When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

#38: 29 July 1914 IV - Vienna Waits For You!

By the evening of 29 July, a new wave of panic was overcoming the German government. In Berlin, the question of restraining Austria had long been treated with a wink and a nod, but news of Russian mobilisation seemed to change everything.

For Bethmann Hollweg and Jagow, this change moved them to take a stand against Austrian policy at long last. They demanded answers, compromise, and more...

#37: 29 July 1914 III - First Contact, Second Thoughts

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Austria's bombardment of Belgrade represented the first shots of the First World War, though contemporaries could not have known this yet - they were more focused on what Russia was doing.

As news of Russia's partial mobilisation filtered through Europe, it caused a major crisis in the German Foreign Office. For Jagow, Germany's Foreign Minister and director of its policy ...

Age of Bismarck #5: Breaking the Peace

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Bismarck's greatest problem by spring 1866 was that he seemed the only Prussian that actually wanted a war with Austria. This, certainly, was the view of most Europeans, and some were willing to put this theory to the test. Faced with this opposition, could Bismarck overcome it? More importantly for the Iron Chancellor, could his nerves withstand the frustration of combatting th...

#36: 29 July 1914 II - Shifty Shades of Grey

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As they had done up to this point, the British continued to try to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis, even as the opportunities shrank before their eyes. Amidst warnings pinged between London and Berlin that under certain circumstances, their respective neutrality could not be guaranteed, the German Chancellor sent an ill-advised appeal for the British to stay out. The ef...

#35: 29 July 1914 I - Hissing Cousins

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The dawn of a new day did not bring any new peacemaking opportunities. In their own way, Austria, Germany and Russia were immovable in their main goal - they would not back down, even if it cost them everything.

That such a roadblock sat in the way of peace did not prevent Kaiser Wilhelm and Tsar Nicholas from engaging in their famed, eleventh hour telegram exchange. The N...

Age of Bismarck #4: The Queen's Gambit

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In March 1866, Queen Victoria was spurred into action. Duke Ernst of Coburg wrote a pleading letter requesting her intercession to prevent the Austro-Prussian War. The Queen could hardly ignore her brother in law, and so began a month's long diplomatic initiative to leverage her vast network of royal relatives against one man above all - Bismarck.

Bismarck knew better tha...

#34: 28 July 1914 III - Britain Tries Again

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Although the Austro-Serb War was now a reality, Britain did not know this until the evening of 28 July. In the meantime, Sir Edward Grey was determined to do all he could to make the mediation scheme work. But not everyone Grey dealt with could be described as sincere, and this included members of his own Cabinet.

Churchill had acted provocatively and pre-emptively in mobi...

Are the Sanctions Against Russia Working? - 'Punishing Putin' by Stephanie Baker

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For two and a half years, Russia has been waging a full scale war against Ukraine. In response, the West has mobilised an economic coalition of states determined to level sanctions against the aggressor, ideally, to force it to the peace table. Clearly, Russia has not been deterred, but how much of an impact are the sanctions really having? In her book Punishing Putin, Stephanie...

Age of Bismarck #3: The Bismarck Madness

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As 1865 turned to 1866, Bismarck continued to position Prussia as the arch antagonist of Austria. Just as remarkable as the way he prepared the ground for the showdown between the German 'Brothers', Bismarck also made dramatic progress persuading the Prussian government, and King Wilhelm, that Austria had to be met on the battlefield. No ghosts from his past could persuade him ...

#33: 28 July 1914 II - Austria Declares War

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After weeks of delay, hesitation and complications, Austria-Hungary finally delivered its declaration of war on Serbia shortly after noon on 28 July 1914.

This, we are often told, represented the beginning of the First World War. But was it as straightforward as that? Contemporaries did not necessarily believe that all hope for peace had been lost. A degre...

#32: 28 July 1914 I - The Kaiser's Conundrum

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The 28 July 1914 is best remembered today as the point of no return, as Austria declared war on Serbia.

However, as we will see in this episode, the announcement of this Austro-Serb war, made in the afternoon, and reaching Europe's capitals by the evening, did not ruin the prospects for peace as we might expect. Many contemporaries still believed ...

Age of Bismarck #2: Fighting Over Spoils

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Before Bismarck could make Austria's nightmare a reality, he would have to wait. The key problem for Prussia was one of money. The Landtag would not give it without concessions, and this would surely alert the Austrians, so Bismarck needed an alternative. He found it in his personal banker, Gerson Bleichröder, who leveraged the government's stocks in a lucrative railway company...

#31: 27 July 1914 II - Don't Stop Me Now!

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On this otherwise unassuming Monday in 1914, Austria-Hungary was preparing to declare war on Serbia.

The declaration would come the following day, but in the meantime, Germany assisted Austria in keeping up appearances. Those tenacious Brits were at it again, and Grey's mediation proposal still hung in the air. Could a rejection of this scheme worsen the c...

#30: 27 July 1914 I - Britain Tries Diplomacy

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In this enormous episode, we examine British efforts to resolve the crisis, and efforts at home to prepare the people for what might come next.

Although Austria's ultimatum had expired two days before, there was still room for diplomacy to work, and Sir Edward Grey was determined to give it his best shot. To preserve peace, Grey pressed his conference sche...

Age of Bismarck #1: The Paper Eagle

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In the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian victory against Denmark, the destinies of those Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein still hung in the air. How could Vienna administer this enclave so far from its homeland, and would Berlin even permit this strange arrangement to continue? What about the Duke of Augustenburg, who wished to rule both Duchies as an independent German princeli...

#29: 26 July 1914 II - Better an End in Horror

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If Austria-Hungary wanted the war with Serbia, it would have to get its skates on. Europe was eagerly looking for any sign of a way out, even if Austria was not.

The British were central in pressing the need for mediation, but they knew that Germany's inclusion was key if it was to work. The Germans, it was reported, anticipated British neutrality. This was wrong, it was i...

Age of Bismarck - Introduction

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It's been a long time coming! The Age of Bismarck is finally here after so many years of planning, teasing, and dreaming. Tune in here to see how we plan to do it, and why you should be excited! Whether you're a long time history friend or just stopping by, Otto von Bismarck's life and times, and the age in which he lived, deserves your attention. The Iron Chancellor would accep...

#28: 26 July 1914 I - Austria Delays Again

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The ultimatum had expired, and yet somehow, Austria had not declared war on Serbia. What was going on?

Well, despite pushing the crisis forward with reckless abandon, the Austrian chief of staff Conrad von Hotzendorff now seemed awake to the dangers facing the country. The army would not be ready for war until 12 August, he said. This was a shock to the Germans, who contin...

#27: 25 July 1914 II - Russian to Mobilise

Here we address the question - now that Austria's ultimatum to Serbia had expired, and the Austrians had evacuated Belgrade, what was Russia going to do about it?

The answer is as complicated as it is controversial. Russia's response revolved around military preparations; specifically, those preparations which would make the mobilisation of its enormous army across such a...

#26: 25 July 1914 I - The Last Chance for Peace?

By now, everyone was expecting Austria-Hungary to do something once its ultimatum expired later in the day, but what? And could this response be adjusted, and peace be preserved, if only a certain diplomatic finesse was applied?

In Britain, Sir Edward Grey certainly hoped so. The solution, to him, seemed one of mediation, where the four uninvolved powers - Britain, France, Germany and Ita...

#25: 24 July 1914 - 'It Is War This Time'

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We return to our narrative on an eventful day in world history. By the end of 24 July, Russia had established its policy towards Austria's ultimatum. But what was this policy, and why did Russia act so differently to crises in the past?

We find Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Sazonov to be central to the events that transpired next. But what did Sazonov wa...

Age of Bismarck Release Date & July Crisis Update - State of the Podcast Address 23 August 2024

After a crazy two months, it's time we had a chat.

In this episode we'll be talking about the Age of Bismarck Patreon series, which has been advertised for years, and requested for even longer. We finally have a release date, and I can't wait to welcome you all to Bismarck's world.

We also talk about the July Crisis series, how it's gone for me so far, and ...

#24: 1912-1914 - Anglo-German Relations III

By late 1912, it appeared the period of Anglo-German detente was over. The Kaiser assembled a War Council, and apparently planned for a war of domination. In fact, appearances were deceptive, and although Britain and Germany's relationship had been damaged, it was still intact. There now emerged a new opportunity to repair it, as the Balkan Wars brought the two disinterested powers together aga...

#23: 1911-1912 - Anglo-German Relations II

By late 1911, Germany had been embarrassed by the Second Moroccan Crisis, and the Anglo-French Entente had once again rallied. We might have expected Germany to double down on its provocative naval campaign, to increase the pressure on Britain. In fact, what happened instead was the beginning of a period of Anglo-German detente. This was initiated through the Haldane Mission of spring 1912, whi...

#22: 1905-1911 - Anglo-German Relations I

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Everyone knows the story of Britain and Germany before 1914. Or at least, they think they do.

Anglo-German relations following the Russo-Japanese War seemed bound to enter a period of hostility, enabled by the naval race which forced London to invest heavily in production and innovation, and produced the dreadnought as an unforeseen consequence. But this race to outbuild t...

#21: 23 July 1914 - The First Ultimatum

Austria-Hungary finally delivered its ultimatum to Serbia nearly four weeks after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.

The journey had been incredibly slow, and the outcome was nothing like the fait accompli its statesmen had originally envisioned, but Austria had officially taken the bold step towards war. What did this infamous ultimatum contain? Did it leave any possibility for Serbia...

#20: 20-22 July 1914 - France In Russia

On 20 July, the French President, Premier, and other statesmen docked at Kronstadt, aboard the fittingly named France. It began a tremendous spectacle of Franco-Russian cooperation, just as rumours were swirling of Austria's nefarious intentions. The allies could not know for sure what Vienna was planning, but they could send some strongly worded warnings. As the French President attem...

#19: 19-22 July 1914 - Finalising Fatalism

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As the French sailed for St Petersburg, the Austro-Hungarian government gathered in Vienna for a meeting of historic importance. It was here that the infamous ultimatum to Serbia was finalised, but also the question of what kind of war Austria expected to fight. Shockingly, the question of Russian intervention barely registered. The tunnel vision was laser focused on Belgrade, a...

#18: 16-20 July 1914 - France at Sea

As the French President and Premier made their way to Russia, on board the France, they tried their best to keep up to date with what was happening outsides the confines of their vessel. Troubling rumours were not hard to come by, but they could not be wholly ignored. The Central Powers kept up a front of ignorance, even luring Sazonov into a false sense of security.

Here we see...

#17: 15-18 July 1914 - Secrecy and Haste

With the Austro-Hungarian government on the same page at long last, it remained to follow through with the policy that had caused such dissension. To Berchtold, this meant moving as quickly and as secretly as possible, so that once the ultimatum arrived in Serbia, Europe would be presented with a fait accompli. The Germans were similarly anxious, and emphasised the necessity of speed.

St...