Changes

The kaiser's dream of leading a continental league to one up Britain's King Edward had been sabotaged long before by Bismarck. As a result of Bismarck's annexation of Alsace-Lorraine in 1871, generations of Frenchmen were inculcated with anti-German feeling. For Bismarck, this was the point. French hostility would unite Germans under his leadership. A French-German-Russian alliance against Britain was proposed at the time of the Boer War in 1900, but failed when Wilhelm demanded that the French recognize Alsace-Lorraine as German.<ref>Röhl, p. 46.</ref>

The kaiser's dream of leading a continental league to one up Britain's King Edward had been sabotaged long before by Bismarck. As a result of Bismarck's annexation of Alsace-Lorraine in 1871, generations of Frenchmen were inculcated with anti-German feeling. For Bismarck, this was the point. French hostility would unite Germans under his leadership. A French-German-Russian alliance against Britain was proposed at the time of the Boer War in 1900, but failed when Wilhelm demanded that the French recognize Alsace-Lorraine as German.<ref>Röhl, p. 46.</ref>

From 1906 to 1911, the naval race with Britain was the focus of great public interest and patriotic feeling. The Germans were outraged when Britain intervened to support France in the Agadir Crisis of 1911. The episode illustrated the futility of the naval strategy and shifted attention to the army. Finally recovered from the trauma of 1905, Russia reentered great power politics in 1912 by backing the Balkan League in a war against Turkey.

Beginning in 1906, a naval race with Britain became a focus of public interest and patriotic feeling. The Germans were outraged when Britain intervened to support France in the Agadir Crisis of 1911. The episode illustrated the futility of the naval strategy and shifted attention to the army.

Because Wilhelm wanted war with France and Russia, but not Britain, advisers who understood this could manipulate him. Chancellor Bethmann Hollweg withheld crucial telegrams to get his approval for war in 1914.

Finally recovered from the trauma of Russo-Japanese War, Russia reentered great power politics in 1912 by backing the Balkan League in a war against Turkey. Because Wilhelm wanted war with France and Russia, but not Britain, advisers who understood this could manipulate him. Chancellor Bethmann Hollweg withheld crucial telegrams to get his approval for war in 1914.

[[File:Schlieffen Plan.jpg|thumb|left|The red dashes show the deployments proposed by Schlieffen in 1905.]]

[[File:Schlieffen Plan.jpg|thumb|left|The red dashes show the deployments proposed by Schlieffen in 1905.]]