#39: 30 July 1914 I - Caught in the Net

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

🗓️ 9 December 2024

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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By the morning of 30 July 1914, the German government was undergoing something of an identity crisis. Was Berlin the resolute ally, determined to support Austria whatever the cost, or was she the rational actor, determined to avoid war, even if this proved painful? To the German Chancellor and Foreign Minister, the answer wasn't immediately clear, but they were certain that where Austria was concerned, enough was enough. It was time for Vienna to explain what it planned to do in Serbia, and if necessary, it was time to consider the possibility of compromise, by using any one of the options floated in Europe over the last few days.

The reason for this abrupt change in Germany's tone can be explained by news of Russia's mobilisation against Austria. To figures like Jagow, this confirmed that Russia would not remain aloof as Serbia was destroyed. Since the war could not be isolated, it meant nothing less than its expansion, until everyone was pulled in. It was hard to imagine Germany faring well under these circumstances, when Britain was opaque but dubious, and the Italians were insisting that the alliance did not apply since Austria was the aggressor.

Jagow and Bethmann Hollweg were thus on the same page, but how much could they get done with the Kaiser watching them so relentlessly, and blowing up in a rage at every slight that arrived by telegram. In Wilhelm's defence, the Tsar's confession that Russia had been mobilising for five days was a damning indictment of Russian policy, especially since he had asked Wilhelm to mediate from the beginning. The Kaiser did not give up, and buoyed by his Ministers, Austria was placed under maximum pressure to clarify its position and step back from the brink. Unfortunately, just as Germany's team got their act together, Austria's supporters moved into place as well, and the war edged ever closer...

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, history friend. Just before we get into this latest episode of the July crisis,
0:05.1	I just want to let you know that something very interesting has happened.
0:09.1	You see, the old offer where you could enter WF24 into checkout and get 50% off,
0:15.5	has in fact expired. However, if you were a little late to mobilize, just like Kaiser Wilhelm
0:21.5	the second was, then don't worry. If you enter in the code Kaiser, K-I-S-E-R, capital letters,
0:28.6	at checkout, you will get 40% off of your $5 membership. So maybe you were a little bit late
0:35.4	to the party mobilizing, but you still have a chance to get a great deal.
0:39.4	Something else, Wilhelm II probably would have been happy with, is that you can now get a little leg up with your Christmas shopping.
0:46.8	If there's a history friend in your life that you think might deserve or might enjoy a free month on When Diplomacy Fells's History Friend tier, getting them access to 50 plus hours of extra content in addition to the Age of Bismarck and my PhD thesis series and Poland is not yet lost, and all those ad-free episodes as well with scripts attached.
1:09.6	Then click on the link in the description below
1:12.0	and you'll be able to gift a free month to the history friend of your choice.
1:17.2	These gifts and these discounts really help support the show, and I can't thank you enough
1:22.5	for all the support you've been giving so far. We have a lot to get into today with the July crisis,
1:28.6	so let's just get on with it as we go to the first episode
1:32.3	looking at the 30th of July.
1:35.3	Thanks, history friend,
1:37.3	and I hope to see you over on Patreon soon.
1:41.8	In summer 1914, the world went to war.
1:46.5	Now 110 years later, we go back to those figures, to those debates, to those questions,
1:54.0	in the greatest failure in the history of diplomacy.
1:58.2	I am Dr. Zach Twomley.
2:00.6	You're listening to When Diplomacy Fails, and this is the July
	...

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