But, later, when the war long since had assumed a totally different character, when the troops were made stationary by the war of position and fresh enemies were constantly rising up against us, when Italy, Roumania, and finally America appeared on the scene, then did the German generals achieve miracles of strategy.

Hindenburg and Ludendorff became gods in the eyes of the German people; the whole of Germany looked up to them and hoped for victory through them alone.

They were more powerful than the Emperor, and he, therefore, less than ever in a position to oppose them.
Both the generals drew the wellnigh unlimited measure of their power direct from the Entente, for the latter left the Germans in no doubt that they must either conquer or die.

The terrified and suffering people clung, therefore, to those who, as they believed, alone could give them victory.
5 Anglo-German competition, the increasing decadence of the Monarchy, and the consequent growing lust of conquest evinced by our neighbours had prepared the soil for war.

Serbia, by the assassination, brought about an acute state of tension, and Russia profited thereby to fling herself on the Central Powers.
That appears to me to be briefly an objective history of the beginning of the war.