AI Snips
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Episode notes
Spark In Sarajevo
- Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo by a young Serbian nationalist which triggered the crisis that led to war.
- The assassination exemplified how local nationalist plots could ignite a wider conflict through fragile diplomacy.
Alliances Multiplied The Crisis
- Entangled alliances turned a regional dispute into a continental war because powers expected mutual support in crises.
- Samuel Hume argues the war began because no major leader truly resisted the drift toward conflict.
Mobilization As A One-Way Street
- Mass mobilization and railway timetables transformed politics into a mechanical race toward offensives.
- Prearranged mobilization plans made rapid escalation and attack the default policy for continental powers.