Germans regarding their loss in the Great War
The Germans didn't really lose, they were tricked into surrender by Wilson and his 14 points that the French had no intention of honoring. (whether I blame them or not is irrelevent)
Anyway this whole article and the understanding everyone seems to have of WWI is somewhat flawed. The fact that Germany, to this day, takes the blame for WWI is a tragic legacy of the Treaty of Versailles.
Further, the war really didn't begin in 1914 (here we go again) it began in 1871 with German unification and the capture of Alsace-Lorraine (forgive spelling if necessary). Losing this swatch of land angered the French (right Batko?) and led to the resentments that would contribute to their forcing of Versailles on the Germans.
It was the Austrians who were the original belligerants in WWI. Germany only joined reluctantly when Austria and Russia could not be talked down. (Austria invaded Serbia following the assassination of Arch-Duke Ferdinand, which prompted Russia to jump in to defend it's
"little slav brother" Russia's involvement meant Germany had to aid it's ally, Germany's aid meant France and Britain joined in too).
I only point this out because, as I said earlier, this article takes as a unstated fact that Germany was not only primarily responsible, but TOTALLY responsible. No mention of the Ottomans, Austria, nor the Serbs are given, making it flawed from the outset.
The 14 points:I'd point out that the part about Germany NOT being held responsible for the war is left out below. (this was another condition of Germany's surrender) Of further note is that only 4 of the 14 points were actually agreed to, largely due to French insistance on the more punitive terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points were first outlined in a speech Wilson gave to the American Congress in January 1918. Wilson's Fourteen Points became the basis for a peace programme and it was on the back of the Fourteen Points that Germany and her allies agreed to an armistice in November 1918.
1. No more secret agreements ("Open covenants openly arrived at").
2. Free navigation of all seas.
3. An end to all economic barriers between countries.
4. Countries to reduce weapon numbers.
5. All decisions regarding the colonies should be impartial
6. The German Army is to be removed from Russia. Russia should be left to develop
her own political set-up.
7. Belgium should be independent like before the war.
8. France should be fully liberated and allowed to recover Alsace-Lorraine
9. All Italians are to be allowed to live in Italy. Italy's borders are to "along
clearly recognisable lines of nationality."
10. Self-determination should be allowed for all those living in Austria-Hungary.
11. Self-determination and guarantees of independence should be allowed for
the Balkan states.
12. The Turkish people should be governed by the Turkish government. Non-Turks in
the old Turkish Empire should govern themselves.
13. An independent Poland should be created which should have access to the sea.
14. A League of Nations should be set up to guarantee the political and territorial independence of all states.
WWI was a far more complex affair than most really understand. Not that I'm any real expert.
WWI marked the end of absolutism.
WWI Revesed the gains of Germany in the 1871 war of unification
England entered WWI to prevent Germany from gaining a dominant position on the continent. A foreign policy that England actively pursued during most of its time as a nation.
German sentiment was high in the US during the early parts of the war. (There was a decent sized German population in the states at the time). There was some contention as to which side the US should join, if it jioned.
Ultimately the British cut all the transcontinental lines to the US from the other nations, except its own, meaning Britain controlled the flow of info to the states. Meaning all German victories were atrocities, and all British victories were glorious actions against the Huns.
The US, while not in the war for most of it, supplies the allies with arms, and other supplies
on merchant ships which the Germans began sinking upon realization.
This led the US to get involved on the Allies side officially.
France was still sore at having lost in 1871.
Italy was just fair weather friend as it always had been.
Serbia was resentful of the Austrians, among other things.
Anyway, just points to ponder before you go doing too much German bashing.
"When do you ask yourself,
'Maybe everyone else isn't wrong for using the definitions of words; maybe I'm wrong for making up new definitions of words and then using them as crude slurs' -TiG