German Perceptions of the Triple Entente after 1911: Their Mounting Apprehensions Reconsidered
After 1911, Germany felt increasingly threatened by the Triple Entente. Secret intelligence from the Russian embassy in London revealed a growing cohesion among the Triple Entente partners: Britain, Russia, and France. In particular, Berlin feared the success of Raymond Poincare of France, first as premier and then later as President, as he worked to convert the entente with London into an alliance and to reinforce alliance ties with Russia. In the summer of 1914 came the murders at Sarajevo of Habsburg Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. When Vienna decided to punish Serbia, Berlin agreed to support them in the belief that Russia would not back Serbia. But even if Russia did support Serbia, better a war now than later. Rather than be intimidated, Russia took escalatory actions of its own to help Serbia and their French ally. The First World War was the result.
The Outbreak of the First World War
Introduction PART I THE ORIGINS OF THE WAR 1. Germany as a World Power 2. Austria-Hungary and the Balkans 3. The July Crisis PART II WILLINGLY TO WAR 4. War Enthusiasm 5. Socialism and the International 6. The Imaginings of Intellectuals 7. Popular Responses PART III CONCLUSION The Ideas of 1914
Plain Tales from the Hills
Set in colonial India these stories date back to the late nineteenth century. The characters are transplanted Englishmen and their families who came to India during the Raj lived and died there.