July-August 1914: Enthusiasm?

The declaration of war [in July-August 1914] was greeted with wild celebration.  .  .  .

Why do people continue to retail myth?  This from the author of EUReferendum. Not least an author whose purpose in more than one book has, so he wrote, been to overwhelm myth with evidence.  In the central metropolises of the various nations and empires–London, Berlin, Paris, for example–some enthusiasm might be evident.  Away from those questionable places reactions were much more muted, indeed.  And when soldiers in some localities were mobilised, for example, Bavaria, the reactions were ones of despair, even to the extent of suicide by wives unable to conceive how to cope alone.  The war, even before its character became remotely familiar, was quickly reckoned terrible, certainly in some country centres in South Australia.  Determination, incidentally, need not equate with ‘enthusiasm’; nor did it.  So I repeat, why indulge in such nonsense?