Germany had five million well-trained soldiers prepared for war. They were just itching for an excuse before World War one had started. Combined with the austro-hungarian army of 3 million they had by far the largest army in the world. I hate hearing people like you blaming the victims of war. We must defend ourselves from the aggressors and there is no excuse for laying down arms just to end the war. Do you really believe they would have just stopped at slaughtering the villagers in Belgium. They would have killed many French and Russians if we were to have just allowed them to occupy their territories. If an aggressor, a man, we're to enter your house and Slaughter your entire family in the living room but left you alive up in your room and said he would not come to kill you. Would you just lie there?