Could anything have caused large scale resistence to war in Germany in 1914?

[Derek Jackson]

In theory Social Democracy has a large pacifist element. Germany had one of the Worls's strongest Social Democratic parties. Yet I believe the Reichstag voted almost unanimously to pay for what was plainly an aggressive war.

Could anything have caused a large resistence to war in Germany, and perhaps France, Britain and Austria?

Could such a movement have prevented World War One?

[asd21593]

I highly doubt any resistance would have occurred. It wasnt until after World War One that people realized the harsh reality of war. Before that, it was considered "glorious" and romanticized. Possibly an earlier communist revolution in Russia would have kept them out, because Lenin though of WW1 as an "imperialist venture." But a communist revolution in any other country is pretty improbable.

[dummnutzer]

Quite unlikely.

The SPD had re-affirmed its willingness to defend the Fatherland at the 1907 party conference at Essen against its internationalist/radical wing.

Prior to that, Bebel had already stated in the Reichstag in 1904, that he himself would of course (!) shoulder a rifle again - even as an aged man - to defend Germany from Russia (My translation is too soft, the German original has a more martial tone to it.).

Many, if not most Germans believed to be the victims of foreign aggression: "Mitten im Frieden überfällt uns der Feind."

Acting differently would have been political suicide, esp. as most people expected a SPD majority in the Reichstag soon. Refusing the Kriegskredite might have resulted in some German JeanJaurès.