the German politics . When the German ambassador to St. Petersburg , Count Friedrich Pourtalès , wrote a report arguing the situation was n’t as dread as the article suggested , Kaiser Wilhelm II scribble in the allowance , “ then you are mistaken , ” impart , “ harmonize to all my reports , I as a military man harbor not the slightest dubiety that Russia is systematically develop for warfare against us ; and I aim my policy consequently . ”
Meanwhile a numeral of German newspapers , all sympathetic to the military , amplified the message with warning of their own . On February 24 , 1914 , theBerliner Postcalled for a preemptive work stoppage to break through the Triple Entente ’s encirclement before it was too late : “ At the instant the res publica of things is favorable for us . France is not yet quick for war . England has intimate and colonial difficulties , and Russia recoils from the difference because she fear revolution at home . Ought we to wait until our adversaries are quick ? ” rather Germany should “ get up for the inevitable warfare with push and foresight ” and then “ begin it under the most favorable circumstance . ” In early March another newspaper publisher , Die Post , echoed the call for a preemptive war , and the usually moderateBerliner Tageblattasserted “ we wish to keep the peace as long as possible with our dandy neighbor , but that is no rationality to why we should keep to give way before his arrogant pretensions . ” lastly , on March 14 , the ultranationalistAlldeutsche Blätterwarned its proofreader : “ We maintain , today more than ever , that Germany and Austria - Hungary , even with the most honorable desire for peace , can not avoid war with their eastern and western neighbour ; that a tremendous , decisive struggle will be forced upon them . ”
Some historians have contended that European paper helped force the continent into war by pressuring their various regime to take aggressive stance , but it was more likely the other way around , as governing used newspapers to lash up public support for confrontational policies . That ’s certainly how it look to Eyre Crowe , a seasoned British diplomat , who wrote on March 16 , 1914 : “ No German political science , nor the Emperor , will be force back into war by pop clamour . On the contrary , the necessary popular clamouring will be organize by the German government if it wish to go to war . Public opinion alone is of no account whatever . ”
The Triple Entente were in no temper to be bullied : on March 12 , 1914 , Russian War Minister Sukhomlinov penned an anon. reception in the Birzhevye Vedmosti , a Russian financial newspaper , stating that Russia wanted serenity — but was prepared for state of war . And theLondon Timesopined : “ If something were still necessary to pull the Triple Entente nigher together , or to strengthen the decision of the French masses to maintain their three - years ’ compulsoryarmy armed service , nothing could be so effectual as the articles that have been allowed to come along in the German press . ”
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