The Diplomatic Mistakes That Caused World War One

THIS IS PART 2 OF OUR SERIES ON WW1, PART 1 HERE:    • How World War One Could Have Been Sto...  

PLAYLIST HERE:    • The Causes Of WW1  

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This video is parts 3 and 4 of our audio podcast series on the outbreak of WW1 from earlier in the year, combined into one video.

On the 20th of July 1914 the heads of state of two great European powers - France and Russia - met in St Petersburg. Little did they know, though they may have suspected, that the Austrians were simultaneously writing up an Ultimatum, and waiting for the departure of the French to hand it to Serbia. Russia, at that time a vast continental empire under the leadership of the conservative, nervous Tsar Nicholas II, posed a major threat to the Austrians. It had modernised quickly and was in a far more confident position than it had been ten years earlier. Moreover, it had invested interests in the Balkans - the axis of their grain reserves - and little sympathy for the Austrians and their assassinated Archduke. Meanwhile, France felt itself to be a country in decline, long the whipping boy of Europe, and threatened by Germany - the growing, encroaching industrial shadow on its border. The time had come to recover French prestige in the world, and a war in the Balkans, guaranteeing the intervention of their most useful ally, Russia, may have seemed the answer…So it was that in the wake of their summit, both powers parted having cemented their alliance, eager to drive Britain into the conflict with them, and determined take a firm hand with whatever broke out in the Balkans. Three days later, Austria delivered its Ultimatum to Serbia...

Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss the intrigues and interests of the formidable Franco-Russian alliance, their historical relationship with the Austrians, and the part they played in bringing the apocalyptic First World War to fruition. Also, the moment that Austria-Hungary finally dealt Serbia its inflammatory Ultimatum, and their response to it. With time ticking, the thunder clouds of war were closing in.

00:00 Amusing French ambassadors
03:15 Tsarist Russia
07:38 How Russia saw chaos in the Balkans as an opportunity
09:50 Russia’s fear of the Ottomans
10:45 The man who made Russian foreign policy
13:15 Russian reaction to the assassination
15:50 The French view of the situation
26:35 France and Russia meet up
32:45 The Austrians issue their ultimatum to Serbia
39:15 The Serbians consider their response
46:13 Russia and France take a hard line
55:55 Britain enters the story
59:00 'Splendid isolation'
1:01:29 British foreign policy pre-1914
1:06:15 British-German rivalry
1:13:00 Improving British-German relations pre-1914
1:15:00 British reaction to the assassination of Franz Ferdinand
1:16:10 Sir Edward Grey
1:35:20 The most bizarre ambassador
1:38:30 Asquith’s response to the crisis
1:41:43 The Kaiser responds to Britain’s proposals
1:44:30 Germanophobes in the British foreign office
1:47:30 The Serbians respond to the ultimatum

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Producer: Theo Young-Smith
Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett
Social Producer: Harry Balden
Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor