#65: 5 August 1914 - 'This Frantic Stampede to Hell'

#65: 5 August 1914 - 'This Frantic Stampede to Hell'

The world was at war, and there was much to do. In London, attention turned to the British Expeditionary Force. The BEF had been ruled out several times before, but that did not have to matter. How many divisions could Britain send, and to where? What of the Dominions, or India, or Egypt? How could one balance imperial possessions with European defence imperatives? At least, the Cabinet was mostly on the same page, and in Parliament, war credits were approved, though not without some vocal dissent.


The mood in Germany was both anxious and defiant. The sheer extent of the challenge posed by the Triple Entente made gathering more allies all the more urgent, but it also entailed a kind of desperation, where Germany must be prepared to fight to the end. Austria would also be pressured to clarify matters, and declare war on Russia and France. The First World War as we know it was taking shape, yet very few fully understood how it had happened. Where complex analysis was unavailable and sources lacking, governments turned to propaganda and noble causes. The war could still be seen as a kind of adventure, but within weeks, romanticism would collide with the brutal reality of industrial slaughter.


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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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27 Jan 202540min

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

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

The 30 July was a turning point for the British Cabinet. When the German Chancellor made his bid for British neutrality, yet refused to guarantee the independence of Belgium or to rule out annexations...

20 Jan 20251h 7min

#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 ...

25 Nov 202439min

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