What was the chief cause of Germany's diplomatic failure during World War 1?

Answer 1

The chief fact is that Britain did not completely take the issue seriously until it was too late to resolve the situation. The British people and its cabinet however were divided on the issue of whether to go to war or not so it cannot be solely there fault. It is speculated however that if Britain had announced its full support for Russia and France right away, Germany would have backed down. This is because Germany did not want a World War and only wanted a European war or so they say. This goes both way in saying that if Britain had announced its neutrality, France and Russia may have also backed out.