#21: 23 July 1914 - The First Ultimatum

When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

Zack Twamley

19th Century, 20th Century, International Relations, Politics, Thirty Years' War, Korean War, 18th Century, First World War, Phd, 17th Century, European History, History, War

4.8 • 773 Ratings

🗓️ 14 August 2024

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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 to accept it with some dignity? One point in particular - the participation by Austrian officials in a Serbian investigation - was bound to be unacceptable in Belgrade. Accompanied by a 48 hour deadline, the ultimatum hit the disparate Serb government, then preparing for elections, like a bomb. All was seemingly going according to plan. Now all Austria had to do was wait for its bombshell to settle in Belgrade. As for Russia, surely the Tsar would not intervene to help regicides, right? RIGHT?!

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Transcript

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0:00.0	In summer 1914, the world went to war.
0:04.6	Now 110 years later, we go back to those figures, to those debates, to those questions,
0:12.2	in the greatest failure in the history of diplomacy.
0:16.3	I am Dr. Zach Twomley. You're listening to When Diplomacy fails.
1:00.6	And this is the July crisis. All of us here, that is to say, those in the know, are somewhat tense.
1:03.8	The Austrian note has been handed over today in Belgrade.
1:05.7	It is supposed to be very harsh.
1:07.4	What will the Serbs do?
1:11.6	Undoubtedly, this will depend on whether they have Russia behind them or not.
1:17.4	Austria has probably only granted them 48 hours, so that we will perhaps see more clearly in two to three days. Maritz, Linker, chief of the military cabinet, records the mood on board
1:24.8	the Kaiser's ship, 23rd of July, 1914.
1:31.4	By 6pm on the 23rd of July 1914, Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia had reached the end of its journey.
1:40.7	The journey had been long and in many respects, confused. It had taken several weeks to
1:46.2	develop and came a full 25 days after the assassination of France Ferdinand. Hungarian opposition,
1:53.8	the military complications caused by Harvest Leave, and the opportunity presented by the Franco-Russian
2:00.2	summit, all delayed the construction and delivery of the ultimatum.
2:04.3	The length of time it took to take this step also enabled rumour and gossip to swirl,
2:09.9	informed by panicked reports from certain officials who had decoded important Austrian communications,
2:16.2	or been privy to a leak.
2:18.4	The ponderous way in which Vienna constructed the ultimatum
2:22.1	meant that every European capital had worked in its own way to prepare for it.
2:27.6	For most contemporaries, the key point would not be the act of the ultimatum,
	...

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