When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

Jan 19 2025 711 ep. 42 mins 27.8k
When Diplomacy Fails Podcast artwork

WDF examines how wars broke out, how they were concluded, and their consequences. Expect juicy diplomacy, sneaky intrigue, fascinating characters, and incredible drama. By Dr Zack Twamley, qualified history nerd.

Current Series: The July Crisis

Patreon Series: The Age of Bismarck
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#43: 30 July 1914 V - Britain on the Fence

Jan 19 2025 67 mins  
The 30 July was a turning point for the British Cabinet. When the German Chancellor made his bid for British neutrality, yet refused to guarantee the independence of Belgium or to rule out annexations of French colonies, it set in motion a terrible chain of events.Sir Edward Grey planned to use this faux pas to pile more pressure on the non-interventionists, who seemed to be growin

#42: 30 July 1914 IV - Smash Your Telephone!

Jan 13 2025 50 mins  
The Russian decision to commence general mobilisation against Austria and Germany was made in the afternoon of 30 July, ultimately by the Tsar.It took 24 hours of intense pressure by several leading Russian officials, but after backtracking the previous day, Tsar Nicholas was finally persuaded to go all in. His anxious generals were told that there was no going back - he would not

#41: 30 July 1914 III - Immediate Danger of War

Jan 05 2025 37 mins  
Welcome to our first episode of 2025! We return to a pivotal moment in the crisis, when Germany experienced yet another 180 in policy.A day which began with a frantic German effort to pressure Austria into making concessions soon devolved into the more familiar mission - preparing the realm for war. What had caused this shift in German policy? Why had Bethmann Hollweg and Jagow giv

#40: 30 July 1914 II - 'A Very Ticklish Thing'

Dec 15 2024 38 mins  
As Thursday 30 July progressed, one thing seemed clear to the German Chancellor and Foreign Minister - Austria had to be stopped, before the crisis deteriorated any further.Use the code KAISER to get 40% off your first month of a $5 membership on Patreon - 50+ hours of exclusive content including the Age of Bismarck await!Not sure what to get your favourite history friend? Why not

#39: 30 July 1914 I - Caught in the Net

Dec 08 2024 45 mins  
Use the code KAISER to get 40% off your first month of a $5 membership on Patreon - 50+ hours of exclusive content including the Age of Bismarck await!Not sure what to get your favourite history friend? Why not give them the gift of a free month of our $5 membership?By the morning of 30 July 1914, the German government was undergoing something of an identity crisis. Was Berlin the

#38: 29 July 1914 IV - Vienna Waits For You!

Dec 01 2024 39 mins  
Use the code WDF24 at checkout and get 50% off a $5 monthly membership on Patreon! This offer will expire soon!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 mobilisation seemed to change everything.For Bethmann Hollweg and Jagow, thi

#37: 29 July 1914 III - First Contact, Second Thoughts

Nov 24 2024 39 mins  
Use the code WDF24 at checkout and get 50% off a $5 monthly membership on Patreon!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 doing.As news of Russia's partial mobilisation filtered through Europe, it caused a major crisis in the German Foreign O

The Age of Bismarck Wants YOU!

Nov 21 2024 27 mins  
As we release our fifth episode of the Age of Bismarck, I decided to take advantage of Patreon's new special offer feature, and give you the chance to get 50% off your first month of support! Maybe you're unsure, so why not listen to this extended teaser from the first episode of the Age of Bismarck?If you want the rest of it and more, make sure you listen in, where you'll be given

#36: 29 July 1914 II - Shifty Shades of Grey

Nov 17 2024 66 mins  
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 pinged between London and Berlin that under certain circumstances, their respective neutrality could not be guaranteed, the German Chancellor sent an ill-advised appeal for the British to stay out. The effor

#35: 29 July 1914 I - Hissing Cousins

Nov 10 2024 63 mins  
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, even if it cost them everything.That such a roadblock sat in the way of peace did not prevent Kaiser Wilhelm and Tsar Nicholas from engaging in their famed, eleventh hour telegram exchange. The Nicky-Willy