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comment by b_b
b_b  ·  2348 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: TIH: October 19, 1914- First Battle of Ypres

I recently read Grant's account of the Civil War, and it is interesting (for lack of a better word) to hear him essentially say that the war was decided after the Battle of Chattanooga, which was in the fall of 1863. According to Grant, the only possible outcome after that battle was a Union victory, but it was up to the South whether that victory would be total and crushing or negotiated with an eye toward the South retaining some autonomy; pride made them choose the former.

I think the same is true of WWI. As soon as Germany lost the Battle of the Marne, they were never going to win the war because they were geographically incapable of sustaining themselves for long periods of time. The battles fought at Ypres are some of the most depraved examples of what pride in leadership can do to their own people. When we think that Trump isn't crazy enough to start a war, we need to only look to WWI to remember that the decisions of a few maniacal zealots can kill literally millions of people, for the sole end of personal vanity.