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is there anything that could make those two powers fear each other less and be less inclined to war.

As I see it France's involvement was essential to making the 1914 conflict the great war.

I also think fear of France was a big factor in making sections of the German establishmetn actively welcome the prospect of war.

I imagine a Germany not actively wanting war would have been happy to see Serbia humiliated -as it deserved, but not ceasing to exist, which seemed to have been Austria's objective.
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