Should they be confirmed, we would be forced to take countermeasures against our will. Even today we try to localize the conflict and keep peace in E… - Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg

The Italian Government has now written her perfidy indelibly with letters of blood on the pages of history.

We are certainly ready to fulfill our obligations as ally but we clearly must refuse to be drawn lightly into a world conflagration by Vienna without consideration of our proposals.

Political friendships are political business transactions and in political, as in economic life, business transactions are most easily and reliably concluded between strong parties The weakling always goes to the wall. A people that lacks a genuine sacrificial spirit or believes that it is not rich enough to keep its armaments in order thereby only betrays that it is played out. I beg you to bear one idea in mind through every difficulty. If anyone should threaten our homestead, we must be ready to the last man.