When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

Versailles #41: The Conference Rolls On...

[PATRONS]

The last two weeks of February 1919 were awash with legions of issues, hurt feelings, long winded speeches and too many other details to possibly count. We've already seen the period from the point of view of Harold Nicolson, but was it any better of an experience for those that were actually empowered to act? Hint - not really, but to truly unpack all that this whopper episode has to offer, you must delve into it yourself!

Versailles #40: On Tour With Harold Nicolson

[PATRONS]

Spare a thought for poor old Harold Nicolson... 

Mr Nicolson was a senior clerk in the British Foreign Office, and by mid-February 1919, he had already had his patience strained and his grand ambitions challenged. What lay ahead of this man once the American President departed for the US is a story not often told - the human tale. Here we hear it all and lay it bare. Between the period of 19th February and 9th March 1919, this clerk was busier than he had ever been ...

Versailles #39: OTD 19 Feb 1919 - Clemenceau's 'Accident'

[PATRONS]

 Today in history, a deranged assailant attacked the father of victory, plunging France and all of Europe into a panic, and setting off the next phase of the Paris Peace Conference... 

Versailles #38: Wrestling With Wilson

[PATRONS]

Today we bravely venture to where this podcast normally steers clear - American politics. This is an essential trip though, because we must examine what happened in the US once the President returned there to present his League between 20 February and 8 March 1919. This period was spent campaigning for the new world order which Wilson so desperately wanted, and which he had fought for in person in Paris for a month. Yet, underneath the surface, and even underneath the open opp...

Delegation Game #5: King Albert's Honour

[PATRONS]

Oh boy, this is gonna be a good one! Episode 5 of the Delegation Game examines the aftermath of some pretty important deals which were passed, by hook or by crook, and which now challenge those present in Paris to adapt. The League of Nations Charter is the most significant of these, and in this very eventful, chunky episode, we examine the perspective of the King of the Belgians, Albert I, who was selected to chair this meeting according to the League's Charter. What's that? ...

Versailles #37: OTD 14th Feb 1919 - Wilson Presents His League

[PATRONS]

OTD in history 100 years ago – the League of Nations was given a covenant, stamped and signed with seals of approval from all the attending allied powers that had taken so long to reach this decision. The first two weeks of February 1919 had indeed been eventful and exhausting for many, but this here was the first piece of true, genuine progress that had been reached. It was Woodrow Wilson’s greatest achievement, and it was also the culmination of...

Versailles #36: The Pressures of Detail and Time

[PATRONS]

Gathering together on 12th February, time was of the essence, a fact which had certainly been relevant before, but which the allies had still somehow managed to essentially ignore. On this day though, the allies could not ignore the fact that Germany was a sticky situation, one which was so sticky in fact, that they would still be dealing with the core question several months later. How could the allies simultaneously do everything which the conference demanded of them while a...

Versailles #35: An Innocent Abroad?

[PATRONS]

You know the story of 'plucky little Belgium', but what about the Belgium after the war? After all they had been through, facing the might of the German Army in its initial unrelenting phase, Belgium had unquestionably been through the ringer. The question was though, what would the Belgian Foreign Minister Paul Hymans now ask for in return? The answer to that question was more incredible - read, ridiculous - than any of the allies could have imagined. As Hymans put forward hi...

Versailles #34: On The Big Four

[PATRONS]

The latest episode of the project hones in on three specific days – the 8, 9 and 10 of February 1919, as we build up to the moment when David Lloyd George and Woodrow Wilson returned home for various reasons. Both figures had a lot on their mind even before they had left, but before the American President could return home, he would at least have to face the full brunt of the paranoid French in action. At least, they seemed paranoid enough to him. The French demands, and the...

Delegation Game #4: Beginnings and Endings

[PATRONS]

The latest instalment of the game sees everyone feeling somewhat traumatised from the massacre at the Hotel Twamley, but the show must go on! Schemes were afoot even as the Canadian Premier delivered a eulogy for his late great friend, and as the Russian delegate, Alexander Kerensky, worked to find his footing in such hostile circumstances, he found that potential allies and rivals were all around him in equal measure. Amidst the chaos and hopelessness, Kerensky would happen u...

Versailles #33: We Need To Talk About Germany...

[PATRONS]

In episode 33, we assess the day of 7th February, where the allies attempted to respond to what the Germans had done the previous day of 6th Feb, when the Constituent Assembly gathered in Weimar. The only problem with this allied approach was that no single man knew what exactly was happening in Germany. They were armed only with vague ideas and preconceived notions, and certainly no practical solutions. The French offered venom and wrath, the British caution, the Americans sy...

Versailles #32: OTD 6th Feb 1919 - Weimar Convenes

[PATRONS]

The Weimar Assembly convened on this day 100 years ago, beginning a process which contained so much high hopes and ambitions for Germany's first flirtation with democracy. Between February 1919 and June 1920, Germany would be in flux as a new constitution was developed, governments came and went, and Friedrich Ebert stood above them all...

Versailles #31: Eastern Appeals

[PATRONS]

 What happens when the Czechs, Romanians and Yugoslavs all try to make their voices heard, as the Big Five attempt to do their best to seem interested? What you get is this episode! A deliciously detailed examination of each of the cases made by the individual national leaders, in addition to a curious detour where we look at maps could be fudged to suit an argument! All this and more in your latest episode of the Versailles Anniversary Project! 

Versailles #30: Not Yet Lost

[PATRONS]

Poland's experience at the Paris Peace Conference contained its fair share of ups and downs, and nowhere was this more apparent in the early phases of the conference when its case was first presented. Poland was facing into a power vacuum and with that came great opportunities, but also grave challenges. 

How could Poland balance the rivalry of its major figures, Paderewski, Pilsudski and Dmowski? How could Poles balance the rivalry of its neighbours? Could Poland p...

Delegation Game #3: Creators & Killers

[PATRONS]

As the Hotel Twamley fills with guests, nobody could have imagined what happened next. A combination of factors, certainly not aided by the strong drink on tap, led to an explosion the likes of which Paris had never seen before, or imagined possible. The consequences would be fatal, but also had the effect of changing the narrative, and making compromise more palatable to some of the more stubborn delegates. From the most tragic of events did the greatest triumphs seem to emer...

Versailles #29: OTD - 30th Jan 1919: An Empire In All But Name

[PATRONS]

 On this day 100 years ago, the world was getting to grips with the concept of mandates, also known as Empire 2.0. Several different opinions existed regarding the concept, but something which was becoming increasingly obvious was that Woodrow Wilson wanted to wait before defining it, until the League of Nations was good and ready, David Lloyd George wanted to get on with things and at least make provisional decisions, and Georges Clemenceau sat awkwardly in the middle. 2019-01-30 02:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post

Versailles #28: Explaining Mandates

[PATRONS]

 In our 28th installment, we attempt to explain mandates - that surprisingly elusive concept which it was the task of those assembled in Paris to understand. Once they understood it and got to grips with how mandates would fit into the international system, it was hoped that then, this new mandates system would usher in a new era of freedom and prosperity for the formerly colonial peoples...but not all formerly colonial peoples...just those of the vanquished powers.
2019-01-27 23:43:21 +0000 UTC View Post

Delegation Game #2: Resolution, Revolution, Retribution

[PATRONS]

In the second episode the DG, we follow the fate of Lloyd George, as he attempted to confront the man responsible for imagining a proposal for devolved government in Ireland. What awaited the British Prime Minister when he met with Joseph Doherty face to face was a scene which was nothing like what Lloyd George had expected. He was out of his element, and he was at a loss, but perhaps there was silver lining? 

As the PM worked through this difficult experience, the ...

Versailles #27: OTD 25th Jan 1919 - Wilson's Dream Realised

[PATRONS]

 ON_THIS_DAY_IN_HISTORY - 25TH JANUARY 1919

The first steps of the League of Nations were taken on this day a century ago, as the world learned exactly what Woodrow Wilson's idea meant for them and the future relations of so many states. What kind of principles would be adhered to, and which ones would be abandoned? How could Wilson traverse the objections, cynicism and scepticism of his friends and rivals? What did other people who wer...

Versailles #26: The League of Extraordinary Nations

[PATRONS]

Before the League of Nations could be presented to the world, it was necessary to build up to that great and seismic event by examining...Russia? That didn't sound quite right, and yet the Council of Ten or Supreme Council worked through the 20-24 January as though the League of Extraordinary Nations which they were about to chair was weeks, rather than days away. In these circumstances, how could a coherent proposal for reimagining international relations be prepared on time?...

Versailles #25: OTD 21st Jan 1919 - An Irish Eruption

[PATRONS]

The Irish problem had not solved itself. Ever since the aftermath of the 1916 Rising, the neighbouring island had provided troubling signs of a future catastrophe, and with the proclamation of the Dáil or Irish assembly coinciding with an attack launched on Royal Irish Constabulary policemen, the catastrophe seemed to have arrived. The conflict which followed did not erupt evenly across the island. Instead it took the form of several ripples; a murder here, a robbery there, a...

Delegation Game #1: Welcome To Paris!

[PATRONS]

Welcome delegates, to the first proper episode of the Delegation Game! Here we see everyone in the few hours before the plenary conference opened, and the Paris Peace Conference as we know it began. There was much to do, there was scheming aplenty and a great deal of opportunistic handshaking going on, as the delegations and the lonely delegates alike scoped out Hotel Twamley which would host them for the next six months. 

I am so incredible excited and proud to pre...

Versailles #24: OTD 18th Jan 1919 - The World Convenes At Paris

[PATRONS]

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY 18th JANUARY 1919 - THE PEACE CONFERENCE OPENS!

We finally made it, to the point of a new beginning for the world, in the war torn locations where so many foreign faces were travelling, and upon which so much hope had been places. There was a lot riding on the Paris Peace Conference, and those present on its very first plenary session, attended by all delegates then available in Paris, and a gigantic press corps, could not...

Versailles #23: Settling Into Paris

[PATRONS]

I am SO EXCITED to bring you all this episode. This is exactly what this project is all about - a comprehensive examination of primary sources, left to us by those that were in place and charged with TAKING charge a century ago. Here we cover the period of 13-17 January 1919, using the minutes of the Paris Peace Conference, provided by the US Foreign Relations papers series as our guide. I am super keen to hear what you all thought, but read on if you want to know more about t...

Versailles #22: OTD 12 Jan 1919 - Lloyd George Makes Three

[PATRONS]

 ON_THIS_DAY_IN_HISTORY - 12th January 1919 - David Lloyd George arrives in Paris for the preliminary peace talks.

Before the Paris Peace Conference opened, it was important for all sides to meet and talk together. As all three men spoke English well, Wilson, Clemenceau and Lloyd George could be expected to do the bulk of the negotiating personally. However, the initial set up of the Conference did not allow this personal arrangement, s...

The Delegation Game - How To Play

[PATRONS]

With the launch of the Delegation Game only a week away (on 18th Jan 2019) I thought it'd be beneficial to set out some detail about this fantastic explosion of nerdiness, and what you need to do in order to take part. We look at some tools which the game will avail of, investigate what kind of impact your scheming can have on the proceedings, outline the structure of each episode going forward, and close the episode with some FAQ's, so that we're all on the same page.

T...

Versailles #21: Spartacists in Berlin!

[PATRONS]

ON_THIS_DAY_IN_HISTORY - 10th January 1919 - the Spartacist Uprising reaches its apex - before it is brutally crushed in Berlin.

Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht were the most prolific casualties, but much more was going on beneath the surface than simply the execution of Germany's communist extremists. The establishment of organisations like the Freikorps, and the struggle for order and law in this defeated, depressed country, contain more th...

Versailles #20: Germany and Revolution

[PATRONS]

Germany was in dire straits by the time revolutionaries began taking over the streets in early 1919. Bolshevism was spreading westwards, but perhaps the most potent ingredient in this spread was the lack of available food, and the endless opportunities this gave rabble rousers to cause anarchy and chaos on an unimaginable scale. Hunger was a more powerful weapon than any political message, and the combination of this desperation for a solution and the despair at the lack of ai...

Versailles #19: Wilson Goes To Rome

[PATRONS]

 OVER_THIS_PERIOD_IN_HISTORY - the first week of January 1919 - Woodrow Wilson begins his tour of Italy!

In Italy, as in France, the citizens of that exhausted country were excited indeed to received the American President, and for six days until his departure on 6th January, Wilson travelled across Italy meeting everyone from the Pope to the King to the Premier. His mission was one of networking and publicity, and it went well, even if...

Versailles #18: OTD 26 Dec 1918 - Wilson Goes To London

[PATRONS]

 ON_THIS_DAY_IN_HISTORY - 26th December 1918 - Woodrow Wilson meets David Lloyd George in London!

Hope you're all not TOO full of foodstuffs, because we have an important little bulletin to bring to you! The US President's visit to London in late 1918 was significant for a myriad of reasons - not least of which was the sight of an American President getting a horse and carriage ride through the city's streets! Who would ever have imagined t...