The world war began when the threats of June and the ultimatums of July gave way to the guns of August. The first victim of the war was Belgium, overrun by the forces of Wilhelm and Germany. Briefly, Roosevelt hesitated to condemn the kaiser. “I simply do not know the facts,” he pleaded on August 8. But very soon he decided that Germany was thoroughly in the wrong, at least in its attack on the neutral and inoffensive Belgians. “There is not even room for an argument,” he told Arthur Lee. “The Germans, to suit their own purposes, trampled on their solemn obligations to Belgium and on Belgium’s rights. Within a week of the war’s outbreak, Roosevelt received a message from the kaiser himself. Speaking through an informal envoy, Wilhelm said he would always remember with pleasure the time when he had entertained the former president at Berlin and Potsdam; he felt sure that he could count on Roosevelt’s sympathy and understanding in Germany’s present position.
Relating the interview to his daughter-in-law, Roosevelt described his response to the kaiser’s messenger: “I bowed, looked him straight in the eyes, and answered, in substance, and nearly in words: ‘Pray thank His Imperial Majesty from me for his very courteous message; and assure him that I was deeply conscious of the honors done me in Germany, and that I shall never forget the way in which His Majesty the Emperor received me in Berlin, *nor the way in which His Majesty King Albert of Belgium received me in Brussels.*'”
Source: T.R., The Last Romantic, pages 748-749
ScottyBoneman on
The US entered the war in 1917.
fatherandyriley on
Shame he didn’t win the 1912 election as I could have seen him taking steps to prepare for war and entering the war in 1915, mobilising faster than in OTL. The war could potentially end a year earlier.
revolutionary112 on
If you want any idea of how messed up the occupation of Belgium was, the germans erected an electric fence on the belgian-dutch border to prevent refugees from fleeing.
It was called the Wire of Death and up to 3000 people died from it
saucissefatal on
Rare Teddy L. Lang lebe der Kaiser!
dontkillmyvibe55 on
Malformed autocrat is such a top tier historical burn. We really traded poetic insults for ratio and it’s a tragedy.
CaesarWilhelm on
Thank god Roosevelt would never do anything fucked up during war
7 Comments
The world war began when the threats of June and the ultimatums of July gave way to the guns of August. The first victim of the war was Belgium, overrun by the forces of Wilhelm and Germany. Briefly, Roosevelt hesitated to condemn the kaiser. “I simply do not know the facts,” he pleaded on August 8. But very soon he decided that Germany was thoroughly in the wrong, at least in its attack on the neutral and inoffensive Belgians. “There is not even room for an argument,” he told Arthur Lee. “The Germans, to suit their own purposes, trampled on their solemn obligations to Belgium and on Belgium’s rights. Within a week of the war’s outbreak, Roosevelt received a message from the kaiser himself. Speaking through an informal envoy, Wilhelm said he would always remember with pleasure the time when he had entertained the former president at Berlin and Potsdam; he felt sure that he could count on Roosevelt’s sympathy and understanding in Germany’s present position.
Relating the interview to his daughter-in-law, Roosevelt described his response to the kaiser’s messenger: “I bowed, looked him straight in the eyes, and answered, in substance, and nearly in words: ‘Pray thank His Imperial Majesty from me for his very courteous message; and assure him that I was deeply conscious of the honors done me in Germany, and that I shall never forget the way in which His Majesty the Emperor received me in Berlin, *nor the way in which His Majesty King Albert of Belgium received me in Brussels.*'”
Source: T.R., The Last Romantic, pages 748-749
The US entered the war in 1917.
Shame he didn’t win the 1912 election as I could have seen him taking steps to prepare for war and entering the war in 1915, mobilising faster than in OTL. The war could potentially end a year earlier.
If you want any idea of how messed up the occupation of Belgium was, the germans erected an electric fence on the belgian-dutch border to prevent refugees from fleeing.
It was called the Wire of Death and up to 3000 people died from it
Rare Teddy L. Lang lebe der Kaiser!
Malformed autocrat is such a top tier historical burn. We really traded poetic insults for ratio and it’s a tragedy.
Thank god Roosevelt would never do anything fucked up during war