Mike stone
2/23/2009 7:42:00 AM
"Rich Rostrom" <rrostrom.21stcentury@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:f4d2da15-dfc4-47ac-a638-0a6cf7256e7c@h5g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
>
> If Germany does not declare war on Russia, then
> Germany is standing aside while Russia attacks
> Austria.
>
If Russia does so.
OTL the Tsar never declared war on Austria-Hungary. They remained officially
at peace until August 6, when AH declared war on Russia under pressure from
her German ally.
He may never do so. It's a much bigger decision than mobilisation, and he
hesitated even over that. If he does, then Germany can declare war on him at
that point with (assuming Germany is mobilised) nothing in particular lost
by the delay.
Ironically, Austria-Hungary might actually have fared _better_ in these
circs. Lacking German support, Conrad would probably be forced to fight a
purely defensive war in Galicia, rather than the attempted offensive which
led to disaster at Lemberg.
Ironi
--
Mike Stone - Peterborough, England
"Freddie experienced the sort of abysmal soul-sadnesswhich afflicts one of
Tolstoy's Russian peasants when, after putting in a heavy day's work
strangling his father, beating his wife, and dropping the baby in the
reservoir, he turns to the cupboard only to find the vodka bottle empty".
P G Wodehouse - Jill the Reckless