World War I, German Dispatches and the Kaiser's Notes
June-July, 1914
German Dispatches and the Kaiser's Notes
DISPATCHES ANNOTATIONS BY THE KAISER
VIENNA, June 30, 1914.
Dispatch from the Ger-
man Ambassador at Vienna.
(German Documents, No. 7.)
. . . Here I hear even
serious people express the
desire of settling accounts
with the Serbs once for
all. A series of condi-
tions should be sent to the Now or never!
Serbs, and, if they did not
accept these, energetic
steps should be taken. I Who told him to do
take advantage of every this? It is very foolish.
such opportunity for This does not concern
quietly but earnestly dis- him in the least. It is en-
couraging precipitate tirely Austria's affair to
measures. decide what he is to do.
_____________ _____________
Vienna, July 10, 1914. Dis-
patch from the German Ambas-
sador at Vienna. (German
Documents, No. 2.)
His Majesty discussed
the situation with the
greatest calm. Then he As His Majesty's me-
expressed hi cordial morial is dated a fortnight
thanks for the attitude of ago, this thing is lasting
our august Sovereign and too long. Nevertheless
of the Imperial Govern- it was only drawn up in
ment and declared that he order to make clear the
now shared our opinion reasons for the decision.
completely, that he
thought as we did that a
decision must be reached
in order to put an end to
the intolerable state of af-
fairs in Serbia.
_____________ _____________
Vienna, July 14, 1914. Dis-
patch from the German Ambas-
sador at Vienna (German
Documents, No. 49.)
. . . The Count told
me that he had been the
man who had always ad-
vised prudence, but that
every day had strength-
ened his opinion that the
Monarchy must come to
an energetic decision in
order to give proof of its
vitality and put an end to
the intolerable state of af-
fairs existing in the south
east.. . . . Certainly.
As to the time for the
delivery to Serbia, it has
been decided that it
would be better to await
the departure of M. Poin-
caré from St. Petersburg
-that is, the 25th.... That is too bad.
_____________ _____________
Therapia, July 21, 1914.
Dispatch from the German Am-
bassador at Constaninople.
German Documents, No. 99.)
. . . Not only Bulga-
ria, but also Rumania and We shall remind these
Turkey, would range gentlemen of this at the
themselves unreservedly right moment.
on the side of the Triple
Alliance, if Austria
should administer a se-
vere lesson to Serbia.
_____________ _____________
London, July 24, 1914. Dis-
patch from the German Ambas-
sador at London. (German
Documents, No. 157.)
. . . But he [Sir Ed-
ward Grey] doubted very
much that it would be
possible for the Russian
Government to advise the
Serbian Government to This would be very de-
accept the Austrian de- sirable. It is not a state
mands without reserva- in the European sense of
tion; a state accepting the word; it is a band of
such term would cease brigands!
to count among indepen-
dent states. He, Sir Ed-
ward Grey, found it dif-
ficult at this time to give
advice to St. Petersburg.
_____________ _____________
St. Petersburg. July 25,
1914. Dispatch from the Ger-
man Ambassador at St. Peters-
burg. ( German Documents. No.
160.)
. . . Russia knows
what is owing from her She knows this better
to the monarchical princi- since her fraternizing
ple, and the present case with the French Socialis-
does not in the least af- tic Republic.
fect this principle.
_____________ _____________
Berlin, July 25, 1914. Dis-
patch from the State Secretary
for Foreign Affairs to the Em-
peror. (German Documents,
No. 168.)
. . . The text of the
Austrian note was writ- He wanted to swindle
ten in such an aggressive Albania, and Austria has
and awkward fashion bristled up.
that public opinion in Eu-
rope and Italy would be
against Austria, and so Piffle!
Italian Government could
oppose it. . . . .
. . . My impression is
that the only way to keep
Italy in the Alliance is to The little thief always
promise her compensa- wants to gobble up some-
tions soon enough in case thing whenever the rest
Austria proceeds to make do.
annexation of territory
or occupies Lovcen.
_____________ _____________
Berlin, July 5, 1914. Dis-
patch from the Imperial Chan-
cellor to the Emperor. (German
Documents, No. 182.)
The Chief of Staff of It is unbelievable that
the Navy informs me that such intention should be
Your Majesty, in view of credited to me! Unheard
a telegram issued by the of! Never would I have
Wolff Agency, has or- thought of such a thing
dered the fleet to prepare after my Minister re-
to return rapidly to Ger- ported to me the mobili-
man harbors . . . zation at Belgrade! That
may bring about mobili-
zation by Russia, which
will cause Austrian mobi-
lization! In that case I
must concentrate my
force on land and sea.
In the Baltic there is not
a single warship! More-
over, I am not in the habit
of taking my military
measures in accordance
with a Wolff telegram,
but with an eye to the
general situation, which
is what the civilian Chan-
cellor has as yet been un-
able to understand.
_____________ _____________
London, July 29, 1914.
Dispatch from the German
Ambassador at London. (Ger-
man Documents. No. 368.)
Sir Edward Grey has The strongest and
just summoned me. The most unparalleled trait of
Minister was absolutely English pharisaism that I
calm, but very serious, ever saw! Never would
and he received me with I make an agreement con-
the word that the situa- cerning the fleet with
tion was becoming more such low-down fellows!
and more tense....
But he deemed media- If, instead of media-
tion an urgent necessity tion, there should be a
if those concerned did not warning to St. Petersburg
wish to have things be- and Paris to the effect
come a European catas- that England would not
trophe.... help them, it would im-
mediately calm matters.
England uncovers her-
self, now that she thinks
us chasing scarecrows
and that our fate is, so to
speak, sealed. The vile
rabble of shopkeepers
ought to deceive us by
means of dinner and
speeches. The grossest
deceit lay in the words ad-
dressed to me by the King
through Henry: "We
shall remain neutral and
try to keep out of this as
long as possible. "Grey
inflicts a denial upon the
King and what he said to
Lichnowky is due to his
remorse because he feels
that he has deceived us.
At the same time, it is a
threat combined with a
bluff for detaching us
from Austria, preventing
mobilization, and throw-
ing back upon us the re-
sponsibility for war. He
knows quite well that if
he said one single word in
earnest and energetically
to Paris and St. Peters-
burg and invited them to
be neutral, both would in-
stantly be quiet. But, in-
stead of this, he threatens
us! The ignoble clown!
Vile dog's excrement!
England alone bears the
responsibility for war or
peace and it is no longer
we! This must be proved
publicly!
_____________ _____________
German Document. No. ... Here we have, in
401 ) all its nakedness, the ter-
rible situation slowly and
surely engineered by Ed
ward VII, continued and
systematically developed
by conversations, after-
ward denied, of England
with Paris and St. Peters-
burg, and finally brought
to its conclusion by
George V, and now to be
made a reality. Thus,
he stupidity and awk-
wardness of our ally are
to be the rope for hang-
ing us.... A grandiose
conception which arouses
admiration even in him
who is to be ruined there-
by! Edward VII, after
his death, is stronger than
I, who am alive I . . .
And we are caught in the
noose.... Now all
these machinations
should be exposed piti-
lessly, the mask of Chris-
tian pacifism should be
publicly torn off, and this
Pharisaical hypocrisy
about peace should be pil-
loried! And our consuls
in Turkey and the Indies,
our agents, etc., should
foment a savage insurrec-
tion of the entire Mussul-
man world against this
nation of odious shop-
keepers, these conscience-
less liars, since, even if we
are to be bled white, Eng-
land must at least lose
India.
_____________ _____________
London, August 1, 1914,
Dispatch from the German Am-
bassador at London. (German
Document. No. 596.)
Sir Edward Grey has The rubbish talked by
jut read me the follow- this man Grey shows that
ing declaration which has he has absolutely no idea
been unanimously adopt- what he ought to do. Now
ed by the Cabinet: we shall await England's
decision. I have just
"His Majesty's Gov- learned that England has
ernment cannot for a mo- cut the Emden cable.
ment entertain the Chan- This is a war measure!
cellor's proposal that they And while he is still ne-
should bind themselves to gotiating.
neutrality on such terms.
What he asks us in effect
is to engage to stand by
while French Colonies are
taken if France is beaten,
so long as Germany does
not take French terri-
tory as distinct from the
colonies.... Such a pro-
posal is unacceptable, for
France, without further
territory in Europe being
taken from her, could be
so crushed as to lose her
position as a Great Pow-
er, and become subordi-
nate to German policy.
Altogether apart from
that, it would be a dis-
grace for us to make this
bargain with Germany at
the expense of France, a
disgrace from which the
good name of this coun-
try would never recover.
The Chancellor also in ef-
fect asks us to bargain
away whatever obligation
or interest we have as re-
gards the neutrality of
Belgium. We could not
entertain that bargain
either. We must pre-
serve our full freedom
to act, as circumstances
may seem to us to re-
quire....
. . . .When I asked
him whether, if we re-
pected Belgian neutral-
ity, he could give me a
definite declaration that What A low cheat I
Great Britain would re-
main neutral, the Minis-
ter answered that this was
not possible for him, but
that this question would
play a great role in public The fellow is insane or
opinion here... an idiot! Moreover, the
French began the war and
. . . .He had also violated international law
asked himself if it would by having their aviators
not be possible for us and throw bombs.
for France, in case of a My impression is that
Russian war, to stand in Mr. Grey is a low scoun-
arms opposite each other drel who is afraid of his
without attacking. I own dirty tricks and of
asked him whether he his lying policy, who does
was in a position to state not wish to take part
to me that France would openly against us, but
enter into a compact of wishes to be forced to do
this nature. so by us.
_____________ _____________
Rome, August 1, 1914.
Dispatch from the German Am-
bassador at Rome. (German
Documents, No. 614.)
. . . He made cease-
less repetition of the ex- The rascal! The King
ternal and internal rea- has not yet answered me
sons militating here even!
against participation in
the war. . . .
. . . Through a man
in the confidence of M.
Barriere I have received So if we do not respect
secret information that Belgian neutrality Eng-
M. Barriere declared that land will attack us and
the Italian Government Italy detach herself from
had taken steps to draw us--that is the situation
closer to the English Gov- in a nutshell!
ernment. Perhaps, in
spite of the denial of the
Marquis di San Giuliano, So our allies are be-
conversation have al- traying us also!
ready been begun with
England.
_____________ _____________
Rome. August 4, 1914.
Dispatch from the German Am-
bassador at Rome. (German
Documents, No. 850.)
. . . Even a partisan
of the Triple Alliance like
Giolitti, who has just re-
turned here, thinks that
the casus foederis has not
arisen, that the country
needs tranquillity and The unbelievable
should remain neutral, scoundrel!
since there is no reason
for its active participation.
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