When Diplomacy Fails

The July Crisis Anniversary Project

A day-by-day account of the events that occurred 100 years ago.

Introduction If you could go back in time to critical events in history and be there during the moments that defined our world, what would you do?

Would you try to change anything?

Should you change it, since we at least know this version of our history, what if you make the future worse for mankind through your changes? How much change would you make? Can you think of any mistakes made in history, any real unnecessary tragedies that led to even worse tragedies? Do you think that you could have done better than those who

were in power in a certain place at a certain time? Do you think that by studying the period,

if you went back in time, you'd be able to avoid the mistakes that were made? Would you be able

to prevent an unnecessary tragedy.

That term can be used to describe much of the 20th century, can't it? What events spring to mind in particular?

World War II and the Holocaust?

Are big ones, obviously.

But what about lesser known events, like the establishment of North Korea?

What about the Cultural Revolution undertaken

by Mao Zedong's China? What about the forced famines of the Soviet Union that killed millions?

What about the Khmer Rouge, which eradicated so many lives in Cambodia? What about the Cold War itself?

Where millions of people lived in fear of their lives for the simple

reason that one state wanted to impose its regime forcefully over another? Can all these events,

or any of them, be traced back to one? Since they all occurred in the 28th century, it stands to reason

that one should trace back to the beginning of that century, right?

But how far at the beginning? The Boer Wars of 1899 to 1902? Too early, not enough consequence

for the world. What about the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 to 5? Almost, but even after this,

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