The Lost History of 1914

November 21, 2011
Many historians consider WWI to have been inevitable. Not so, maintains Beatty, a news analyst on NPR’s On Point (Age of Betrayal: The Triumph of Money in America, 1865–1900), in this delightfully contrarian account. If one of any number of events had turned out differently, the war might not have been launched. Had war been delayed a month, for instance, civil war over the bitter Irish Home Rule controversy might have embroiled Britain. Russian leaders agreed that war would provoke revolution, as it had in 1905. Yet in 1914, all mysteriously and disastrously changed their minds. With far less reason, says Beatty, Germany’s leaders also feared revolution; many urged a military coup that would have preoccupied the army. Every European belligerent disliked President Wilson’s quirky support of Mexican rebels under Pancho Villa (he later reversed himself). This led to Germany’s January 1917 Zimmermann telegram (which was intercepted by the British) promising Mexico’s dictator U.S. territory in exchange for invading its northern neighbor. Beatty maintains that this, not Germany’s announcement of unrestricted submarine warfare, tipped the balance in America in favor of war. Readers may find some arguments more convincing than others, but they will thoroughly enjoy Beatty’s thoughtful, often discomforting opinions. 86 b&w illus.; 4 maps. Agent: Rafe Sagalyn.