Theodor Wolff

4089 The Eve of 1914, by Theodor Wolff translated from the German by E. W. Dickes (read 7 Nov 2005) Back on 5 Dec 1964 I read The Twelve Days 24 July to 4 Aug 1914, by George Malcolm Thomson, which listed this book and I noted that it would seem worthwhile to read it. The author was the editor of a leading Berlin newspaper from 1906 till 1933, and this book was published in German in 1934 and in English in 1936. Time said historians hailed it as the best study of the Great War's origins since Sidney Fay's volumes on that subject (which I read 29 May 1968). Wolff is very fair and tends to blame Germany and Austria more than anyone else for the war's outbreak. I think there can be no doubt that Germany's blank check given early to Austria after the Sarajevo murders was a crucial mistake, and had the most to do with the war starting. This is a very excellent book, and I found it absorbing reading. The author was personally present and in on things in Berlin during the pertinent time and this adds to the immediacy of his account. This book lives up to what one expects from books dealing with the momentous year, 1914. My computer tells me I have read 44 books which have "1914" in their title!… (meer)