Should Britain have stayed out of the War?

Probably all of history is riddled with ironies, but certainly so for WW1. Debate has continued ever since about what would have happened had Britain not joined the Franco Russian alliance. Did you watch the TV debate series  Max Hastings v Niall Ferguson on this? Ferguson made some strong points, but I must say I'm with Hastings that worse conflicts would have occurred for Britain within a few years if this one had not been entered.
But.... isn't it ironic that undertakings made to the French (mainly by Edward Grey without explicit support of Parliament) - a nation we'd been fighting for centuries (the entente cordiale had only been in existence for 10 years) - and a small neutral country - pivotal only because of the Schlieffen plan - brought the entire British Empire into the war? Until a matter of days before August 4th most of the nation and the parliament did not want war. The Irish independence question, women's suffrage and workers' rights were far more in the public eye.

Sir Edward Grey

On Sunday 2nd August the British Cabinet met, in the light of declarations by other great powers, under the threat of many resignations over war. At same time Germany was marching through Luxembourg, and sending its ultimatum to Belgium requiring passage.

On 3rd August came the appeal from the King of Belgium to uphold the neutrality treaty. After an long and emotional Commons debate, led by Grey, the majority were in favour of supporting Belgium: an ultimatum was sent to Germany to withdraw from Belgium within 24 hours.

British Fleet action was initiated in the Mediterranean to support France in moving her Africa Corps army to the Western Front, and this led to contact with the German fast cruiser Moben – a potentially devastating raider known to be a threat to the French. The Fleet was ordered to watch for Moben at the mouth of the Adriatic Sea. She was duly sighted by the cruisers Indefatigable and Indomitable, and could have been engaged and overwhelmed; but even at this stage the British Cabinet vetoed any action before the ultimatum to Germany had expired. So, Moben escaped by outrunning them. She linked up with cruiser Breslau at Messina, Sicily and there was a fruitless chase by British fleet as they escaped south eastwards across the Mediterranean to the safety of Turkish waters. This was a great embarrassment to the British fleet, and subsequently the Moben did massive damage to the Allies in that region.

Monday 3rd August saw "throughout Europe a knitting of loose threads into war” (Buchan). That day Germany declared war on France, and Belgium returned her refusal of the German ultimatum at 7am, twelve hours after receiving it. Grey telegraphed Goschen, (British Ambassador in Berlin) demanding from Germany an immediate reassurance that Belgian neutrality would be respected.

Also on that day, Jellicoe was appointed to succeed Callaghan as First Sea Lord, and next day was ordered to proceed from Scapa Flow to the Straits of Dover to prevent German ships access to attack French Channel ports.
Tuesday 4th saw Grey advising Belgium to resist by force any German invasion, and promising to join with France and Russia in supporting her.

In Berlin Goschen immediately called on Jagow, the German Foreign Minister, and presented the ultimatum about 7pm. The German Chancellor, Bethmann-Hollweg returned to his office after addressing the Reichstag to justify the invasion of Luxembourg and Belgium. He found Jagow and Goschen awaiting him. His interview with Bethmann was recorded by Goschen as follows: “I found the Chancellor very agitated. His Excellency at once began a harangue which lasted for about 20 minutes. He said the step taken by His Majesty’s Government was terrible to a degree – just for a word ‘neutrality’, a word which in wartime had so often been disregarded – just for a scrap of paper (sic). Great Britain was going to make war on a kindred nation who wanted nothing more than to be friends with her. All his efforts in that direction had been rendered useless by this last terrible step, and the policy to which, as I knew, he had devoted himself since his accession to office had tumbled down like a house of cards. What we had done was unthinkable; it was like striking a man from behind while he was fighting for his life against two assailants……. (continues)” (Buchan)

At 11pm on 4th August, the ultimatum  expired without answer, and a state of war between Great Britain and Germany existed. Churchill immediately sent a telegram to all British ships “Commence hostilities against Germany'

Passage of the Army. In Parliament there was much opposition to the involvement of the British army. Many people felt that only the Navy should be involved.

On 5th August an Extraordinary Council of War was held at 10 Downing St. The remaining Cabinet members, who were committed to war, plus Kitchener and Roberts, the greatest generals attended. The Haldane plan, 8yrs in the making, since the Entente Cordiale, was to send the entire British army (4-6 Divisions) over to support the left flank of the main French army; and to mobilise 14 Territorial divisions for home defence. Kitchener was rapidly appointed Secretary of State for War on behalf of the Prime Minister.

This British Expeditionary Force consisted of 6 infantry and one cavalry divisions ready to fight immediately. Two further divisions were garrisoned across various parts of the British Empire. Rather than conscription, Kitchener proposed 6 new divisions of volunteers.

They were transported to France between 9-22^nd August, a time of major tension and uncertainty regarding German submarines, naval intentions etc. 15/16/17 August were the days of heaviest transport. The whole Fleet was protecting the transports, and there was no attack by Germany. Not one soldier was lost in getting to the front line. By the 23^rd the whole British army was assembled on the front around and behind Mons.