(from 2015)
I was sent a link to an extremely long
documentary (a discussion between various obscure talking heads) about the
causes of World War 1, basically insisting that Germany was innocent and
Britain was completely responsible for the war. I was asked to comment. Since I
don’t do politics and the thesis put forward was something I’d never heard before,
I decided to pick what seemed to me to be the most incongruous throwaway remark
in the whole debate. The person who sent the link did not get back to me – at least
not on this.
It was an interesting discussion. I was interested
in the viewpoint expressed by one speaker that more than anyone else, it was
Franz Xaver Joseph Conrad Graf von Hötzendorf, Chief of the General Staff of
Austria-Hungary, who was responsible for what became the Great War. He was
conducting a passionate affair with Gina von Reininghaus – sending her numerous
letters each day and setting up trysts whenever he could – but she’s Catholic
and won’t leave her husband. So he gets it into his head that if he is a
successful war leader, she will change her mind. With a blank check from
Germany the totally incompetent Austria-Hungarian army goes to war and gets
virtually wiped out – Germany disingenuously disclaiming that they had no
idea... Conrad finally gets Gina – they set up house in 1915 and – Catholic or
not - she finally marries him. So he gets the girl, but trashes the world...
Was that the particular point you had in mind...?
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