Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg Quotes
No man could know whether war might not at any moment break out.
Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, 1856-1921, German Chancellor, Statement introducing a new military appropriations bill, April 7, 1913
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
At the time the President denied that he had decided to invade Iraq. Skelton saw the “handwriting on the world.”
King George did not want to give up the American Colonies and claimed the loss at Yorktown was just a loss of a single battle. The English soldiers had controlled New York, Charlestown and other places and American Tories wanted to fighting to continue. The French were having major problems elsewhere and the states were all broke from the war effort. Hamilton urged Clinton to offer all the New York offers and soldiers half pay tp be available to fight against the other ex-colonies represented in the Continental Congress.
This was written when the United States was not a dominant military power. At the beginning of the 20th century, the U. S. had the same size military as Argentina. It was France, German, Turkey and England who had the military superiority and it was they who tended to find excuses for war. After WWII, the U. S. was dominant and was involved with a number of wars and military incursions, often with nations that had not attacked the U.S. Korns’ principle was most dramatic when the George W. Bush administration invaded Iraq on the excuse that the Iraqis were developing weapons of mass destructions and then might attack the United States. After the successful invasion, the excuse was shown to be hollow as there were no signs of sophisticated weapons development.
What is interesting about this quote is that it is very much like many American politicians who support a large and strong military.
Although Great Britain had abolished slavery, British economic interests during the Civil War suffered because of the northern blockade of the South. Much political opinion in England was hostile to the blockade policies of the Union. Bright, a great admirer and supporter of the United Sates and the Union cause was concerned that the United States might drift into War with Great Britain. His letter to Senator Sumner was written with the understanding that it would be in shared with President Lincoln, and it was actually read at a cabinet meeting.
Theobald Theodor Friedrich Alfred von Bethmann-Hollweg was a German politician who was the Chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917.
