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Going to be reading more McMeekin
Probably the best construction of WW1 that I have yet heard.
McMeekin’s take on Russian border insecurity and insecurity as imperial growth as new problems arose with every point along the Caucasian and Central Asian borders.
Gage breaks demonstrative of what the thoughts of strategic planers where about the probable defense of Russian Poland.
While Russian war planning was severely cautious in the West, Stolypin urging 20 years of peace to allow for industrialization, the Russian policy towards the Ottoman Empire still envisioned taking advantage of the chaos and facilitating the final disintegration of the Porte.
Just a neat map really.
The narrowly avoided Great War of 1912, blocked by Kokovtsov and the Tsar despite partial mobilization against Austria over German fears. The chief worry of the Russians was a Crimean or Congress of Berlin situation that blatantly initiating such a war would result in abandonment
Bulgaria’s unilateral push for control of the Thrace peninsula was a move that seemed to spite the real goals of the foreign ministry, which were not the idealistic recapture of Tsargrad by any Slavic group, but rather unhindered access of passage through the straits.
The reasons for this are easy to see, the closing of the straits in 1912 had caused a major dip in imports, exports, and revenues. In Hindsight, the resolution of this problem was one of the greatest achievements of Post War Diplomacy and the Leauge of Nations specifically.
Russian policy regarding the straights became increas offensive oriented as the Ottoman Empire was coming apart. The Black Sea fleet was undergoing as quick of a modernization as possible in war planing. Indeed opportunities had to be sacrificed because of lack of preparedness.
The problem? The Ottoman Navy was receiving three dreadnoughts from nominal ally Britain, and two more from Brazil!
Britain had also sent a naval mission and was training Turkish sailors. If allowed to happen, the Turkish fleet would have been gifted supremacy in Black Sea!
Britain had also sent a naval mission and was training Turkish sailors. If allowed to happen, the Turkish fleet would have been gifted supremacy in Black Sea!
This was the most fractious thing the British had yet done to endanger the Entente before the war had even started, the Russians were at a complete loss at how to even approach this massive problem.
The answer from Churchill here is one of the most amazing things I've ever read.
The answer from Churchill here is one of the most amazing things I've ever read.
