In summer 1914, the world went to war.

Now 110 years later, we go back to those figures, to those debates, to those questions,

in the greatest failure in the history of diplomacy.

I am Dr. Zach Twomley. You're listening to When Diplomacy Fails, and this is the July crisis. The news is all bad today, and war seems inevitable.

The Germans ask us to guarantee neutrality.

Grey answers, wait and see.

Nicholson, whom I saw several times, expects German mobilization tomorrow.

I confess, it looks like it.

Britain's Director of Military Operations, Sir Henry Wilson, comments on the crisis in his diary, 30th of July 1914.

Austria-Hungary had finally done it.

Emperor Franz Josef had authorized general mobilization,

and from the 5th of August, the entire armed forces of the dual monarchy will be prepared against Russia.

This decision could feed two birds with one scone.

In Vienna, Russian mobilization was taken for granted, and this step would ensure that Austria was prepared to meet the challenge.

Yet, on the other hand, general mobilization would send a shockwave through Berlin and force her to reckon with the new reality.

Once Russia learned of Austrian mobilization, many in Vienna expected her to declare war.

Germany would then be forced to drop its frustrating mediation ideas and weigh in firmly behind her ally.

Just as she had done when declaring war on Serbia two days before, here Austria engaged in escalation to cut through the diplomatic

noise and prevent peacemakers from making any headway. Paradoxically, to avoid the condemnation

of European opinion, Austria had to appear the victim, or at least the defending party,

against Russian provocations, and to preserve this

illusion, a facade of cooperation was maintained. Vienna would continue to humor mediation proposals

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