When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

Goodbye For Now

Between working full time and the impending arrival of baby WDF, I would be lying if I pretended as if nothing was going to change. It is, in fact, time to accept that I am only one man. But that's okay, because soon this man will be a daddy! A huge thanksss to you for sticking with the show, and although I cannot say when I'll be back, I promise you I will be...soon

Age of Bismarck #26: Making Britain Prussian

[PATRONS]

In our last Bismarck episode for a while, we settle our affairs by examining the dramatic shift in British opinion, as much of the public, the political establishment, and the press, came to favour Bismarck's Prussia, just as they came to suspect Napoleon's France. The key cause of this shift was in the Iron Chancellor's secret weapon - a treaty, signed in the hand of a Frenchman, which was explosively controversial, and which Bismarck had kept up his sleeve for years. When th...

Age of Bismarck #25: Skittish British

[PATRONS]

What was the British reaction to the outbreak of war in 1870? In this episode we examine the different political camps, who had varying degrees of sympathy for either Prussia or France. The Prime Minister, William Gladstone, may not have been the greatest fan of Bismarck, but even he was forced to acknowledge that Britain could not afford another policy like 1864, when Britain threatened action, only to back down. Could the Liberal Prime Minister find a middle ground? And woul...

Age of Bismarck #24: Russian to Prussia

[PATRONS]

As France declared war and searched for allies, one power was mysteriously off her potential list. Russia had more than a few reasons to want to see France squirm - Napoleon, after all, had been instrumental in enforcing the 1856 Black Sea Treaties upon him. But did that mean the Tsar would jump at Bismarck's request, or was the relationship between the Iron Chancellor, the Russian ambassador, and the vainglorious Gorchakov bound to complicate matters? Let's find out!

Age of Bismarck #23: France Declares War

All of Bismarck's schemes had led to this - but if his enemies had been more cautious, or less reckless, the war would never have happened. How important a role did French statesmen like Napoleon, or Gramont play in the eruption of war? How genuine was the war fervour among French officials, and was it truly on par with the French public? It is often said that Bismarck was fortunate in his enemies. Perhaps the greatest illustration of this is how the French reaction enabled Bismarck to seize ...

#70: July Crisis Q&A

During this series we have encountered a wide variety of fascinating characters and controversial decisions, but even though the story of why the world went to war in 1914 is finally finished, that doesn't mean we covered everything. After over a year of content, I felt it was only right to turn the mic over to you. What still leaves you puzzled? What do you think deserves more attention? What part of the story did I miss? What decision needs more explanation? Here, I delve into the questions...

Age of Bismarck #22: Paris Embarrassed

By July 1870, the French people were fanatical in their desire for war with Prussia. That, at least, is what history has told us. But how true is it? Was the French people, or the French newspapers, or the French ministers, who truly pushed the war forward? Did France really see the Spanish throne as worthy of a casus belli, or had the war already been priced in by Napoleon and his men? In this episode we investigate the truth, and assess Bismarck's real contribution to these vital steps towa...

State of the Podcast Address 21 July 2025

It's been a while since I last checked in with you, and I've been sitting on some incredible news for a while now. If you'd like to know how things are about to change, then make sure you listen in!

#69: The First World War - Whose Fault Is It Anyway? Part 3

In our final part, we bring this saga of a series to an end by focusing our attention on the most focused on country of all - Germany. We know what Germany did from 1 August, from the declarations of war to the rape of Belgium, but what about before? What about the period 29-30 July, when the war truly became inevitable? Would it surprise you to learn that the Germans were the ones attempting to pull back from ledge?

For a preciously brief period of time, Berlin was flying the flag for ...

#68: The First World War - Whose Fault Is It Anyway? Part 2

For generations, examinations of the First World War excluded arguably the most important actor - Russia. In this episode, we will hone in on the Tsar's court and his ministers. We will analyse their mindset at crucial moments in the crisis, particularly the 29-30 July, where general mobilisation was approved against Austria and Germany. What was the meaning of this act? Was it based on sound logic, or something more problematic, and did this act mean that Russia - rather than Germany - was m...

Age of Bismarck #21: Making the Ems Despatch

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For a fleeting moment, Bismarck's entire strategy seemed to have collapsed, thanks to his King's honest desire to avoid war with France. The French had demanded that no Hohenzollern sit on the Spanish throne, and Wilhelm had agreed. Bismarck contemplated resignation rather than let this stink of capitulation hang on him, but even in this pained atmosphere, all was not lost. The King gave Bismarck the permission to issue an official account of a conversation between himself and...

#67: The First World War - Whose Fault Is It Anyway? Part 1

By now we've seen the absolute worst that Europe had to offer in 1914. We've seen naive statesmen, misinformed statesmen, distrustful statesmen, desperate statesmen, and everything in between. But when it comes to the question of who was responsible or whose fault the outbreak of war actually was, how can you condense the last 60+ episodes into a coherent, satisfying answer? In this first instalment, we look at Austria-Hungary's clear role in the crisis, whether from pushing for war with Serb...

The Unreality of Realism w/ Alexander von Sternberg

Something special for you here - Alex and I had a great conversation about realism in international relations on his History Impossible podcast, and he was good enough to let me publish it on my feed. If you like political discussions, current affairs, and hearing a bit more about my academia journey, then have a listen to this episode. A huge thanksss to Alex for having me on, and make sure to check out History Impossible!

2025-07-03 12:13:25 +0000 UTC View Post

July Crisis Q&A

History friends, now that we're at the end of the July Crisis story, please feel free to place any questions here! If you've previously asked questions in posts on here that i haven't addressed, this is the place to put them. Thanksss!

#66: The July Crisis - Conclusion

What have we learned after 65 episodes of background, analysis, and day-to-day coverage of the most consequential diplomatic failure in human history? What can we say about those responsible for what happened, and is there any value in searching for guilt? Can we distinguish between guilt or responsibility? Is it a cop out to not look for culprits? Should we search for reasons instead?

The July Crisis is a story of human failure on a catastrophic scale, but not all failures were made eq...

Age of Bismarck #20: Who's Foolin' Who?

As we know, Bismarck engineered the Hohenzollern candidacy for the Spanish throne, but what is generally not known, is that Napoleon watched him do it. In this episode, we examine this strange French behaviour. With his domestic affairs mostly in order, Napoleon was in a strong position as 1870 dawned. However, he had not taken his eye off foreign affairs. The French court was well informed about the Hohenzollern intrigue, and Napoleon had even encouraged it forward.

In Napoleon's mind...

#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 di...

#64: 4 August 1914 IV - The Final Countdown

With only hours left until the ultimatum expired, the mood in London and Berlin was anxious and excited. Was this truly it? Was the Anglo-German relationship now destined to die in a war over Belgium? Some could not bring themselves to believe it, but in London, the Cabinet was at least agreed. Once the clock struck 11PM, a war which had been impossible to imagine scarcely a few weeks ago was now the only possible policy. By now it was too late to stop the war, but who would declare it? Would...

Age of Bismarck #19: Everybody Hates Spain

To bring about the war Bismarck wanted, he would have to goad France into making it. This was easier said than done for a regime which seemed pacific and focused inward, as Napoleon attempted to rework his government and drum up popular support through domestic reforms. But there was one sensitive pressure point Bismarck could press, once the Queen of Spain was deposed in September 1868, and Madrid began casting around for a new monarch to replace her. What if he inserted a Hohenzollern into ...

#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, ...

#62: 4 August 1914 II - The Last Ultimatum

No matter what Britain did, it was impossible for Germany to evacuate Belgium. War was inevitable. Why, then, did most of Britain not even realise it?

The straightforward image we have in our minds of Britain taking a stand against the flagrant violation of Belgium is, in fact, a somewhat airbrushed picture. We may be surprised to learn that the British warnings to Germany failed to mention war, but this was less due to any cold feet, and more from a naïve hope that Germany would decl...

Age of Bismarck #18: The Alliance That Wasn't

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Why did France enter its war with Prussia without an alliance with Austria? On paper, the partnership seems obvious - team up with Vienna, defeated in 1866, and use the Habsburg desire for revenge to attack Prussia on two fronts. How had Napoleon missed the chance to achieve such a diplomatic coup? It seems particularly odd considering the existence of Franco-Austrian negotiations after 1866, specifically aiming at forging an alliance. Clearly, the two sides recognised that th...

#61: 4 August 1914 I - Into Belgium

Germany's invasion of Belgium had finally begun. After several anxious days of negotiations, warnings, and second guessing, Berlin was firmly set on its path. But what path was that? War had been declared on Russia and France, and now Belgium was in their warpath, but was their any wider strategy than that devised by Moltke? Indeed, diplomacy continued despite the shattered peace, and Berlin chased after two allies in particular - the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.

In each case they would...

#60: 3 August 1914 IV - Who Turned Out The Lights?

In the evening of 3 August, Germany finally declared war on France. The war, Berlin insisted, was caused by hostile French acts, but most knew better. The Italians certainly did. In a series of painful communications between Berlin, Vienna, and Rome, Italian neutrality was crystallised. Austria could not give her the concessions she required, and the Italian people would fly to revolt rather than fight for the hated Habsburgs. But the Austrians had at least begun to reckon with the consequenc...

Age of Bismarck #17: France in Mexico

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Of all the infamous tales of adventurous imperialism in the nineteenth century, the case of France in Mexico must rank near the top. What possessed Emperor Napoleon III of France to send tens of thousands of soldiers to Mexico? Was it to install a new Emperor, Maximilian of the Habsburgs? Or perhaps it was to acquire satisfaction for French debts, and vindicate those French merchants who had been mistreated?

Maybe it was all of these things, but as we see in this episod...

#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 Cabi...

#58: 3 August 1914 II - Brussels Doubts

The German ultimatum to Belgium had roused the Brussels government and rallied the nation, but other than this, much was still unclear by the early afternoon of this Bank Holiday Monday. News of Belgium's determination to resist took a surprisingly long time to arrive, but more than that, how long was Germany willing to wait? Had she already begun her invasion of Belgium? Was she already at war with France? Doubts reigned supreme over what would happen next, but one man in particular was in d...

Age of Bismarck #16: The End of Austria

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From 1867, Austria as Europe had known it for centuries abruptly ceased to exist. In its place was the Dual Monarchy, a curious compromise designed to appease the Hungarian contingent of the Empire. Unfortunately for what remained of Austrian power, the Augsleich was neither very well thought through nor very stable. It essentially threw a wrench into Austrian policy-making, and would require the assent of a thankless Hungarian parliament if anything meaningful was to be done....

#57: 3 August 1914 I - Illusions and Delusion

The German army was firmly in control of German policy, but its next steps were obvious to any contemporary with even the slightest grasp of the situation. The detour into Belgium had been flagged long in advance by the French, and could only be looked at in one way. The solution, though not officially announced in Berlin, was to manufacture a wide range of rumours of French border violations into a kind of justification. This was brought to its logical conclusion, as the Germans tried to cla...

#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...