In the winter of 1918 the latter openly declared that "three Austro-Hungarian counts and one general had started the war."[1] Were that true, then Germany would also have to bear a vast amount of blame.

For the four "guilty ones" could not have incited to war without being sure of having Germany at their back, and were it true, there could only have been a question of some plot laid by the Austro-Hungarian and the German Governments, in which case Germany, being the vastly superior military element, would undoubtedly have assumed the role of leader.
Bauer's statement shows that they who inflicted the punitive peace were right.
6 While the war was going on, a separate peace on our side that would have delivered up Germany would have been treachery.

But had attempts at peace failed owing to the claims put forward by Germany, we should have been morally justified in breaking away from them, as we were united together in a war of defence and not in a war of conquest.
Although the German military party both dreamed and talked incessantly of conquest, which doubtless gave rise to a misunderstanding of the situation, that was by no means the exclusive reason why peace could not be attained.

It simply was because on no consideration could the Entente be induced to pardon Germany.

I have already mentioned this in my speech of December 11, 1918,[2] in which I discoursed on politics in the world war: "Ludendorff is exactly like the statesmen of France and England.