When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

#16: April-June 1914 - The Entente Part 3

In our final episode looking at the Entente, we bring our story up to the eve of the July Crisis.

How had past lessons influenced the way Russia and France interpreted the world by spring 1914? Was war certain? Had new military reforms so affected the balance of power that war was now inevitable? What did the position of Britain mean for the two allies, and why was London so concerned with losing Russia as a friend? Was Germany's effort to match its rivals really sustainable in the long...

#15: Jan-March 1914 - The Entente Part 2

In our second installment of this Entente analysis, we look at the Liman von Sanders crisis.

By late 1913, a new crisis in Russo-German relations centred on the status of General Liman von Sanders, appointed to command the 1st Army Corps at Constantinople. To the Germans, this was a useful way to assert their influence in the Ottoman Empire and rebuild its capabilities after several years of conflict. But to Russia, the appearance of their rival in a theatre earmarked as a sphere of Rus...

#14: 1912-1913 - The Entente Part 1

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In this first of three episodes, we look at the pre-war position of the Entente!

Before we bring our narrative further, it would be useful to turn our attention to what came before. The Franco-Russian alliance was formed in 1894, and over the next twenty years, the two allies experienced their share of ups and downs. Even as new crises shifted the balance of power, France and Russia stuck together. Russia brought the manpower, and France brought the money and expertise w...

#13: 13-14 July 1914 - Berchtold Supreme

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As Belgrade burned with rage following the death of Ambassador Hartwig, Berchtold was on the verge of his greatest triumph.

After several intense weeks of pressure, Stefan Tisza seemed finally to be seeing the light. A combination of factors, including German pressure, agitation from his subordinates, fear of Romania, outrage at Serbia, and probably exhaustion, all moved Tisza to accept a policy of war. Tisza was eager to clarify that this did not render him a hawk - he ...

#12: 8-12 July 1914 - Hartwig's Last Act

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Now that German support had been acquired, and the delivery of an ultimatum to Serbia was virtually guaranteed, Berchtold had one final mission - to persuade the Hungarian Premier Stefan Tisza of the necessity of war.

This was easier said than done, since Tisza had good reasons for resisting calls for a war which he believed was unnecessary and dangerous. But Berchtold was fortunate in that the Hungarian was in the minority - Tisza was the only senior Habsburg official t...

#11: 7 July 1914 - Joint Council Meeting

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With German support for the punitive strike on Serbia now assured, all that remained was for the Habsburg government to maintain a degree of unity at such a crucial moment in its history. Yet, unfortunately for Berchtold, Stefan Tisza - the Hungarian Minister President or Premier - refused to give his approval for the kind of aggressive policy most in Vienna now wanted. Tisza feared the acquisition of more Slavic territories, which would dilute the Hungarian influence, but he ...

#10: 6 July 1914 - Saving Austria-Hungary

With the blank cheque secured, Austria had received its ally's blessing to pursue a punitive strike against Serbia - what would happen next?

The morass of questions surrounding this development deserve greater examination, but you may be wondering, just how widespread was the pro-war party in Vienna? How many officials believed that only war with Serbia could fix the Empire's chronic problems, and why did they take this position considering the risks involved?

In...

#9: 5 July 1914 - Drafting the Blank Cheque

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Among all the controversies of the July Crisis, perhaps few compare to Germany's decision to provide Austria-Hungary with a 'blank cheque' for whatever policy it intended to adopt towards Serbia. In fact, word from Berlin suggested that the German government was impatient, and wanted Austria to strike Serbia as soon as possible. But, did this represent a German desire to launch a world war? As we see in this episode, the truth is more nuanced, but no less shocking. Germany was...

#8: 1-4 July 1914 - 'Are You Certain of Germany?'

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Now that Vienna had decided to use war against its Serbian neighbour, the mission became one of guaranteeing German support. As we discuss in this episode, in Austria's estimation it was far from certain that Berlin would give this support. The record of diplomatic crises and cooperation in recent years suggested that Germany might even try to contain Austria's response, and prevent it acquiring the satisfaction it needed.

To confront this dilemma, Austrian Foreign Mini...

#7: 29-30 June 1914 - Vienna Chooses Violence

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With the shots heard round the world, how would Austro-Hungarian statesmen react to the news that the heir to their throne had been murdered in Sarajevo? In fact, as we see here, Austrian patience towards Serbia had been so exhausted by 1914 that a violent, warlike response was virtually inevitable. At least, Habsburg Foreign Minister Count Berchtold thought so. But what about the Hungarian element in the room?

Since the Compomise of 1867, Austria and Hungary had essenti...

#6: 28 June 1914 - Assassination in Sarajevo

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On 28 June 1914, Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb terrorist. What followed was the July Crisis, as Austria-Hungary attempted to gain a measure of justice, or even revenge. No story of the July Crisis is complete without beginning here, but considering its infamy, what is there left to learn about this assassination and all that flowed from it? I would like to humbly invite you to join me, as I investigate how the act was carried out, what oth...

#5: The Balkans and Other Wars (1911-1913)

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How do you kill the status quo? By forming a league of extraordinary states, who want nothing less than to destroy the empire which has ruled over them for centuries. When the Balkan War began in October 1912, Europe was far from ready for the implications which would follow. The end of Turkish rule in Europe, and the expansion of young nation states eager to prove themselves appeared to guarantee that the peninsula would never be quiet again. Yet, aside from Europe, Russia ha...

#4: The Bosnian Annexation Crisis (1908-1909)

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In our second background episode, we cover the Bosnian Annexation Crisis from 1908-1909!

From late 1908 to spring 1909, European attentions were intensely occupied by the Austrian decision to annex the province of Bosnia Herzegovina, which it had occupied since 1878. This decision spurred into life fascinating impressions and behaviours which became even more important in 1914. Russia was humiliated, Serbia was enraged, Austria learned the value of an ultimatum, and Germ...

#3: Ententes and Alliances (1871-1907)

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In our first background episode, we look at the formation of the Triple Alliance and Triple Entente.

By 1890, the new German Kaiser Wilhelm II officially 'dropped the pilot', and assumed the powers of German foreign policy into his own hands. Within a few years, Russia had slipped from his grasp into the eager arms of France. The Second Holy Alliance of Bismarck's days was over, henceforth Europe would be dominated by two distinct power blocs.

As we will see in thi...

#2: Historiography of the July Crisis

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How do historians explain the outbreak of the First World War, and how have these views changed over the last century? Were they influenced by new perspectives, new motives, or new source materials? How have they influenced our current understanding of the war's origins, and what impact have they had on the 'mainstream' view of why war broke out? In this episode we go on a journey through the historical record, where new theories and explanations emerged, in the teeth of conte...

WDF Presents: The July Crisis

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Welcome history friend, to this exciting new series!

110 years to the day since Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, and a decade on from our July Crisis Anniversary Project, I believe there has never been a better time to jump back into this world. This is a brand new series, and I have been working on it for some time now.

In this episode, we set some things straight. This is not a remaster, a re-release, or any form of recycling. Oh no, we're here for ...

1956 - Conclusion

After nearly forty episodes, and many fantastic discoveries, what can we learn from this incredible year in history? Was it a turning point for the decolonising Europeans, or simply a signal that the United States was now the top dog? Was it truly damaging for the Soviets, or did the Hungarian chapter simply confirm what many had assumed - that only by forceful repression could the Warsaw Pact members be kept in line? This was a year of several spinning plates, but before we bid it farewell, ...

1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.21: From Eden

Here we finish 1956, with the final episode in the series wrapping up Eden's story, and the Conclusion episode, wrapping up this eventful year.

The Prime Minister, once so revered, had irreparably damaged his reputation by acting as he did in the Suez Crisis. While on paper the record stated that Britain and France had acted with the most noble of intentions, in reality, as Eden well knew, the ambitions had been far more rudimentary and straightforward, and the miscalculations far more ...

PhD Thesis: Conclusion Part 2

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Seriously, this is the final episode - let's wrap everything up in a satisfying bundle. It has been an honour, history friend.

PhD Thesis: Conclusion Part 1

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Well, we've made it! It's now time to conclude this thesis we've spent so many weeks exploring, so I hope you enjoy it! Thanksss so much for giving me the platform to bring it you.

1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.20: Americans And Soviets

At long last, we bring the events in Hungary full circle with events in Egypt, and assess whether Anthony Eden’s crimes doomed Hungary after all. In short, we bring everything full circle in 1956. What the events of this year demonstrated, between the Soviet aggressions in Hungary and the Anglo-French adventures in Egypt, was that a strong United Nations was critical for the sake of the peace of the world. ‘I agree with you’, said Eden, ‘and that was why I acted as I did in the first ...

PhD Thesis: Episode 6.3

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In this final look at Chapter Six, we consider how Britain fared in its wars against multiple enemies across the world. After acquiring such a triumph in Berlin, Disraeli would be forced to confront a legion of threats, each more challenging than the next. Yet Disraeli persevered, perhaps because he had no choice, and understood that the high standards of prestige necessitated swift, decisive action. I hope you'll join in here to see how this victory became tainted, and Britis...

1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.19: Not All Heroes Wear Capes

1956 Episode 2.19 examines Eden efforts to completely redefine what the Suez Crisis had meant, and what Britain’s role in the crisis had been.

From the afternoon of 6th November, with a ceasefire in the air, a UN Emergency Force still had to be negotiated. Eden could claim that British and French forces were sticking around in Egypt only for the purpose of maintaining peace and protecting the Suez Canal. Yet, his critics could argue that Britain and France broke the peace in the first...

PhD Thesis: Episode 6.2

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In this section of Chapter 6, we look at Russia in the throes of its great coup - the Treaty of San Stefano, which was dictated to the Ottoman Empire in March 1878. The Treaty granted Russia extensive rights over the Turks, and Britain - Disraeli - simply could not allow it. British prestige was at stake, he declared. This time, interestingly enough, Disraeli found many who agreed with him, even if nobody seemed quite able to define what prestige actually was! That's ...

1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.18: The Art Of Backing Down

1956 Episode 2.18 brings us to a critical point in the narrative, where Anthony Eden decided that a ceasefire was in fact favourable after all!

So just what had changed? Thanks to Harold Macmillan, Eden was persuaded that the economic situation in Britain was close to breaking point, and the Treasury Secretary greatly inflated the figures to ape a crisis which could not be avoided, unless peace was reached. Explaining this event necessitates a small investigation into the elements of tr...

PhD Thesis: Episode 6.1

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In our sixth and final chapter, we are transported to a new era. It is 1874, and Benjamin Disraeli has just won the Conservative Party its largest majority in history. In this moment of unprecedented triumph, Disraeli leaned into an earlier inspiration - Palmerston. National honour was now cloaked in a new synonym: prestige. On paper, it meant the reputation of one's power, including their capacity for using it. In Disraeli's hands though, the terms would acquire a new signifi...

1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.17: Britain Knows Best

1956 Episode 2.17 looks at Anthony Eden’s furious efforts to shape the debate on the British intervention in Egypt in the first few days of November, 1956.

Our story on 5th November where, just as British and French paratroopers were landing on Port Said, the British Government was fighting its own battle in the House of Commons. Selwyn Lloyd, the beleaguered Foreign Secretary, was tasked with standing up for British foreign policy in light of the emerging controversies. At this stage...

PhD Thesis: Episode 5.3

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Are YOU sick of the Schleswig Holstein question yet? Britain was thoroughly sick of it by summer 1864, but they had to persevere, because the opposition was about to get its chance to stick it to the government for its months of failure and shame. Did they have a strong case, or could Palmerston eek out a victory, based on his years of fighting for the national honour? Thanksss for listening and supporting history friends!

1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.16: My Canadian Friends

Eden’s efforts to control the discussion continued, as the Prime Minister sought to make the British people see things wholly his way. To some extent he would succeed, but much like his French counterparts, it was proving immensely difficult to control what people thought deep down about this strangely brave but also incredibly reckless action. For a few fleeting hours, it appeared as though Eden had judged correctly – it was nice to see the entente cruising into battle again without the ...

PhD Thesis: Episode 5.2

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In this episode, we delve deeper into the domestic situation in Britain during the Sch;eswig Holstein crisis. After proving embarrassingly ineffective, the government's diplomacy was a ripe target for the opposition's criticism. That London had promised Denmark would not stand alone, and urged the Danes to withdraw from defensive positions, was plain to the opposition figures who had been denied an opportunity to make their displeasure known. By 4 July 1864 though, finally, th...