By the evening of 29 July, a new wave of panic was overcoming the German government. In Berlin, the question of restraining Austria had long been treated with a wink and a nod, but news of Russian ...
2024-12-02 06:30:03 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
Austria's bombardment of Belgrade represented the first shots of the First World War, though contemporaries could not have known this yet - they were more focused on what Russia was...
2024-11-25 06:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
Bismarck's greatest problem by spring 1866 was that he seemed the only Prussian that actually wanted a war with Austria. This, certainly, was the view of most Europeans, and some we...
2024-11-21 06:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
As they had done up to this point, the British continued to try to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis, even as the opportunities shrank before their eyes. Amidst warnings ping...
2024-11-18 06:30:03 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
The dawn of a new day did not bring any new peacemaking opportunities. In their own way, Austria, Germany and Russia were immovable in their main goal - they would not back down, ev...
2024-11-11 06:30:02 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
In March 1866, Queen Victoria was spurred into action. Duke Ernst of Coburg wrote a pleading letter requesting her intercession to prevent the Austro-Prussian War. The Queen could h...
2024-11-07 06:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
Although the Austro-Serb War was now a reality, Britain did not know this until the evening of 28 July. In the meantime, Sir Edward Grey was determined to do all he could to make th...
2024-11-04 06:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post[PATRONS]
For two and a half years, Russia has been waging a full scale war against Ukraine. In response, the West has mobilised an economic coalition of states determined to level sanctions ...
2024-10-28 06:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
As 1865 turned to 1866, Bismarck continued to position Prussia as the arch antagonist of Austria. Just as remarkable as the way he prepared the ground for the showdown between the ...
2024-10-24 05:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
After weeks of delay, hesitation and complications, Austria-Hungary finally delivered its declaration of war on Serbia shortly after noon on 28 July 1914.
Thi...
2024-10-21 05:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
The 28 July 1914 is best remembered today as the point of no return, as Austria declared war on Serbia.
However, as we will see in this episode, the ...
2024-10-14 13:18:07 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
Before Bismarck could make Austria's nightmare a reality, he would have to wait. The key problem for Prussia was one of money. The Landtag would not give it without concessions, and...
2024-10-10 05:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
On this otherwise unassuming Monday in 1914, Austria-Hungary was preparing to declare war on Serbia.
The declaration would come the following day, but in the ...
2024-10-07 09:30:03 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
In this enormous episode, we examine British efforts to resolve the crisis, and efforts at home to prepare the people for what might come next.
Although Austr...
2024-09-30 05:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
In the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian victory against Denmark, the destinies of those Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein still hung in the air. How could Vienna administer this enc...
2024-09-26 05:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
If Austria-Hungary wanted the war with Serbia, it would have to get its skates on. Europe was eagerly looking for any sign of a way out, even if Austria was not.
The British w...
2024-09-23 05:30:00 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
It's been a long time coming! The Age of Bismarck is finally here after so many years of planning, teasing, and dreaming. Tune in here to see how we plan to do it, and why you shoul...
2024-09-19 05:30:07 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
The ultimatum had expired, and yet somehow, Austria had not declared war on Serbia. What was going on?
Well, despite pushing the crisis forward with reckless abandon, the Aust...
2024-09-16 05:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Here we address the question - now that Austria's ultimatum to Serbia had expired, and the Austrians had evacuated Belgrade, what was Russia going to do about it?
The answer ...
2024-09-09 05:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
By now, everyone was expecting Austria-Hungary to do something once its ultimatum expired later in the day, but what? And could this response be adjusted, and peace be preserved, if only a certain ...
2024-09-02 08:55:28 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
We return to our narrative on an eventful day in world history. By the end of 24 July, Russia had established its policy towards Austria's ultimatum. But what was this polic...
2024-08-26 13:30:02 +0000 UTC View Post
After a crazy two months, it's time we had a chat.
In this episode we'll be talking about the Age of Bismarck Patreon series, which has been advertised for years, an...
2024-08-23 05:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
By late 1912, it appeared the period of Anglo-German detente was over. The Kaiser assembled a War Council, and apparently planned for a war of domination. In fact, appearances were deceptive, and a...
2024-08-21 05:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
By late 1911, Germany had been embarrassed by the Second Moroccan Crisis, and the Anglo-French Entente had once again rallied. We might have expected Germany to double down on its provocative naval...
2024-08-19 16:57:48 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
Everyone knows the story of Britain and Germany before 1914. Or at least, they think they do.
Anglo-German relations following the Russo-Japanese War seemed bound to enter a p...
2024-08-16 12:52:50 +0000 UTC View Post
Austria-Hungary finally delivered its ultimatum to Serbia nearly four weeks after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
The journey had been incredibly slow, and the outcome was nothing like ...
2024-08-14 09:30:02 +0000 UTC View Post
On 20 July, the French President, Premier, and other statesmen docked at Kronstadt, aboard the fittingly named France. It began a tremendous spectacle of Franco-Russian cooperation, just a...
2024-08-12 11:00:23 +0000 UTC View Post
[PATRONS]
As the French sailed for St Petersburg, the Austro-Hungarian government gathered in Vienna for a meeting of historic importance. It was here that the infamous ultimatum to Serbia wa...
2024-08-09 05:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
As the French President and Premier made their way to Russia, on board the France, they tried their best to keep up to date with what was happening outsides the confines of their vessel. T...
2024-08-07 05:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
With the Austro-Hungarian government on the same page at long last, it remained to follow through with the policy that had caused such dissension. To Berchtold, this meant moving as quickly and as ...
2024-08-05 05:30:02 +0000 UTC View Post