H oll weg ▁tried ▁to ▁persu ade ▁the ▁Reich stag ▁to ▁opt ▁for ▁moder ate ▁for ▁peace . ▁ ▁Later ▁life ▁ ▁His ▁plan ▁to ▁domin ate ▁European ▁h eg em ony ▁through ▁Pan - G erman ism ▁in ▁the ▁east ▁and ▁Mit tele uropa ▁in ▁the ▁west ▁dis integr ated ▁at ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Br est - L it ov sk . ▁It ▁sign alled ▁a ▁long - term ▁development ▁of ▁ra cially ▁exp ans ive ▁policies ▁of ▁German ification ▁that ▁pres aged ▁the ▁conflict ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁later . ▁ ▁Intel lect ual ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁the ▁policy ▁in ▁Berlin , ▁Arnold ▁W ahn sch aff e ▁( 1 8 6 5 – 1 9 4 1 ), ▁under secret ary ▁in ▁the ▁ch an cell ery , ▁and ▁Arthur ▁Z imm ermann , ▁were ▁his ▁closest ▁and ▁ab l est ▁colle agues . ▁Beth mann - H oll weg ▁was ▁directly ▁responsible ▁for ▁de vis ing ▁the ▁Fl amen polit ik ▁on ▁the ▁Western ▁Front ▁carried ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁Sch lie ffen ▁Plan , ▁yet ▁this ▁strategy ' s ▁ult imate ▁failure ▁as ▁a ▁mode ▁of ▁occupation ▁brought ▁economic ▁collapse ▁and ▁military ▁defeat , ▁as ▁was ▁clearly ▁identified ▁by ▁the ▁Bry ce ▁Report . ▁The ▁Chan cell or ' s ▁just ification ▁lay ▁in ▁the ▁ref rain ▁that ▁Germany ▁was ▁fighting ▁a ▁war ▁of ▁national ▁surv ival . ▁ ▁Beth mann - H oll weg ▁received ▁prominent ▁attention ▁throughout ▁the ▁world ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 1