#63: 4 August 1914 III - A Mere Scrap of Paper

#63: 4 August 1914 III - A Mere Scrap of Paper

The 1839 Treaty on Belgian neutrality was a mere scrap of paper - that was the phrase which doomed Bethmann Hollweg, and Germany, to moral condemnation. It was the excuse which conquerors of all shapes and sizes had trotted out, when what they really meant was might makes right. Britain and the allies subsequently made great capital out of this faux pas, but this had led to some important questions - foremost among them being, did the German Chancellor actually say it?


In this episode, we journey to Berlin in the final hours of peace, when Edward Goschen, the British ambassador, delivers his master's seismic telegrams, warning of the imminent rupture between the two countries if Belgium was not left alone. It was an impossible request for Germany, then locked into the Schlieffen Plan, but the language used could at least cushion the blow. Unfortunately, Bethmann reverted to the most offensive posture, discounting Belgian sovereignty and effectively challenging Britain to respond. Goschen was on hand to record these interviews, but can his record be trusted, or was he just one of the latest propagandists to emerge from the British side?


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Episoder(744)

#44: 31 July 1914 I - Start Spreading the News

#44: 31 July 1914 I - Start Spreading the News

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#43: 30 July 1914 V - Britain on the Fence

#43: 30 July 1914 V - Britain on the Fence

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#42: 30 July 1914 IV - Smash Your Telephone!

#42: 30 July 1914 IV - Smash Your Telephone!

The Russian decision to commence general mobilisation against Austria and Germany was made in the afternoon of 30 July, ultimately by the Tsar.It took 24 hours of intense pressure by several leading R...

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#41: 30 July 1914 III - Immediate Danger of War

#41: 30 July 1914 III - Immediate Danger of War

Welcome to our first episode of 2025! We return to a pivotal moment in the crisis, when Germany experienced yet another 180 in policy.A day which began with a frantic German effort to pressure Austria...

6 Jan 202537min

#40: 30 July 1914 II - 'A Very Ticklish Thing'

#40: 30 July 1914 II - 'A Very Ticklish Thing'

As Thursday 30 July progressed, one thing seemed clear to the German Chancellor and Foreign Minister - Austria had to be stopped, before the crisis deteriorated any further.Use the code KAISER to get ...

16 Des 202438min

#39: 30 July 1914 I - Caught in the Net

#39: 30 July 1914 I - Caught in the Net

Use the code KAISER to get 40% off your first month of a $5 membership on Patreon - 50+ hours of exclusive content including the Age of Bismarck await!Not sure what to get your favourite history frien...

9 Des 202445min

#38: 29 July 1914 IV - Vienna Waits For You!

#38: 29 July 1914 IV - Vienna Waits For You!

Use the code WDF24 at checkout and get 50% off a $5 monthly membership on Patreon! This offer will expire soon!By the evening of 29 July, a new wave of panic was overcoming the German government. In B...

2 Des 202439min

#37: 29 July 1914 III - First Contact, Second Thoughts

#37: 29 July 1914 III - First Contact, Second Thoughts

Use the code WDF24 at checkout and get 50% off a $5 monthly membership on Patreon!Austria's bombardment of Belgrade represented the first shots of the First World War, though contemporaries could not ...

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