On the contrary, we pressed for war. What a fine success it
would have been! After our refusal Sir Edward asked us to come
forward with a proposal of our own. We insisted upon war. I
could get no other answer from Berlin than that it was enormous
conciliation on the part of Austria to contemplate no annexation
of territory.
Thereupon Sir Edward justly pointed out that even without
annexations of territory a country can be humiliated and
subjected, and that Russia would regard this as a humiliation
which she would not stand. The impression became ever stronger
that we desired war in all circumstances, otherwise our attitude
on the question, which after all did not directly concern us,
was unintelligible.
The urgent appeals and definite declarations of Sazonoff
[Russian Foreign Minister] later on the positively humble
telegrams of the Czar, the repeated proposals of Sir Edward, the
warnings of San Giuliano, [Italian Foreign Minister,] my own
urgent advice--all were of no use, for Berlin went on insisting
that Serbia must be massacred. The more I pressed the less
willing they were to alter their course, if only because I was
not to have the success of saving peace in company with Sir
Edward Grey.
So Grey on July 29 resolved upon his well-known warning. I
replied I had always reported that we should have to reckon upon
English hostility if it came to war with France. The Minister
said to me repeatedly, "If war breaks out it will be the
greatest catastrophe the world has ever seen." After that events
moved rapidly.
When Count Berchtold, who hitherto had played strong man on
instructions from Berlin, at last decided to change his course,
we answered Russian mobilization--after Russia had waited and
negotiated in vain for a whole week--with our ultimatum and
declaration of war.
Up to the last moment I had hoped for a waiting attitude on the
part of England. As late as August the King of England replied
evasively to the French President, but in a telegram from
Berlin, which announced the threatening danger of war, England
already was mentioned as an opponent. In Berlin, therefore, one
already reckoned upon war with England.
Before my departure Sir Edward Grey received me on Aug. 5 at his
house. I went there at his desire. He was deeply moved. He said
to me that he would always be ready to mediate, and "We do not
want to crush Germany." Unfortunately this confidential
conversation was published, and thereby von Bethmann Hollweg
destroyed the last possibility of reaching a peace via England.