I did not know that...

Wow, quite a history lesson for me today

I’ve been reading about WWI in which my paternal grandfather served and survived!

I didn’t know that as early as 1902, twelve years before WWI Germany was threatening France.

William Robertson, then a Lieutenant Colonel and head of the foreign section of military intelligence, enquired of the Foreign Office regarding Britain's treaty obligations to Belgium in the event of a breach of that country's neutrality by either France or Germany. He was becoming aware of a growing antagonism in Europe and by October of that year said: "That instead of regarding Germany as a possibly ally we should recognise her as our most persistent, deliberate and formidable rival ..."

The extraordinary "Wully" Robertson rose from Private to Field Marshal of the British army. Quartermaster to the BEF in 1914, he was made Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1915. He strongly disagreed with David Lloyd George's strategic ideas in late 1917 and was soon replaced by Sir Henry Wilson.

He had correctly identified the most serious threat to British interests.

Even though France and Russia had been historical threats to Britain, an agreement called the Entente Cordiale, warded off German challenges until 1914.

Nevertheless because of this early warning Britain began planning for war. Informal and often secret discussions began with France about military capabilities, carefully avoiding any specific commitments or formal alliance despite pressure from France.

In 1906, after a landslide election victory, the Liberal leaders were Asquith, Grey and Haldane. They along with Churchill and Lloyd George formed a minority of MP’s who believed in the benefits of the agreement with France.    

In response to Germanys increasing threat the then Prime Minister Asquith called an emergency meeting of the Committee of Imperial Defence on 23 August 1911, recorded in the minutes of that meeting was the statement that 

…there was never any doubt what would be the Grand Strategy in the event of our being drawn into a continental war in support of France. 

Preparations began to send a force to France in anticipation of an attack by Germany. It was thought that a ‘small’ force of between 100,000 or 120,000 men - five or six Divisions would be enough to enable France to see off the German threat. The troops were seen purely as defensive support. Adding to 

By adding to the French military defensive forces a comparatively small British Expeditionary Force of very high quality… they would be a formidable force even against the massed German troops.

The British army began to call its troops home realising that a strong ‘at home’ force wold be needed to defend for its own defence. And so it was that by about 1912 the army was as ready for war as it could be given the know information and its position of being ready to defend the nation.

 How easy it is to be wise in hindsight, 

Had Britain known that the war would require a huge manpower force, that the enemy would find finances to support itself and carry the large scale fighting over three continents, how different the outcome might have been.