Smoke and Mirrors by Deborah Lake

Author:Deborah Lake
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780750979078
Publisher: The History Press

TEN

VERY GOOD PIECE OF WORK. WELL DONE

As midnight approached on 31 December 1916, a single British artillery piece near Ypres fired a single round into enemy lines. A pause. Nine more erratically timed shells. Another silence, followed by seven more. A welcome to the New Year from the Royal Artillery. The German guns did not reply. The war went on. On land. In the air. At sea.

In Berlin, the admirals had won the struggle against the politicians. The Chancellor’s peace initiative had foundered. A boastful overture to a peace proposal, delivered in the Reichstag on 12 December 1916, trumpeted that Germany and its partners ‘had given proof of their indestructible strength’. A written version was duly delivered to the Allies six days later. It gave no indication of the terms that Germany might accept.

Woodrow Wilson made his own appeal. He asked all belligerents to state their aims and the terms on which they were prepared to end the fighting.

In the House of Commons, on 19 December 1916, Lloyd George ensured that any political hopes died. He declared: ‘There has been some talk about proposals of peace. What are the proposals? There are none. To enter at the invitation of Germany, proclaiming herself victorious, without any knowledge of the proposals she proposes to make, into a conference, is to put our heads into a noose with the rope end in the hands of Germany.’

Britain’s response pleased the militant faction in Berlin. Another conference took place at Pless. This time, the Kaiser listened to the men in uniform. One of those present recalled:

Everyone stood around a large table, on which the Kaiser, pale and excited, leaned his hand. Holtzendorff spoke first, and, from the standpoint of the navy, both well and, above all, confidently, of victory. England will lie on the ground in at most six months, before a single American has set foot on the continent; the American danger does not disturb him at all. Hindenburg spoke very briefly, observing only that from the measure a reduction in American munitions exports had to be expected. Bethmann-Hollweg finally, with a visible inner excitement, set forth once again the reasons that had led him in the past to cast an opposing vote against a U-boat war beyond the limits of cruiser warfare, namely concern about the prompt entry of America into the ranks of our enemies, with all the ensuing consequences, but he closed by saying that in view of the recently altered stand of the Supreme Command and the categorical declarations of the admirals as to the success of the measure, he wished to withdraw his opposition. The Kaiser followed his statements with every sign of impatience and opposition and declared that unrestricted U-boat warfare was therefore decided.

Hindenburg’s assessment sobered Wilhelm and several others. The war, the field marshal declared, ‘must be brought to an end rapidly’. Although Germany could hold out, her Allies were crumbling.

The conference agreed. The U-boats came off the leash on 1 February 1917. Neutrals would receive some concessions during the first days of the new policy.

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