Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 52. (2007)
FRIED, Marvin Benjamin: Feldmarschall Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf: A Memoir Analysis
Marvin Fried not understand why Germany did not “cleverly acquire allies and with these [...] attack their enemies, before they were prepared?”73 74 He points to the Entente adversaries as not having had such “chauvinism[s]”75 such as “we Germans fear God and otherwise nothing else in the world,”76 which is why, Conrad believes, the enemies were successful and the Germans had failed. Conrad accuses the Germans of being too “irresolute” to see to the “timely and violent demolition of the encirclement,”77 because they were busy “selfishly pursuing] their own advantages.”78 Notwithstanding Kaiser Wilhelm’s “markedly peace-loving”79 nature, his goals could only be achieved militarily and Conrad sees German passivity as the fatal flaw. Thus, while the Entente “acted offensively, Germany and Austria- Hungary waited defensively”80 and suffered the consequences as a result. Finally, Conrad even hints that Austria-Hungary was coaxed into taking itself and its foreign nationals into war “for German interests.”81 As for the specifics, Conrad, having been intimately involved with the OHL on the eastern front, spares no military criticism either. He accuses the German (as well as Austro-Hungarian) politicians of having made an error by not “taking advantage of Russia’s powerlessness after the [Russo-] Japanese war to strike the decisive blow against Russia.”82 He believes the Germans were “blind,”83 particularly after all the “dissuasion”84 on Conrad’s part, to believe Italy would honor her alliance obligations. He mocks the German naval arms race by saying that Germany “built ships [...] It created with 70 million inhabitants an army no stronger than France with its 40 million.”85 This seems to be an accurate observation when considering that France had just over 4 million men under arms at the outbreak of World War I, while Germany had 4.5 million but with two fronts.86 As in most memoir-like writings, Conrad also begins counterfactual analysis, asking why the OHL did not send twenty to thirty divisions instead of a mere nine divisions to the eastern front. But Conrad attempts to make a solid argument regarding the Marne battle, asking 73 Ibid, Pg. 184. 74 Conrad von Hötzendorf, Franz: Private Aufzeichnungen, Pg. 139. 75 Ibid, Pg. 184. 76 Ibid, Pg. 172. 77 Ibid, Pg. 147. 78 Ibid, Pg. 209. 79 Ibid, Pg. 128. 80 Ibid, Pg. 154. 81 Ibid, Pg. 174. 82 Ibid, Pg. 190. 83 Ibid, Pg. 140. 84 Ibid, Pg. 140. 85 Ibid, Pg. 140-141. Figures: http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/armedforces.htm . 234
