Nobody can pretend that the First World War was in any degree due to lack of Christian faith in the rulers who brought it about. The Czar, the Kaiser, and the Emperor of Austria were all earnest Christians. So was Sir Edward Grey, and so was President Wilson. There was only one prominent politician at that time who was not a Christian. That was Jean Jaures, a Socialist who opposed the war and was assassinated, and this was condoned by almost all French Christians.
Source: Bertrand Russel: Human Society in Ethics and Politics, 1954, part II: The Conflict of Passions, chapter 7: Religious Faith Cure Our Troubles ? , n4
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* a brief comment:
Of course, it seems that very few people would think that the outbreak of the First World War in Europe was due to a lack of Christian fait. What Russell seems to be trying to convey here is not that if there were more people who sincerely believed in Christianity, wars would never happen, but rather that this is exactly what Western history has shown, as he illustrates in detail.
Russell's comprehension and memory were exceptional, and in his writings, he frequently uses specific historical facts as examples. Additionally, Russell was familiar with the Bible (both the Old and New Testaments) from a young age and proudly boasted that he could recite any part of it.
Furthermore, Russell's writing is full of irony and humor, and the statement, 'There was only one prominent politician at that time who was not a Christian. That was Jean Jaures, a Socialist who opposed the war and was assassinated with the approval of almost all French Christians,' is one example of this.
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