202503031648
Status: #idea
Tags: #world_war_1 #history
# Britain's decision to fight in World War I doomed the empire
At the outbreak of World War I, Britain had the decision of whether or not to intervene. Assuming a decision to intervene, it then had an additional branching decision to make - whether to intervene solely through financial aid & naval blockades, or whether to commit troops to the European mainland.
Britain ended up choosing to commit troops directly. However, due to the dynamics of technology at the time, World War I was inevitably going to be protracted, brutal struggle given the relative manpower parity on each side. This committed the empire to a long, costly war (both in terms of manpower and finances). [[Technology ensured World War I would be a slow-moving war]]
If Britain had abstained from the war or maintained its distance by contributing through naval & financial means, it is possible that the Empire would have been better off *even assuming Germany had won*!
[[Britain's strategic ambiguity contributed to the start of World War I]]
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# References
[[The pity of war]]