Add in an Arms Race and rising Nationalism, and I think that covers it.

It ‘exploded’ because the Austro-Hungary Empire wanted to control the Balkans so used the death of the archduke as a reason to give them an ultimatum that couldn’t possibly be agreed to. This drew in the Russians who were allied to the Balkans, so the Germans joined with AH, which drew in France as it was obliged to…

It’s my understanding that in the early 20th century Martinis were greatly different, with far more vermouth than we would accept today, so maybe a cherry isn’t so odd. Apparently in 1922 the ratio of Gin to vermouth was 3:1; today it's 12:1 or even drier.

I remeber one time I was having serious qualms about going on dates with two different guys at the same time (like, separate dates in the same time period. It wasn’t some sitcom situation.) and my best friend was like, “Dude, thats what ‘dating’ is. This is how women used to date all the time.”

Courtship & marriage were all codified and arranged and the women didn’t have a choice in the matter—- so they didn’t have to worry much about whether or not they actually liked the guy, or found him attractive, or whether he loved them truly and madly. Which freed them up to think about things like sleigh rides.

Duuuuude I went through some archives a few years back on turn-of-the-century college women and (A) it was amazing and (B) I was so struck but how few fucks they give about their callers in their diaries.