I don’t wish to get into an silly argument with you over your stereotypes posing as wit. Your post in question actually begins with the following hilarity:
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Well, I cringed when I read it, and that was the problem. To be fair, maybe I should add that I am tired of hearing the same types of sterotypes about Germans being repeated over and over again here in England.
The answer revolves around Napoleon III being - like Napoleon I - a charismatic and flamboyant character, and also - very much unlike Napoleon I - a complete blockhead in military matters. Other factors involve King Wilhelm not really wanting a war (he was at a spa in Baden-baden when the balloon went up) and Bismarck itching for a new conflict to kick off German unification after he’d kicked my Danish forefathers out of Schleswig-Holstein in 1864.
When the problem of the Spanish throne arose, Bismarck published a version of his & king Wilhelm’s communications in this matter, carefully edited to affront the French.
Napoleon took the bait, worked up a Gallic rage, went to war and got himself in trouble faster than you can say “Je ne comprends pas”. When the smoke cleared, he’d lost the war (and his throne), France had lost Alsace-Lorraine (now Elsass-Lothringen) and Bismarck had placed himself firmly in the driver’s seat of a unified Germany. Whats’s the French for “Oops” ?
So while the French were the first to attack, it was probably part of the overall Prussian plan to have them do so. Blame whoever you want.
BTW, Alsace is one of the geatest spots in Europe IMHO. French elan and German thoroughness (those are cliches, I know, sue me) can coexist with excellent results in service, cuisine & general mood. Besides, the area is beautiful, has loads of history and produces some rather nice white wine. Recommended.
S. Norman
<Di Niro>ARE YOU TALKIN’ TO ME? ARE YOU TALKIN’ TO ME?
YOU CAN’T BE TALKIN’ TO ME!
YOU WANNA PIECE OF ME?</Di Niro>
If you got the chops, start a BBQ Pit thread. Or cork it! :wally
You are jumpy aren’t you? If you look at my posts, you’ll realize that I haven’t been attacking you, but at first tried to correct you (that’s what the SDMB is about) and then to explain why I did and why I didn’t appreciate your kind of “humor”. If this troubles you any further, I’m sorry but I haven’t got the time to waste on that kind of nonsense. And this is the last I’ll be writing on this matter.