Journey of Whys: From Blood To Blood

     The Angles, a Germanic tribe, are the namesake of the English. The current English monarchy inherited the throne while rulers in Hanover, Germany. Rooted in the Hanseatic League of the high medieval period connecting London to prosperous merchant guilds in Germany and the Baltic and continuing with merchants, mercenaries, and marriages from the northern Germanic region through the early modern period, England and Germany shared strong ties through much of Europe's tumultuous history, but the two largest wars in world history saw the might of their empires contest for supremacy. What ruptured the six centuries of good will and intermarriage to destroy one of the most steadfast political friendships of European history?
     Prussia, the main precursor to Germany, played a pivotal role in defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and was considered the weakest of the Great Powers of Europe at the Concert of Vienna in 1816, but after clever diplomatic maneuverings and two wars, Bismarck, Moltke, and Wilhelm I unified the German state around the Prussian core.
     Because France and Russia were Britain's main rivals in the 1870s, Queen Victoria passively allowed the formation of the German state hoping to create a strong ally against France and Russia on the European continent. With strong family, cultural, and economic ties to Prussia, the British enjoyed the rise of the Germans, especially the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71.
     Bismarck's ability to politically isolate an enemy before striking prevented the entire continent becoming involved during the unification wars, but his system of multiple alliances for every front eventually led to a complex political weaving that formed a web around every empire in the world. Despite never formalizing an alliance, Great Britain and Germany enjoyed cordial relations both before and after Germany's unification in 1871.
     Since Germany focused on consolidation instead of expansion during the colonial period at the end of the century, Anglo-German interests rarely interfered, but with the coronation of Wilhelm II, the German empires focus shifted. Bismark was removed from his diplomatic position, overseas colonies were more readily established, and Prusso-German militarism shifted from the army to the navy.
     Anglo-French relations, though tense through much of the nineteenth century, improved from 1901 onward and culminated in the 1904 Entente Cordiale which positioned England and France against Germany in the case of an aggressive war. Though descended from a heavily influenced German line, Edward VII favored France at the expense of his nephew and German emperor, Wilhelm II.
     Inept and grandiose, Emperor Wilhelm II obsessively adored British culture and sought to imitate it. With the coffers of a rapidly industrializing empire, Wilhelm II urged the growth and development of the German navy to match the British Imperial Fleet. Since Britain relied on its naval prowess to secure its trade and security, the German naval race rapidly deteriorated relations between the two nations. Wilhelm II furthered the decline by his poorly timed, unconscionable comments in public statements. It was said that Wilhelm II, "approached every question with an open mouth."
     Though widely popular in Britain when Queen Victoria died in his arms and in constant contact with Edward VII, Wilhelm's open-mouthed approach to publicity incited papers to rally against him, especially when his naval build-up pressured the British to out produce the Germans. The attention seeking of Wilhelm II coincided with his staff's duel desires of imitating the British and securing a German empire to match.

     The increasing steel production and industrial capacity of Germany in the first decade of the twentieth century, pushed the British away for fear of de-stabilizing Europe and furthered the fears of Russia and France who signed alliances with one another. As Germany's military, economic, and industrial strength increased, it became further isolated except for the Triple Alliance with Italy and Austria. Internal fractures over land disputes between Austria and Italy eventually left Germany's only ally as the bankrupt, decrepit Austrian Empire.
     In the decade of preparation before the War to End All Wars, Germany isolated itself politically just as it had its own enemies in the wars leading to its unification. Otto Von Bismark's deft political handling of affairs accelerated Germany's unification, but the mismanagement of the same process escalated its disunion. The lengthy history of Europe is well known for its complex intricacy between families, nations, and empires. Though not always the most powerful or influential members involved, three nations are at the heart of what made Europe: England, France, and Germany.
     So it was that Britain forsook her blood ties in Germany and turned to France. So it was that Germany's creation led to its collapse. So it was that the largest empires of Europe fought the largest wars of history. From the blood of kin to the blood of the killed, Britain befriended France at Germany's provocation, ending centuries of friendship with one to end centuries of animosity with the other. So it was that history was made.

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Agatha Tyche