My mother always says: “I never understood why World War I happened. It doesn't make any sense to him. He does not understand why the old European powers were involved in such barbarism and does not get into his head how they were persuaded to kill these young men from Europe, and from the colonies, for the benefit of the elites.
One of the great books on the origins and beginnings of the Great War is Christopher Clark’s The Sleepwalkers. For Clark, the war was not inevitable. The imperialist rivalry, the arms race and the diplomatic alliances of previous years chained the European powers in a complicated dynamic. The politicians and the military took key decisions blindly, no matter what the consequences might be, as if they were sleeping walkers. At the beginning of the summer of 1914 the continent seemed at peace, but the balance was very fragile and in a few weeks it was plunged into a horrific massacre. This conflict left a deep imprint in the North Basque Country, where 45,000 soldiers were mobilized and 6,000 Basque citizens lost their lives; according to Eneko Bidegain, 3-4% of the population at that time.
For Clark, the war was not inevitable. The imperialist rivalry, the arms race and the diplomatic alliances of previous years chained the European powers in a complicated dynamic
In recent weeks, the threat of war seems to be upon us again. In this context, Ursula von der Leyen warns us that the danger to war is real and that it is imperative to prepare for it. The European governments have said that there is a need for preparation and an increase in the military budget. This policy probably responds to the need to relaunch the obsolete European industry. But it is a well-known fact that when you invest in weapons, sooner or later, you need to use them.
Our mother believes that people today will not be so easily persuaded, because the middle class in Europe has a lot to lose and will not be willing to go to war. But I don't trust him. Aren't the authorities, like sleepwalkers, opening the way to war! Will they not convince us again through nationalist and militarist propaganda! At least by now, they've managed to get Russophobia to the bottom.
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