A Family Affair
The Great War, later known as World War I, broke out in August 1914. The leaders of three of the main protagonists were related. King George V of England, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, and Czar Nicholas of Russia were cousins. Talk about a family feud! If only their family connections could have prevented the cataclysm of World War I.
Cousins
Royals tend to marry other royals. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany was Queen Victoria's grandson. And one of her granddaughters married Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. And through a variety of marriages with other royalty, the Tsar shared lineage with King George V, another grandson of Queen Victoria.
The cousins saw each other on various occasions before the outbreak of the war including royal weddings and funerals. Note the family resemblance between King George V and Tsar Nicholas.
June / July 1914
In late July 2014, Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb, assassinated the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This triggered a chain reaction between Germany and Austria-Hungary on one side and Russia, France, and Great Britain on the other. By late July both Russia and Germany were mobilizing their armies. War was imminent.
The Cousins Negotiate
The Kaiser and the Tsar sent a series of telegrams trying to negotiate. They were sent between 7/29/1914 and 8/1/1914, just before war broke out. They are informal with each other, signing the telegrams ‘Willy’ and “Nicky.’
Here are some excerpts from the telegrams:
The Tsar asks for help in restraining Austria-Hungary: “ …very soon I shall be overwhelmed by the pressure forced upon me and be forced to take extreme measures which will lead to war. To try and avoid such a calamity as a European war I beg you in the name of our old friendship to do what you can to stop your allies from going too far. Nicky.”
The Kaiser wants to prevent war and asks Russia to stay neutral: “…with regard to the hearty and tender friendship which binds us both from long ago with firm ties, I am exerting my utmost influence to induce the Austrians to deal straightly to arrive to a satisfactory understanding with you…Your very sincere and devoted friend and cousin Willy”
The Tsar explains that Russia’s mobilization is only for defense and suggests mediation: “…It would be right to give over the Austro-Serbian problem to the Hague conference…The military measures which have now come into force were decided five days ago for reasons of defense on account of Austria's preparations. Nicky”
The Kaiser wants Russia to cancel mobilization: “…My friendship for you and your empire, transmitted to me by my grandfather on his deathbed has always been sacred to me and I have honestly often backed up Russia when she was in serious trouble…The peace of Europe may still be maintained by you, if Russia will agree to stop the military. measures which must threaten Germany and Austro-Hungary. Willy
The Tsar responds to Germany’s mobilization: “…Understand you are obliged to mobilize but wish to have the same guarantee from you as I gave you, that these measures do not mean war and that we shall continue negotiating for the benefit of our countries and universal peace deal to all our hearts. Our long proved friendship must succeed, with God's help, in avoiding bloodshed …Nicky”
The Kaiser’s final telegram goes unanswered, where he again asks Russia to cancel mobilization of its armed forces.
Start of the War
Germany then declared war on Russia. On August 3, France and Germany declared war on each other. Germany's plan was to bypass the French defense by attacking through neutral Belgium. In 1839, Great Britain had signed a treaty guaranteeing Belgium's independence. Britain informed Germany that it would declare war on Germany if it attacked Belgium. The German ambassador appealed to Great Britain to stay out of the war, but Great Britain said the treaty compelled it to go to war. The German ambassador could not believe that the countries would go to war over a mere 'scrap of paper.' Great Britain declared war on August 5.
A British minister, anticipating the destruction of the war stated, "The lamps are going out all over Europe, We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime."
The Fate of the Cousins
Neither the Kaiser's nor the Tsar's governments survived the war. The Tsar resigned in March 1917 due to the Russian Revolution. The Kaiser resigned at the end of the war. King George V survived, but Great Britain was severely weakened by the war. Initially, the Communists exiled the Tsar to a remote part of Russia. The possibility of King George V offering asylum to his cousin, the now-former Tsar, was discussed but never came to fruition. One version is that King George V was opposed. Because, to his subjects, the Tsar was a bloodstained tyrant and a constitutional monarch should not help an autocrat - however closely related. Another is that the Bolsheviks would never have let the Tsar leave the country. In any case, the Tsar and his family were killed by the Communists in July 1918, 15 months after his abdication. The Kaiser retired to the Netherlands, where he lived long enough to see Nazi Germany conquer Holland in 1940.
Results of the War
World War I casualties, killed and wounded, including military and civilian, are estimated at about 40 million. The subsequent Russian Civil War resulted in several million more casualties. After communism triumphed, Stalin killed millions more during the 1930s. Communism's spread to China resulted in tens of millions more deaths under Mao. Meanwhile, the Versailles Peace Treaty angered Germany leading eventually to the rise of Hitler, World War II, and another 75 million casualties. In total, World War I and its aftermath resulted in 150 million or more casualties.
And all of that could have been avoided if the cousins had found a way to keep the peace. But they didn't.
