A historian comments on the Kaiser, by Ari Sclar
- Ari Sclar
- Apr 11, 2018
- 1 min read
“Convincing himself that Germany was being denied her rightful 'place in the sun', the Kaiser embarked upon a vast programme of military and naval armament. For mutual protection, therefore, France and Russia drew closer together...
The German Emperor, who had neither brains nor manners, seemed to go out of his way to give and to take offence. He wrote rudely to his grandmother [Queen Victoria]… and told Britain to mind her own business in Egypt instead of complaining about German plans to build a railway from Berlin to Baghdad. Above all, he built a powerful battle-fleet which could only be intended to challenge British sea-power. In this situation Britain could not afford to remain isolated…”
Historian R.J. Unstead
What position does Unstead take in the historians debate over the blame for who started World War One? Explain how you came to that conclusion, citing specific words that Unstead uses.
What do think Unstead is referring to when he writes that the Kaiser felt that Germany was being denied their “rightful place in the sun”? Be specific.
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