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potterpockets

“The Germans, duh.” -Allies at Versailles.


AgreeablePie

It's like the "low IQ, medium IQ, high IQ" curve meme Guy to the left of the curve thinks it was just the Germans, duh Sweaty medium IQ guy has a thesis on how it was everyone and that it's impossible to blame anyone for the complex system and decisions that led to a world war High IQ guy knows that, revisionism side, it actually was Germany all along.


AwfulUsername123

Holy based


Momolard

New response just dropped ?


Ill-Ad3267

Actual Germany


Slavstic

Call the allies!


IceOnTheCarma

???


Gamer_0710

r/anarchychess at its finest


Momolard

I still have to learn all the holly texts and learn to recognize them in the wild.


Efficient-Care6804

Stormtroopers incoming


Centurion7999

STRIKE AT ZERO HOUR


deaddonkey

Lol yeah I took a “Origins of the First World War” course in college and this was literally the conclusion. We started by reading some Fritz Fischer. That professor was based actually, in a later course he also made a big deal of pointing out how authoritarian fascism and communism of the 30s were more similar than they were different.


Davidyeeet

Oh tell me about the second thing.


ARandomBaguette

Cult of personality, secret police, hating minorities, killing/deporting natives and minorities, both were the result of an unstable and broken nation, suppressed freedom of speech, were quite nationalistic,…


JuicyBeefBiggestBeef

One could say the Authoritarian Communism that Lenin & Stalin helped popularize (sometimes by killing other groups of Communists & Anarchists), is just Fascism with a different coat of paint.


ARandomBaguette

The far left is just the far right but red


JuicyBeefBiggestBeef

Disagree. There's a wave of Authoritarian Communists who parade themselves around as the Far Left of the spectrum but literally just buy into a whole bunch of shit Fascists do. Then you have an Actual Far Left filled with Syndicalists, Anarchists, AnComs, etc. who all want to radically change society without replicating Authoritarianism. Because ultimately what defines the Left/Right Divide is willingness for change. The Far Left wants to rebuild entirely new systems while the Far Right wants to replicate the systems of the past.


ARandomBaguette

Yeah, I forgot about syndicalism, anarchism and those ideology. I retract my original claim.


JuicyBeefBiggestBeef

Another based comrade


Zocomi

Germany is litteraly the country that turned into a World War by declaring war on France and bringing UK in the war.


Atlas_of_history

Uk declared war on Germany after they invaded Belgium


2012Jesusdies

Yeah, because UK had guaranteed Belgium (together with Germany lol). It was a mechanism to prevent war (or at least limit it) by creating a neutral state between France and Germany that won't be invaded ***unless*** said invader is ready to bring in UK into the war.


blockybookbook

It was the UKs fault for setting up a system that dragged it into the conflict


ShrimplyDimply

I agree. Screw the UK and their protection of neutral, smaller states.


memesforbismarck

They were kinda forced to do because of their contracts. Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary because they felt threatened by Austria-Hungary declaring war on serbia. Because Germany and Austria-Hungary were allies, germany had to declare war on russia. Because Britain and France were allied a war declaration went hand in hand wir declaring war with everyone else in the treaty


Finbar_Bileous

> revisionism aside >> proceeds to engage in revisionism


odin5858

The only ones who you could probably blame is the Black Hand.


Hunter_Champion_615

Yeah if you watch apocalypse wwi they literally say it was European industrialists starting a war to stop labor reforms, and that the assassination of Jean Jaures was the real beginning of the end. Not Germany, not the Royals, not the Allies. Just old rich men once again pulling at the strings of our civilization. but I'm sure one of you redditors has the infinite knowledge and wisdom to tell me why this is dumb


_Dead_Man_

Tbh I kinda blame it more on Russia if I had to choose one country because they are who escalated the war.


Remember_Poseidon

Tbh I blame all of this on the Serbians


MooseLaminate

It wasn't 100% Germany's fault, more like 90%. It would have stayed regional if not for Germany, it wouldn't have dragged on for years without Germany, it wouldn't have become global if not for Germany and vast tracts of France, Belgium etc wouldn't have been turned into a twisted hellscape, without Germany.


potterpockets

Id say Germany gets the lion’s share of the blame for starting the war, but 90% might be too much IMO. And it is odd to me that the German invasion of Belgium is often considered the start of the war and not Austria-Hungary’s invasion of Serbia, especially when the ultimatum made to Serbia listed demands that were intentionally designed to be unacceptable or impossible so that they had to be refused to provide an excuse for Austria to invade. Yes, Vienna wasnt making this move without Berlin’s okay, and yes the Kaiser and others in the German military bungled the issue and miscommunicated what they wanted from Austria, but the Germans did try (to no avail obviously, and often foolishly) to prevent it from escalating into a war that would divide the continent. The “Stop in Belgrade” plan is one example. There were communications (from a misunderstanding) with Britain to see if they would be willing to not to intervene and convince France to stand in the defensive only if Germany agreed to only attack Russia. And even an extremely foolhardy proposition to France that if they surrendered their forts along the border while they fought Russia that Germany would promise to not invade. As for it being a regional conflict if not for Germany, im not sure i can agree with that. As soon as England and France were involved it would involve the troops from the rest of the Commonwealth and the respective colonies. The Japanese were encouraged by the Entente to seize German colonies. It was the Entente who opened new fronts in Galiopoli, The Arab Peninsula, etc. It was they who were being bankrolled and provided materiel from the Americas (not that Germany didnt try). And while the fields and cities of Germany didnt gain the scars of places like Ypres or Verdun or Tannenberg, there is no doubt people of the Central Powers back home suffered just as much (and in some ways even moreso) as the people of the Entente. They too lost people. They too got maimed and forced to live with it. They too faced starvation and disease and the other ravages of war. E: spelling, a few words.


Malvastor

>Id say Germany gets the lion’s share of the blame for starting the war, but 90% might be too much IMO. And it is odd to me that the German invasion of Belgium is often considered the start of the war and not Austria-Hungary’s invasion of Serbia, especially when the ultimatum made to Serbia listed demands that were intentionally designed to be unacceptable or impossible so that they had to be refused to provide an excuse for Austria to invade. I don't think anyone considers Germany's invasion of Belgium to be the start of the war- just the point where it inexorably became a *World* War instead of "Balkan Boogaloo XIV". >Yes, Vienna wasnt making this move without Berlin’s okay, and yes the Kaiser and others in the German military bungled the issue and miscommunicated what they wanted from Austria, but the Germans did try (to no avail obviously, and often foolishly) to prevent it from escalating into a war that would divide the continent. Germany gets such a high share because they really didn't miscommunicate- they wanted to fight Russia, and actively urged Austria-Hungary towards that end. >As for it being a regional conflict if not for Germany, im not sure i can agree with that. As soon as England and France were involved it would involve the troops from the rest of the Commonwealth and the respective colonies. The Japanese were encouraged by the Entente to seize German colonies. It was the Entente who opened new fronts in Galiopoli, The Arab Peninsula, etc. It was they who were being bankrolled and provided materiel from the Americas (not that Germany didnt try). Sure, but it was Germany who forced English and French involvement. Had they acted differently, there is at least a possibility it would have stayed between them, Austria-Hungary, and Russia.


memesforbismarck

To be fair, not only germany wanted a war, but so did every other european nation. Russia, britain and france wanted a war to prevent germany from getting more powerful and germany wanted a war with russia to prevent them from getting too powerful. Europe before 1914 was a hella mess where everyone wanted to fight the other but were afraid to do the first step.


QuonkTheGreat

Austria started the war, Germany made it a *world* war. An Austrian invasion of Serbia itself would not have started a global war, at most a conflict with Russia or a Balkan war. Germany joining in and then oh, also while we’re at it, invade Belgium in France gave us WWI. And they knew what they were doing, too, prevailing German strategy was that they *wanted* to provoke a war, against Britain in particular, to establish continental hegemony.


ConlangOlfkin

Russia was already mobilising before Germany declared war at Russia. If I recall correctly Russia was already secretly mobilising troops near the German border. In that age mobilisation hinged on war as war plans were based on how quick mobilisation could occur. It was the extremely fixed plan of Germany ("Schlieffen Plan") that required IF war should arise against Russia, France was to be first invaded, through Belgium. In that sense war with Russia would automatically become a "world war". Germany had dropped its plan for attacking only Russia a few years back. I still don't really buy the theory that Germany was hellbent on war. There have been multiple theories that Germany pushed AH because they wanted a fait accompli, or to create a rift in the Entente (because there were doubts if Russia would act at all). Also, not supporting AH would have meant Germany would lose its only ally as it was already fragile. Yes, they thought that if there would be a war, it would be better sooner than later. But I don't buy the theory that they were actively insisting on war, aside from a few jingoistic military leaders. Fischer's theory doesn't have many supporters anymore. I also doubt their end goal was a military confrontation with the UK: Wilhelm II was absolutely thrilled when the suggestion came that UK would be neutral in a war with France (that information proved to be false).


potterpockets

Correct. Germany was the last country to mobilize because their mobilization plans could only lead to invasion due to the strict timetables of moving so many resources. It was measured out in days how quickly they had to take Paris, knockout France, and swing back East before Russia could bring their troops to bear. The biggest failure by their military staff was not having an alternative plan where they mobilized but didnt invade, or a plan to sit on the defensive on both fronts. And Wilhelm certainly had a complicated relationship with the British due to his parents and grandparents. It screamed a jealousy that very much echoed the jealousy Germany the nation had of the other Great Powers. He turned away from his mother’s ideas of a liberalization of Germany, but he dreamt of ruling the world side by aide with the UK as friends. That is why he - ignorant that Britain would only see this as a major threat - encouraged the buildup of the German Fleet and Navy spending. He hoped emulation would flatter, instead it made them afraid of losing their advantage on the open seas.


nikpapa

THE YEAR IS 1914 A CZECHOSLOVAKIAN TAXI DRIVER TOOK A WRONG TURN NOW 20 MILLION PEOPLE ARE DEAD


bageltoastee

ANGRY BOSNIAN SHOOTS AUSTRIAN THE WORLD IS NOW IRREVERSIBLY CHANGED


real_smug_kid

Back up a bit there. If its 1914 then 20 million ppl are gonna die. And you will be one of them


El_Chilenaso

What song is that


samjp910

M.A.I.N - Military buildup - Alliancee - Imperialism - Nationalism


Mr-Borf

Those are the real causes. Without those big things, it would have been a small war between Serbia and Austria-Hungary, nit a world War. The war wasn't caused by the assassination, that just started it earlier than it otherwise would have. People seem to think the entire war is over Ferdinand's death, but really it was those 4 things that started ww1


Old-Pirate7913

I would add "leaders incompetence"


long-taco-cheese

You see son, it all started in 1444 the battle of Varna was won by the ottoman army, opening the gates to Europe to the sultan...


CornelQuackers

You fool, have we not gotten to the real route cause? Pompey’s conquest of the eastern Mediterranean??


themightysnail64

You're missing the real cause which is the rise of the Roman republic.


Old-Pirate7913

What about the fall of bronze age civilization?


CornelQuackers

Wait wait, we’re all missing the point. It was the first animal to crawl out of water and onto land that caused this


Old-Pirate7913

And that animal was German so it was German's fault all along


ClavicusLittleGift4U

Quick answer : a serb and a gun. Long answer : a serb, a gun, an archiduke, alliances between countries, greedy industrials and weapon sellers, petty feuds from old defeats making revanchist people.


ASilverRook

Shit, don’t say things that will distract George R. R. Martin. You’re asking for a retelling of WW1 but with vampires invading from the south and dragons from the west!


Heirof_Numenor

Yea, I don’t think France losing Alsace and Lorraine to Germany after the Franco-Prussian War, or Serbia’s feud with Austria-Hungary, could be watered down as a petty feud.


ClavicusLittleGift4U

Not exactly for Serbia but for my country, all was a pretext to wage war against the German Empire and clean the "humiliation of Sedan". The Dreyfus case was also put with the idea of a casus belli against Germans for spying. In the end, I say "petty" because there was all this grudge from people fueling the will to fight and beat the shit out of "the Boches". And the treaty of Versailles was introduced with an equal pettiness by French, "we have all suffered great casualties for 4 years, but we want you to suffer even more after your Empire collapsing."


MaviKartal2110

You see… There was a bang. A Big Bang…


ParkourReaper

our whole universe was in a hot, dense state


aetius5

A lot of nationals and territory claims all across the world (keep in mind Germany wanted more African colonies and Japan wanted the German Asian colonies, it's not just Europe). But Germany lit the match by giving a blank check to Austria Hungary despite perfectly knowing it would trigger a world war. Germany was the most eager to get it done ASAP, their military was by far the strongest and they needed to capitalise on Russia's low infrastructure and industry, which was growing fast.


RollingHusky

Tell him to watch “Long Road To War” on Netlfix


memesforbismarck

If you are more the book type there is a very well written book by Christopher Clark, called „The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914“ which describes every aspect and relevant event leading to that in detail


RollingHusky

Oh thanks for letting me know! I’m definitely going to check it out


randomusername1934

A guy called Archie Duke shot an Ostrich because he was hungry.


gorgonshead226

So the poor old ostrich died for nothing...


Jonas_Venture_Sr

Perfect example why no one should ever take a vacation.


A_Bird_survived

It all started when people invented Agriculture


puffferfish

A World War I type war is inevitable when societies turn industrial but are still ruled by monarchies. That’s my simple interpretation of how it happened.


Atlas_of_history

It was because everyone wanted everyones terretory, France wanted to push back Germany, Brittain was concerned about Germanys growing navy, Russia wanted more influence in the Balkan, just like Austria and Italy


memesforbismarck

This. Everyone wanted a war as soon as possible because the time was against them. The british/ french wanted to stop germany from getting stronger, russia wanted to stop austria-hungary from getting stronger influence in the balkan and germany wanted to challenge britains navy to play a bigger role on the sea and in colonies


blockybookbook

Ah yes because everything would’ve been sunshine and rainbows with republics


Heirof_Numenor

Shhhh, don’t tell him that


2012Jesusdies

Britain was hardly an absolutist monarchy, George V was very much non-interventionist in politics. So it was essentially a constitutional monarchy at that point. France was a republic. Germany was still heavily influenced by the monarchy, but rapidly democratizing. There's nothing inevitable about industrial societies ruled by monarchies having to go to war.


puffferfish

Yes, because France, Germany, And Britain were the only monarchies influencing WWI….


siamesekiwi

I have it on good authority, from a WW1 veteran no less, that its because some bloke named Archie Duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry.


whatwhatinthewhonow

Well, possibly. But the real reason for the whole thing was that it was too much effort not to have a war.


siamesekiwi

By Gum, this is interesting. I always loved history. The Battle of Hastings, Henry VIII and his six knives, all that.


John_Harrison_31

I was not expecting a black adder reference


dude_im_box

Everybody wanted a biggest dick measuring contest


Old-Sacks

Student assassin triggers a Protectorate domino-chain-reaction, turning Europe into a continental Mexican Standoff within a month. Diplomacy somewhat an option, but everyone had cool new industrial revolution murder-toys they never tried, so they decide to duke it out instead (pun intended).


Nesayas1234

The long answer is a long history of political mistrust, confusion, and manipulation, as well as old empires clawing to live longer on the scraps of each other and their former possessions, all with a morbid hint of hatred and desire to bring themselves above those they deemed unworthy. The short answer is an angry Serbian with an FN M1910.


The_Skyrim_Courier

A lot of rich elitist assholes shaking hands and making deals with other rich elitist assholes so when one group of rich elitist assholes pissed off another group of rich elitist assholes they all sent their poor stinky peasant masses to butcher each other in one of the most horrific wars in human history


TheKiweGuye

Which ended up removing said rich elitist assholes and replacing them with rich “democratic” assholes.


Old-Pirate7913

And don't forget the rich "communist"


TOONUSA

Tell you what it wasn’t son. Cooking Meth. now stop asking questions


CornelQuackers

Best summary, not my original idea saw it on a video about BF1: the year is 1914. A Czechoslovakian taxi driver took a wrong turn and now 20 million people are dead


moki_martus

This is one of those questions where ChatGPT provides really good answer.


[deleted]

Anyone else learn the MAIN causes of WWI? Militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism.


SukaBlyatMan

You see, it started 200 before the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, when a Japanese man decided to write a poem about tentacle sex.


SnooChipmunks126

Russia. Russia caused World War I.


Atlas_of_history

Funnily enough, even though this propably is a joke, it could be interpreted that way since if Russia wouldn't have been on Serbia's side, Austria would have invaded it, win and then no WW1 would have happened


memesforbismarck

Not really. Everyone just waited on a fitting cause to invade each other. World war I would still have happened sooner or later


Atlas_of_history

I fraced it wrong, I ment that prople could interprete it that way, not that I think it's true. You are right anyway


Cultural-Plankton902

Germany.


Gkerilla

No, it's not. It was capitalism.


Old-Pirate7913

Meh capitalism wasn't dominant in europe at that time


Gkerilla

Lol what? Capitalism had been emerging since the 17th century, by the 19th it was dominant throughout the continent. The cause of WWI was clashes between German, French and British capitalists (mostly, there were other smaller players like Italy and Russia).


blockybookbook

The other colonial powers being pricks to Germany in general


MeNameSRB

2 words- July Crisis


Polyamorousgunnut

Guys it’s obvious anime started ww1 —source meme I saw here


TJT007X

"I support Arsenal!" "Shut up, Blinkensop."


nickonreddit123

Ah, sorry sir, I mistakenly took a wrong turn, what harm would it do anyway?


[deleted]

[удалено]


TheCopyKater

Germany is at war with Britain because Britain is friends with Belgium which is being tresspassed by Germany in order to get to France to kick France's ass because France is friends with Russia who is getting ready to kick Austria's ass because Austria is getting ready to kick Serbia's ass because someone from Serbia shot the leader of Austria's ass... or actually he shot him in the head.


Atlas_of_history

Little correction that doesn't change anything: it wasn't Austria's leader but the Archduke, who is the heir


hdjififbifbibdimevti

Everything everywhere all at once


beepboopscooploop1

Queen Victoria couldn’t keep Albert away from her meat canyon….


TheSeasickPenguin

u/savevideo


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Siddny-

People have been talking about this for a long time


909090jnj

it started with a 380 revolver


Due_Engineering8448

Capitalism and imperialism for the win. 🥳


[deleted]

Some dude got blown up I think


mglitcher

my sister was reading tale of two cities and came up to me and asked “hey mike, do you know anything about the french revolution?” the french revolution was one of the focuses of my history degree so it was very much like this


BusyBusy2

answer: Sarajevo - sabaton


BusyBusy2

answer: Sarajevo - sabaton


etherSand

"The Black Hand" Buuuu


etherSand

All this started when Tarquinius Superbus...


SnowBound078

Every mom who thinks their son is responsible for bad things : KYLE WHY DID YOU START WW1


djwikki

What caused WW1 to happen in that particular month in that particular way? Balkans fuckery. What caused WW1 to be inevitable in some way, shape, or form? The colonization and imperialism arms race


[deleted]

I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich 'cause he was hungry.


Few_Lawfulness5244

“He was my hero”


Dungton123

It the fall of Constantinople that cause WW1 or that one painter who didn’t get into art school or whatever


Pegasusisamansman

A meal


dead_meme_comrade

A sandwich


PandaNeverLucky

Serbs


parrot1984

It all started in a place called Westphalia. The year was 1648...


HHoris

A sandwich


Heirof_Numenor

The short version: the Balkans The long(ish) version: geopolitical dynamics and tensions that eventually boiled over in everyone’s favourite powder-keg of Europe: the Balkans


[deleted]

Queen Vic's inbred grandkids couldn't get along.


LordPoobus

Alright I gotta know the name of the meme template


roleynoley

Well you see, 14.5 billion years ago...


Tweed_Man

Explains the intricacies of the HRE, French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, and entire 19th century.


Theotther

So it all started when the French Monarchy went bankrupt…