470. The Road to The Great War: The Kaiser’s Blank Cheque (Part 2)

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Jul 17, 2024

The podcast dives deep into the pivotal aftermath of Archduke Franz Ferdinand's assassination, where tension escalates in July 1914. It reveals how Kaiser Wilhelm II's Blank Cheque to Austria changed the trajectory of history. Listeners learn about Germany's tangled alliances, miscalculations, and the deadly interplay of politics and military logistics. The hosts also explore the mindset of leaders under pressure and how agricultural cycles impacted troop movements. It's a gripping exploration of how decisions forged a path to world conflict.

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ANECDOTE

Franz Joseph's Letter

Emperor Franz Joseph wrote to Kaiser Wilhelm II, expressing grief and blaming Serbian pan-Slavists for Franz Ferdinand's assassination.
He saw the assassination as a conspiracy and a threat to European monarchies.

INSIGHT

Kaiser's Initial Reaction

The Kaiser's initial reaction to Franz Joseph's letter was calm and measured, acknowledging the provocation but also the risk of European complications.
This contradicts the popular image of the Kaiser as immediately eager for war.

INSIGHT

Kaiser's Shift in Support

The Kaiser's shift towards supporting Austria's war against Serbia happened after lunch.
He believed Russia wouldn't intervene due to monarchical solidarity.

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In the wake of the cataclysmic assassination of Franz Ferdinand on the 28th of June 1914, in Austria, the long percolating question of what to do about Serbia, reached a climax. At last, they had been handed an opportunity to take decisive action. On Sunday 5th of July an emissary of the the old and embattled emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, arrived in a deserted Berlin with letters for Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Their contents would change the course of world history forever. Originally received with uncharacteristic sanguinity and caution, the Kaiser returned from a hearty lunch that afternoon with a response to the emperor’s call for war against Serbia: Germany would back Austria absolutely, on top of which Wilhelm urged his ally to act with haste. What, then, were his motives? Was the Kaiser driven by a hunger for world domination, was it his hostility towards the British or was he spurred on by his personal sense of loss over the brutal assassination of his friend, and his wife? Whatever the case, Germany then issued Austria with the notorious Blank Cheque that would definitively set Europe upon the road to war.

Join Dominic and Tom as they plot out the events that followed from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and the first momentous steps towards a world war that even after the Austrian Ultimatum was finally handed to Serbia; none of the major players in that ruinous game, had any sense would take place…

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*The Rest Is History LIVE in the U.S.A.*

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Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

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