6 January 1914

[IrishGunner]

This is a good article from Sunday's Jan 5 2014 edition of The Observer...

January 1914: suffragettes, blizzards, exploration – but no hint of war

"Yet in January 1914 Europe seemed to be enjoying a period of relative calm. The Balkan wars, during which states including Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia fought for their independence from the Turkish Ottoman empire, appeared to have drawn to a close. The Peace Palace had recently opened in The Hague "for the peaceful settlement of differences between peoples" and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany was being hailed as a glorious peacemaker with 25 conflict-free years of rule behind him."

In the US, the New York Times on 6 January 1914 had more about the situation in Mexico than in Europe; but this little bit about the Kaiser's "feud" with the "Crown Prince" is interesting. According to the Berliner Zeitung, it seems the Crown Prince was stripped of his command of the Death's Head First Hussars for comments supporting the Zabern, Alsace affair. He'll be back in command by summer, I'm sure...

The Telegraph compared Britain's naval power with Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary on page 12 of it's 6 Jan 1914 edition, concluding, "It is still true that the Navy is our - all in all." Even Old Age Pensions depend it seems on a strong Royal Navy. I think the Navy should enjoy it's reign at the top for another six months, because the Tommy in the trenches is soon to become Britain's "all in all."

The calm before the storm as it were...