TP IP #14 WWI Part II Fischer Thesis--Germany's plan for Europe War aims France - minor border adjustments plus

Alsace-Lorraine regain AH - limited Balkan conflicted that gets out of control; desire to admonish Serbia but turns to war of survival, preserve the empire Italy - originally Central aligned; happier with Anglo-French deal for post-war gains British - prevent continental hegemony; German - start small, but war aims increase significantly as war continues; at the expense of AH, which results in plea for peace from AH; Russians Geographic, materiel and demographic recruitment of allies (1914-15) Unconventional Warfare Germans inject Lenin into Russia Lawrence of Arabia - knock Ottomans, increase British position/interests, Sykes-Pico and secret treaties Karenski - revolution was about peace; thought removing tsar would allow him to prosecute war; Germans attempt to invoke jihad in ME; guerrilla warfare in sub-Saharan Africa; Falkenhayn in Palestine (mobile operations); Armenian Affair Turks becomes concerned Armenians are passing information to Russians; Start emptying out villages with death marches, firing squads,... Inspiration for Nazi movement because no one took notice of these events; Ripples into today...lack of acknowledgment of this genocide poses barrier to EU entry (plus large population if Islam) Bismarck provided incentives to working class to mitigate impact of monarchical system; Pure lasses faire capitalism will not compensate the people who have to do the menial labor for less pay; this is realization that comes to each country around this time, lastly in Germany after WWII. Logically led to idea that state needed restraining, not just people; Devaluing currency has international impact; seeds of Great Depression are in how war was financed;

Political goals exceed means and ways, force to drive up ways and means through drastic measures which irrevocably change state social culture;

Growth of secret police endemic to democracies...partial response to Lenin types; increased internal monitoring, propaganda; clear picture what is going on Russia with Lenin and Totsky produces fear of same in other countries Treaty of Versailles George and Clemenceau really eventually get more of what they wanted in terms of property, but it's not as valuable as they think it will be; Civil Military Relations Germany - Hindenburg and Ludendorff take control by end if war Radicalization is result of escalating war toward total (Thucydides): mutinies, internal power struggles, more violence, desperation; Clausewitz--fear, emotion and enmity overpowers rational policy; why mechanism have limited, uncertain and highly variable results; Compartmentalization: idea that war starts in 14 and ends in 18...revolutions, skirmishes, war, communist insurgencies, destabilized economies,...Hitler wants serial, short wars...but you don't get to choose; the idea of technology to solve this problem--Rumsfeld: faster, lighter, stand-off, ... Sunken costs is about domestic politics--renew commitment to justify costs; Operational Doctrine Rewrites Germans - almost entirely bottom up: center on infrantry doctrine; flexible defense; vastly reduce size of units; decentralize command structure; retraining schools; strip strong officers and NCOs initially which destabilizes units; **this is creation of the modern system; British - linked to technological developments (armor, air, French - most resistant despite significant involvement; Capt Lefarge--isolated improvements/idiosyncratic; result of leadership divorced from front line experiences; Lack of geostrategic depth forces operational and tactical focus, not strategic focus on things like logistics,...unrestricted submarine warfare for example--political, economic implications!! Assumptions built into operational plan to achieve strategic effects;