They hoped that they would be permitted to preserve
an honorable peace. A few months earlier, in 1913, when the centennial
of the war for independence from French oppression and the twenty-fifth
anniversary of Emperor William's ascent of the throne had been
celebrated, they had willingly taken upon their shoulders the great
sacrifice of the so-called "Wehrvorlage," which increased the peace
strength of the standing army enormously and cost 1,000,000,000 marks.
They considered it simply as an increase of their peace insurance
premium. Our diplomats worked hard for the maintenance of peace, for the
localization of the Austro-Servian war. So sure were the leading men of
the empire of the preservation of general peace that at the beginning of
the week which was to bring general mobilization they said to each other
joyfully: Next week our vacation time begins. But they were fearfully
disappointed. Russia's unexpected, treacherous mobilization compelled
Germany to draw the sword also. On the evening of the first day of
August the one word, Mobilization! was flashed by the electric spark all
over the country. There was no more anxiety and uncertainty. Cool, firm
resolution at once permeated the entire German folk. The Reichstag was
called together for an extra session.
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