CaliGuy
Banned
It was more a case of the Germans being worried an increased role of French finance in the A-H Empire would undermine German influence. One of the perceived selling points of MittleEuropa was that it would bind A-H more firmly to Germany.
OK.
Also, where can I read more about this German fear?
How? Initial German support for A-H had a realistic expectation a military conflict would be localized - the later support Russia/France provide Serbia was with the eager expectation of a European wide conflict.
Weren't Germany's leadership winning to risk a general European war based on the belief that, if was is to come, it should come sooner rather than later, though?
The ongoing activities and expectations of the Serbian regime were simply not compatible with the status quo.
True; however, Germany could have told Austria-Hungary to accept the Serbian response to A-H's ultimatum and see where things went from there. Indeed, I think that even Kaiser Bill was pleased with Serbia's response to this ultimatum.
With the benefit of hindsight, Germany could have thrown its only continental ally under a bus and hope for: continued Serbian and Russian belligerence to alienate the British, the French socialists to slash French military budgets and undermine French-Russian military understandings and A-H to increase military spending to be comparable to its peers. Would those things happen before Russia or one of its minions initiates a war in circumstances less favourable than 1914?
I'm not sure that having Austria-Hungary accept Serbia's response to its ultimatum would have been a case of "throwing Austria-Hungary bus the bus," though.
Also, Yes, there was certainly the risk of war occurring on less favorable terms; indeed, this helps explain the German fatalism in regards to this during this time.