​

THE GUILT OF WILLIAM
HOHENZOLLERN

BY
KARL KAUTSKY


LONDON: SKEFFINGTON & SON, LTD.
PATERNOSTER HOUSE, ST. PAUL'S, E.C.

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CONTENTS

chap. page
Preface 7
I. Who are the Guilty? 15
II. The Isolation of Germany 18
III. German Provocations 27
IV. Austria 31
V. The Balkan Crises 37
VI. The Situation before the War 43
VII. Materials relating to the Origin of the War 48
VIII. Serajevo 52
IX. William's Monarchial Conscience 60
X. The Conspiracy of Potsdam 65
XI. The Conspirators at Work
William's Insistence 74
Austria's Hesitation 82
A False Calculation 95
The Hoodwinking of Europe 100
XII. The Ultimatum to Serbia
The Deliver of the Note 109
The Localization of the War 116
The Sabotage of the Peace Efforts 120
The Beginning of Uncertainty in Germany 135
XIII. Italy 146
XIV. England
Up to July 29th 158
July 29th 167 ​
XV. Last Efforts to preserve Peace 179
XVI. The Mobilizations 190
XVII. The Declaration of War on Russia
The Preparation for the Declaration of War 202
The Reason for the Declaration of War 206
The Opening of the War by Russia 212
XVIII. The Declaration of War on France
The Neutralization of France 219
The Mysterious Airmen 224
XIX. The Declaration of War on Belgium
The Breach of Faith a Political Blunder 233
The Justification of the Breach of Faith 239
XX. The World Revolution 249
XXI. The World-War and the German People 257
Appendix 270

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The personality and position of Karl Kautsky puts his unique book in the front rank of authoritative records, and settles, once for all, the question of the personal responsibility of William Hohenzollern for the outbreak of the Great War. Appointed by the German Republican Government to examine the secret archives of the German Foreign Office, Kautsky was able to study the documents which passed between the German authorities and the other parties to the great conspiracy, documents which passed through the hands of the ex-Kaiser and bear his notes and comments IN HIS OWN HAND! Those notes and comments show William Hohenzollern as the driving force behind the war-party in Germany, as a man determined not to let slip what seemed so favourable an opportunity of settling accounts with Russia — and, if necessary, the world.


While everything else that has hitherto appeared is personal opinion, myth, or conjecture, this—THE REPORT OF THE GERMAN REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT'S OWN REPRESENTATIVE—is an official document which is published for the edification and benefit of humanity. It is a remarkable and significant fact that for a long time the German Government sought to shelve the publication of this book — so unfavourable was Karl Kautsky's report on the responsibility of the ex-Kaiser.

[SEE INSIDE FLAP.]

SKEFFINGTON & SON LTD.

  This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.
Original:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1927.

The author died in 1938, so this work is also in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 80 years or less. This work may also be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

 
Translation:

This work was published before January 1, 1927 and it is anonymous or pseudonymous due to unknown authorship. It is in the public domain in the United States as well as countries and areas where the copyright terms of anonymous or pseudonymous works are 100 years or less since publication.

 
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