#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 declare war on Britain. It may have been hard to imagine, but had Berlin not repeatedly shot itself in the foot diplomatically by this point? Why should she be expected to show some foresight now? In fact, Germany was preparing the diplomatic ground with its few remaining allies, so British diplomats followed her there, to the Ottoman Empire, to warn against mobilisation. Lies remained a critical currency, as Austria and the Turks maintained an air of innocence. British agents reported from Japan, from the United States, from Italy, and elsewhere, building a picture of a world at war, eagerly awaiting Britain's entry into the lists. How could Britons fail to notice what was happening? The government, however incredible it might sound, was waiting for war, even if the midnight deadline hung like a dark cloud over the world. Support the July Crisis series, join the conversation, and find out more through these links: Do you want ad-free episodes with scripts attached, and bonus content? Support us on Patreon and you can suggest July Crisis episodes! Join our Facebook group as we make our way through this fascinating series! Click here to see our July Crisis workspace in Perlego, you'll find every source you need! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can listen to #62: 4 August 1914 II - The Last Ultimatum online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

#62: 4 August 1914 II - The Last Ultimatum is an episode from When Diplomacy Fails Podcast by Zack Twamley.

This episode is 42:45 long.

This episode was published on Jun 2, 2025.

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