#59: 3 August 1914 III - House on Fire
When Diplomacy Fails Podcast12 Mai 2025

#59: 3 August 1914 III - House on Fire

Finally, Sir Edward Grey was ready to make his case to the House of Commons. Parliament had been starved of news for a week, and the press had done their best to fill in the gaps, but the whole country was desperate for an update. What would the government do if the rumours were true, and Germany had invaded France? Was neutrality on the table? And what of Belgium, who was protected by a treaty? How would Grey rally the House to his side, and did it even matter if he could not, since the Cabinet had already been convinced of the need to act thanks to various pressures?


Grey was tasked with answering many of these questions, but there were many that he did not answer, and a surprising amount that he did not say. In this episode we give Grey's speech in the Commons - and the subsequent reactions - their proper attention. In a day suffused with monumental, watershed moments, not limited to Germany's declaration of war on France, Grey's speech represented the public culmination of a struggle which had gone on in private for several weeks. His seventy minute speech set the tone for what was to come, and effectively spelled out that Britain was bound to transform this European war into a world war.


Support the July Crisis series, join the conversation, and find out more through these links:

  1. Do you want ad-free episodes with scripts attached, and bonus content? Support us on Patreon and you can suggest July Crisis episodes!
  2. Join our Facebook group as we make our way through this fascinating series!
  3. Click here to see our July Crisis workspace in Perlego, you'll find every source you need!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(744)

30YearsWar: 17th Century Warfare Episode 3

30YearsWar: 17th Century Warfare Episode 3

Time to get a bit technical, but I promise it'll be anything BUT boring!Get your thinking caps on history friends, because in this episode we’re going to assess the most important element of the histo...

10 Jun 201835min

30YearsWar: 17th Century Warfare Episode 2

30YearsWar: 17th Century Warfare Episode 2

In my time my poor father was as diligent to teach me to shoot, as to learn me any other thing; and so I think other men did their children: he taught me how to draw, how to lay my body in my bow, and...

5 Jun 201844min

30YearsWar: 17th Century Warfare Episode 1

30YearsWar: 17th Century Warfare Episode 1

{Don't panic! The Korean War is on a break, and will be back on 18th June}At long last! Our series on 17th century warfare has finally landed, with our first episode looking at…nothing to do with 17th...

3 Jun 201836min

Thirty Years War Intro 4: 'For God or the Devil'

Thirty Years War Intro 4: 'For God or the Devil'

'This is a fight between God or the Devil. If his Majesty wants to side with God, he must join me. If he prefers to side with the Devil, then indeed he must fight me. There is no third way"Gustavus Ad...

27 Mai 201818min

Thirty Years War Prologue

Thirty Years War Prologue

1618-2018 - on this day 400 years ago, one of the most destructive conflicts in human history erupted within the walls of Prague's Hradschin Castle. As we recount here, the conflict was neither all th...

23 Mai 201824min

Thirty Years War Intro 3: TALK II

Thirty Years War Intro 3: TALK II

Back again with the second part of our TALK episode, which concludes the analysis of the Thirty Years War timeline in the typical style which only a TALK episode can manage! Here we take the story fro...

18 Mai 201854min

Thirty Years War Intro 2: TALK I

Thirty Years War Intro 2: TALK I

Happy birthday to us! When Diplomacy Fails is 6 years old today, and to celebrate we're jumping right into the Thirty Years War once again, with another intro episode (2/5) this one looking at the tim...

18 Mai 20181h 2min

Thirty Years War Intro 1

Thirty Years War Intro 1

We're jumping back into the Thirty Years War and this is all super exciting, but to some of you guys it may also be a tad overwhelming, as a lot of unfamiliar stuff is about to be thrown at you. With ...

13 Mai 201834min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
henrettelsespodden
rss-katastrofe
rss-benadet
historier-som-endret-norge
med-egne-oyne
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
aftenposten-historie
sektledere
rss-frontkjemperne
historier-som-endret-verden
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
rss-gamle-greier
rss-historiske-romanser-svik-drap-og-kjarlighet
rss-bisarr-historie
rss-historier-fra-gudbrandsdalen
taakeprat
historiepodden-ww2
historiepodden
vare-historier