raharris1973
Gone Fishin'
Britain would go to war with a Germany that struck east in 1914 without an attack on Belgium and France because:
- It thinks France and Russia are the likely winners and wants to stay on their good side
- It thinks a defeat or setback for Russia in Poland/Balkans alone makes Germany too powerful
- It thinks a defeat/setback for Russia now means an unacceptable defeat for France later, and Germany too powerful, so preempt it now
- Getting involved in war in Europe is a great way to distract from Irish controversies
- It wants to pinch Germany’s overseas colonies for Cape-to-Cairo
- It wants to have an excuse to blockade German commercial competition
- It wants to ensure the destruction of the German navy, either through battle, or coerced as part of a peace settlement
- Britain actually wouldn’t go to war with Germany in this case.