Page:The guilt of William Hohenzollern.djvu/162

 CHAPTER XIV ENGLAND

Up to July 29th

German Government had expected that they would succeed in keeping England neutral if it should come to a conflict with Russia and France. They could rely upon open rebellion appearing imminent in Ireland and on the fact that the pacifist idea was nowhere stronger than in England, not only among the working classes, but also in a considerable section of the bourgeoisie. Even among many middle-class elements, who had no objection to a colonial war, there was a horror of a European war with its destructive economic consequences.

Thus the German Government was justified in expecting that there would be strong opposition in the English Parliament to a war with Germany. But it forgot this was only true of an offensive and unprovoked war. The German naval armaments had filled the whole population of England with increasing anxiety about a German invasion. A war to overthrow France or even the occupation of Belgium by Germany must strongly arouse the English people to defend themselves.

The German Government does not seem to have considered this possibility seriously. Their whole procedure was based upon the presupposition of English neutrality. Rh