et ▁by ▁Britain ' s ▁declaration ▁of ▁war ▁following ▁the ▁German ▁viol ation ▁of ▁Belg ium ' s ▁neutral ity ▁during ▁its ▁invasion ▁of ▁France . ▁He ▁reported ly ▁asked ▁the ▁depart ing ▁British ▁Amb assador ▁Edward ▁G os chen ▁how ▁Britain ▁could ▁go ▁to ▁war ▁over ▁a ▁" sc rap ▁of ▁paper " ▁(" ein ▁F et zen ▁Pap ier "), ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 9 ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁London ▁guarantee ing ▁Belg ium ' s ▁neutral ity . ▁ ▁A ▁Pub lished ▁Inter view ▁Exp la ining ▁the ▁" Sc rap ▁of ▁P aper " ▁P hr ase ▁said ▁by ▁German ▁Chan cell or ▁The ob ald ▁von ▁Beth mann - H oll weg ▁[ trans lation ] ▁ ▁Beth mann - H oll weg ▁had ▁made ▁some ▁plans ▁in ▁the ▁event ▁Britain ▁came ▁into ▁the ▁war ▁and ▁was ▁involved ▁closely ▁in ▁the ▁plans ▁to ▁dest abil ise ▁Britain ' s ▁colon ies , ▁most ▁not ably ▁the ▁H indu – G erman ▁Cons pi racy . ▁ ▁A ▁tall , ▁ga unt , ▁som bre , ▁well - trim med ▁arist ocr atic ▁figure , ▁Beth mann - H oll weg ▁sought ▁appro val ▁from ▁a ▁declaration ▁of ▁war . ▁His ▁civil ian ▁colle agues ▁ple aded ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁register ▁some ▁feb rile ▁protest , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁frequently ▁out fl ank ed ▁by ▁the ▁military ▁leaders , ▁who ▁played ▁an ▁increasing ly ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁all ▁German ▁policy . ▁However , ▁historian