[dctoedt]

> Countries and people WANTED the war, war was still thought about as a general benefit to the country

That was true among some of the players in various governments — Kaiser Wilhelm being a prime example. Can you cite any (reputable) historians who think that was a general attitude?

[kergonath]

It is well documented in France as well. It was seen as a revenge for 1870. There was quite a bit of enthusiasm. At least initially, before the killing started in earnest and people got stuck in the trenches.

[dctoedt]

Point taken about the French thirst for revanche; I stand corrected.

Again: Catastropic naïveté.

[colechristensen]

Stefan Zweig famously wrote a lot about it in his memoir, and he describes being in Austria and the general excitement in the lead up to and beginning of the war.

(one of many sources of this kind of information)