GRUNHERZ: Oh yes how cultured europe is having blown herself up twice this century - chiefly due to the immaturity agression and stupidity of the UK, France, and of course Germany.
You are too modest omitting the US role in making WWI as terrible as it was and having it conclude as it did with all the implications for the rest of the century.
True, the Europe did manage to start a stupid territorial war in 1914 that got out of hand while US was wrapping up the extermination of the native population, racial re-segregation and bloodily assuming control of the former colonies of the Spanish Empire, as well as digesting the spoils of agression against Mexico. (Those pesky oppressive mexicans, how could they deny the freedom-minded americans encroaching into Texas their god-given liberty to own slaves! Remember Alamo?)
The european war turned much bloodier than anybody expected but that's a common mistake when technology advances so rapidly that the military doctrine does not have time/experience to accomodate the innovations. Just like US war of 1861-65 where terrible sensless casualties resulted from 18th century tactics used with breech-loading rifles, revolvers, machineguns and rapid-fire cannons.
But they (europeans) saw folly of their ways, got terrified by the destruction the modern warfare could wreak and would have made peace in 1916 or early 1917 if US did not intervene, arbitrarily took sides, caused major disbalance of forces, prolonged war (and addded few million more casualties), wreaked havoc in Germany and Russia and made them fall to bolshevism and facism respectively, which set stage for the WWII, Cold War, etc. etc.
Of course the Americans could be partially excused - how could they know that the "evil" Kaiser Wilhelm with his country exhausted and military stretched to the limit and no navy to speak of was not ready to cross the Atlantic and occupy the USA. Their president told them so. They were only defending their freedom...
miko
