Читать книгу The Mennonites in WW1 - Jonas Smucker Hartzler - Страница 44

Such deeds are always to be deplored. They are never justifiable, but the slaying of one man and one woman could not for one moment be considered sufficient cause for a declaration of war, had there not been other and more deeply rooted causes. Yet the war had been in progress for some time before its real causes were fully understood.

War was fast becoming unpopular too much so to suit the warlords of Europe. Jealousy was encouraged. "National honor" was disgraced and must be avenged, and just one month later (July 28, 1914) Austro-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Alliances had been formed between nations so that rivals were on opposite sides. Some countries remained neutral for a time but were finally drawn into the conflict.

Jealousy was not alone responsible. Greed also had a large part in bringing on the conflict. Germany had a decided lead in the manufacture of certain articles which were used the world over, and her favorite mark was, "Made in Germany." England also had the lead in some articles. The same might be said of some other countries. Nations were jealous of each other's commercial aggrandizement as well as of their man power. Secret recipes, geographical advantages, and a number of other things tended to fan into a flame the smoking embers. Germany saw an opportunity to humiliate Russia during the Russo-Japanese war, and Russia never forgot that. A little fanning on the part of the war-lords soon had all Europe ablaze. Thus one nation after another became involved until twenty-three nations of the world had either declared war or announced that a state of war existed between them and some other country.

Germany had a superior army, England must have a superior navy. France had her possessions in Africa. Russia must get a part of China, especially Manchuria, and thus it goes on almost indefinitely. The real cause for the war was in these things, much more than in the murder of a man and his wife by a young anarchist. In addition it should be remembered that constant military training and study in the intrigues and strategies of war create a desire to try the practicability of such knowledge. The thought of superiority creates a desire to show it to others. The study of the methods of warfare are no exception to this rule.