#62: 4 August 1914 II - The Last 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

🗓️ 2 June 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

No matter what Britain did, it was impossible for Germany to evacuate Belgium. War was inevitable. Why, then, did most of Britain not even realise it?

The straightforward image we have in our minds of Britain taking a stand against the flagrant violation of Belgium is, in fact, a somewhat airbrushed picture. We may be surprised to learn that the British warnings to Germany failed to mention war, but this was less due to any cold feet, and more from a naïve hope that Germany would declare war on Britain. It may have been hard to imagine, but had Berlin not repeatedly shot itself in the foot diplomatically by this point? Why should she be expected to show some foresight now?

In fact, Germany was preparing the diplomatic ground with its few remaining allies, so British diplomats followed her there, to the Ottoman Empire, to warn against mobilisation. Lies remained a critical currency, as Austria and the Turks maintained an air of innocence. British agents reported from Japan, from the United States, from Italy, and elsewhere, building a picture of a world at war, eagerly awaiting Britain's entry into the lists. How could Britons fail to notice what was happening? The government, however incredible it might sound, was waiting for war, even if the midnight deadline hung like a dark cloud over the world.

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Transcript

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0:29.1	Conditions apply.
0:31.9	In summer, 1914, the world went to war.
0:36.9	Now 110 years later, we go back to those figures, to those debates,
0:43.1	to those questions, in the greatest failure in the history of diplomacy. I am Dr. Zach Twomley.
0:51.0	You're listening to When Diplomacy Fails, and this is the July crisis. Now that we can look back on all that has taken place since the assassination of the Archduke,
1:33.1	there is, I think, strong evidence to show that Germany really desired war, or at all
1:38.8	events the disruption of the Triple Entente, which must have followed a failure on our part to support Russia.
1:47.2	Sir George Buchanan, British ambassador to Russia, rationalises Britain's entry into the war
1:52.5	3rd of August 1914.
1:57.1	Tuesday the 4th of August was the last day of peace in Britain. Yet as the day began, few
2:03.4	outside of the government appeared to realise it. Sir Edward Gray's speech still hung in the air,
2:08.8	and the newspapers provided their interpretations of what it meant. The response was by no means
2:15.0	wholly positive. The usual suspects, like the Times, firmly supported
2:19.6	the government's policy, but liberal papers like the Manchester Guardian and Daily News
2:24.3	held fast to their opposition and criticised the Foreign Secretary for misleading the country.
2:30.9	Britain, they insisted, was not honour-bound to fight for Belgium, and it was noted that Grey had made no mention of what an Entente victory would mean for Russia.
	...

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