#56: 2 August 1914 IV - Let Loose World Madness

#56: 2 August 1914 IV - Let Loose World Madness

Even as Moltke examined Germany's strategic options, the world was turning against Germany. Berlin pressed its case by pointing out the Russian sins of dishonesty and pre-emption, but was anyone listening? Britain's diplomats in Berlin, St Petersburg, and Vienna had had enough. The news from Luxemburg was a clear sign of things to come, and even if they were sympathetic to the Kaiser's position, the German response was viewed as an overreaction. Declarations of war came from Berlin and Vienna, not Paris and St Petersburg, and this was bound to drown out any pleas about technicalities.


To make up for this, German officials began reporting with increasing frequency on rumours and conjecture, dressing up impossible stories about outrages and violations as proof of Russian and French responsibility. But this only made their hole deeper, and even as Berlin cried foul, it was actively moving the ball forward, into Belgium. The imperatives of the Schlieffen Plan meant the ruin of Germany's reputation, and forced German officials to cling to the delusion that the eventual triumph would all be worth it - even while they opened Pandora's Box, and unleashed the madness of a great war upon the world.


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Episoder(744)

#51: 1 August 1914 III - The Kaiser's Rollercoaster

#51: 1 August 1914 III - The Kaiser's Rollercoaster

We open with the shattered dreams of Kaiser Wilhelm II, as the British claim a 'misunderstanding' must have occurred to make Berlin believe Britain and France could remain neutral. The rollercoaster o...

17 Mar 202542min

#50: 1 August 1914 II - 'There Must Be Some Misunderstanding'

#50: 1 August 1914 II - 'There Must Be Some Misunderstanding'

In the final hours of peace, the German government was led to believe that a miracle had occurred. Incredibly, Britain had affirmed its intention not only to remain neutral, but to guarantee the neutr...

10 Mar 202552min

Trump Betrays Ukraine - What is America Doing?

Trump Betrays Ukraine - What is America Doing?

After that disgraceful display in the White House, I couldn't stay silent any longer. Three years on from when I first offered my thoughts on the situation, in this very personal and raw episode, I co...

9 Mar 20251h 55min

#49: 1 August 1914 I - Rolling The Iron Dice

#49: 1 August 1914 I - Rolling The Iron Dice

We're in the endgame now, but somehow, not everyone got the message.There was plenty of waiting to be done. Berlin was waiting on Russia's reply to its ultimatum, and France was also expected to reply...

3 Mar 202539min

#48: 31 July 1914 V - Britain On Defence

#48: 31 July 1914 V - Britain On Defence

In our final JULY episode of the July Crisis, we return to Britain, where the pressure was building to make a decision. Russian mobilisation was clearly in the air, and if the news was true, German mo...

24 Feb 202544min

#47: 31 July 1914 IV - 'A Finger's Breadth From War'

#47: 31 July 1914 IV - 'A Finger's Breadth From War'

Now that Berlin had accepted that war with Russia was inevitable, it remained to prepare the diplomatic ground.German diplomacy had worked behind the scenes to court Romania and the Ottoman Empire, bu...

17 Feb 202534min

#46: 31 July 1914 III - 'We'd Like Those Chaps To Be In It Too'

#46: 31 July 1914 III - 'We'd Like Those Chaps To Be In It Too'

As the news of Russian mobilisation and Germany's Kriegsgefahr spread across Europe, urgent telegrams followed.Whether in London, Berlin, or Paris, the picture was becoming clearer, but that did not m...

10 Feb 202540min

#45: 31 July 1914 II - From Russia with Lies

#45: 31 July 1914 II - From Russia with Lies

Russian general mobilisation was underway, and with red imperial posters announcing this grave new step, it could hardly be kept a secret. Yet, somehow, Germany seemed the only power truly in the loop...

3 Feb 202539min

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