A viewer describes the opposing European blocs as a deterrent system in which two huge armies would make war irrational. The intended logic contained a dangerous incentive. Once states had created the forces, some generals wanted to test them, with retired officers often advocating most freely because they would not command in the resulting war. The exchange does not make armies the sole cause of 1914, though it shows how a deterrent structure can contain actors whose incentives run against restraint.
Notable Point · 2:02:36-2:03:06
When deterrent armies create pressure to use them
The same vast armies meant to make a European war unthinkable could also create professional and political pressure to test the forces that had been built.