WEBVTT FILE 1 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:07.000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:13.000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:17.480 --> 00:00:20.654 Before the world was shattered, before the soil 4 00:00:20.720 --> 00:00:23.214 was stained with the blood of nations, before 5 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:25.574 the great empires bled dry and the very 6 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:28.380 earth trembled beneath the weight of human suffering, 7 00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:32.220 there was an age of splendor, of certainty, 8 00:00:32.840 --> 00:00:33.620 of illusions. 9 00:00:35.040 --> 00:00:36.540 The year was 1913. 10 00:00:37.040 --> 00:00:40.820 The world stood at the precipice of an era that believed itself eternal. 11 00:00:41.720 --> 00:00:43.814 It was the twilight of an age gilded 12 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:47.720 in gold, its grandeur masking the deep fractures below. 13 00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:51.940 This was the Belle Epoque, the beautiful era, 14 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:59.380 an age of opulence, of confidence, of an unshakable belief in progress. 15 00:01:00.400 --> 00:01:02.934 The hum of industry, the glow of electric 16 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:07.014 light, the boundless ambition of science, humanity reached 17 00:01:07.080 --> 00:01:09.060 higher, faster, further. 18 00:01:09.720 --> 00:01:11.780 The cities of Europe pulsed with life. 19 00:01:12.360 --> 00:01:17.374 London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, names that spoke of 20 00:01:17.440 --> 00:01:21.020 civilization at its peak, of culture, of innovation. 21 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:23.940 It was an age of steam and steel, 22 00:01:24.360 --> 00:01:27.414 of towering airships drifting like silent sentinels over 23 00:01:27.480 --> 00:01:33.934 glittering capitals, of locomotives thundering across nations, binding 24 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:37.220 cities and people in a network of progress. 25 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:41.700 The future had never seemed so bright. 26 00:01:42.280 --> 00:01:45.094 The motor car roared onto cobbled streets, the 27 00:01:45.160 --> 00:01:49.054 aeroplane defied gravity, and Marconi's wireless messages whispered 28 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:49.820 across oceans. 29 00:01:50.600 --> 00:01:53.300 A world once vast and unknowable was shrinking, 30 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:56.060 growing ever closer, ever more connected. 31 00:01:57.000 --> 00:01:59.494 Yet beneath the elegance, beneath the laughter in 32 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:01.374 the grand halls and the smoke curling from 33 00:02:01.440 --> 00:02:05.300 cafe terraces, the earth rumbled with something darker, 34 00:02:05.800 --> 00:02:09.100 a force unseen, unheard, yet undeniable. 35 00:02:09.880 --> 00:02:13.220 The world was not at peace, not truly. 36 00:02:15.760 --> 00:02:17.854 Across the continent the empires of old stood 37 00:02:17.920 --> 00:02:21.814 tall, their banners flying high, their rulers seated 38 00:02:21.880 --> 00:02:24.300 upon thrones gilded with the weight of history. 39 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:29.414 The German Kaiser, restless and ambitious, cast long 40 00:02:29.480 --> 00:02:30.940 glances beyond his borders. 41 00:02:32.280 --> 00:02:35.014 In the halls of St. Petersburg, Tsar Nicholas 42 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:39.574 II clung to a brittle autocracy as the 43 00:02:39.640 --> 00:02:42.660 murmur of revolution seeped through the streets. 44 00:02:43.320 --> 00:02:46.214 In Vienna, an empire of many peoples but 45 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:50.020 one crown, fragile, fracturing on borrowed time. 46 00:02:50.880 --> 00:02:52.814 And in Britain, the Lion of the Seas 47 00:02:52.880 --> 00:02:56.540 watched, wary, as the world around it shifted. 48 00:02:57.640 --> 00:03:00.854 The great powers walked a tightrope, stretched thin 49 00:03:00.920 --> 00:03:02.820 between honour and ambition. 50 00:03:03.800 --> 00:03:06.534 Alliances were forged in ink and sealed in 51 00:03:06.600 --> 00:03:12.100 steel, promises of protection and vengeance whispered behind closed doors. 52 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:17.414 The world, whether it knew it or not, had become a powder keg, and then the 53 00:03:17.480 --> 00:03:21.020 Balkans, a land soaked in history, in blood, 54 00:03:21.320 --> 00:03:23.140 in restless dreams of freedom. 55 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:29.380 Here, in the shadows of empires, a single act would set the world ablaze. 56 00:03:31.440 --> 00:03:34.500 June 28th, 1914. 57 00:03:35.600 --> 00:03:36.340 Sarajevo. 58 00:03:36.760 --> 00:03:39.654 A motorcade, an archduke, a bullet fired from 59 00:03:39.720 --> 00:03:41.894 the trembling hands of a young assassin, a 60 00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:46.580 single shot, then another, and the course of history was altered forever. 61 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:51.414 The streets of Sarajevo, once drowsy beneath the 62 00:03:51.480 --> 00:03:54.020 summer sun, erupted in confusion. 63 00:03:54.840 --> 00:03:58.014 The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke 64 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:02.254 Franz Ferdinand, lay mortally wounded, his blood staining 65 00:04:02.320 --> 00:04:03.660 the silk of his uniform. 66 00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:10.300 His wife, Sophie, collapsed beside him, a final breath escaping her lips. 67 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:14.494 Their assassins, a band of young idealists, had 68 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:18.820 no idea that their gunfire had sounded the death knell of an entire age. 69 00:04:19.440 --> 00:04:23.294 News spread like wildfire, carried by telegraph wires 70 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:27.140 that pulsed with the urgency of governments scrambling for control. 71 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:30.220 In Vienna, grief turned to fury. 72 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:34.660 In Berlin, war councils whispered behind closed doors. 73 00:04:35.520 --> 00:04:38.580 In St. Petersburg, the Tsar readied his armies, 74 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:41.580 feeling the weight of duty and destiny. 75 00:04:42.360 --> 00:04:46.094 And in London and Paris, uneasy diplomats watched 76 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:50.374 as the balance of peace swayed, a feather's breadth from collapse. 77 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:09.294 In the drawing rooms and lively taverns, in 78 00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:12.454 bustling markets and industrious factories, the people of 79 00:05:12.520 --> 00:05:15.334 Europe carried on with their daily lives, blissfully 80 00:05:15.400 --> 00:05:17.294 unaware that they were teetering on the brink 81 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:21.580 of a catastrophic upheaval that would forever alter the course of history. 82 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:27.654 Some individuals leisurely perused newspapers, their pages filled 83 00:05:27.720 --> 00:05:31.500 with reports of distant tensions and geopolitical disputes, 84 00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:35.174 never imagining that within mere weeks, their own 85 00:05:35.240 --> 00:05:38.734 sons, fathers and brothers would be compelled to 86 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:40.614 march toward a war that would be unlike 87 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:44.740 any conflict that had ever unfolded before in the annals of time. 88 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:50.660 The great wheels of power and influence began to turn with an ominous grace. 89 00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:55.060 Austria-Hungary issued a stern ultimatum to Serbia, 90 00:05:55.520 --> 00:05:59.940 harsh, demanding, and ultimately impossible to accept. 91 00:06:00.520 --> 00:06:03.454 The world, with bated breath, held its collective 92 00:06:03.520 --> 00:06:05.140 gaze upon the unfolding drama. 93 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:10.420 However, Serbia, emboldened and defiant, refused to bow to the pressure. 94 00:06:11.720 --> 00:06:14.334 Russia, bound by ancient ties of blood and 95 00:06:14.400 --> 00:06:17.694 dutiful loyalty, swore to protect its Slavic brethren 96 00:06:17.760 --> 00:06:19.580 against any potential aggressor. 97 00:06:20.520 --> 00:06:23.254 Germany, positioned like a coiled spring ready to 98 00:06:23.320 --> 00:06:27.980 unleash its might, pledged unwavering solidarity to its ally Vienna. 99 00:06:29.160 --> 00:06:31.894 France, forever vigilant and wary of its old 100 00:06:31.960 --> 00:06:35.894 adversary, began to prepare for impending battle, grounding 101 00:06:35.960 --> 00:06:38.060 its defenses with strategic precision. 102 00:06:39.200 --> 00:06:41.534 Britain, still caught in a web of hesitation 103 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:45.654 and lingering hope, observed the storm clouds gathering 104 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:47.820 on the horizon with a heavy heart. 105 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:53.214 As the days of July began to fade into the heat of August, the tense atmosphere 106 00:06:53.280 --> 00:06:55.060 became unbearable. 107 00:06:55.640 --> 00:07:00.300 And finally, the fragile thread of peace snapped irreparably. 108 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:03.894 August 1914 arrived and with it, the world 109 00:07:03.960 --> 00:07:07.740 descended into a swirling vortex of chaos and madness. 110 00:07:08.520 --> 00:07:10.294 They called it the War to End All 111 00:07:10.360 --> 00:07:13.494 Wars, a grand and imposing title that resonated 112 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:16.900 with claims of righteousness and necessity. 113 00:07:18.040 --> 00:07:22.614 They labeled it a cause that had to be fought for, crucial and just in its 114 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:23.280 inception. 115 00:07:24.280 --> 00:07:27.494 Yet in their hubris, none foresaw the unimaginable 116 00:07:27.560 --> 00:07:29.974 horrors and profound suffering that were to follow 117 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:32.940 in the wake of this monumental conflict. 118 00:07:34.200 --> 00:07:37.214 As darkness descended, it became clear that their 119 00:07:37.280 --> 00:07:40.534 notions of honor and glory would become twisted 120 00:07:40.600 --> 00:07:44.454 beyond recognition, setting the stage for a tragedy 121 00:07:44.520 --> 00:07:46.414 of unimaginable proportions. 122 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:53.934 This was no war of swift victories, no 123 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:58.020 gallant charge upon open fields where honor and bravery could shine. 124 00:07:58.760 --> 00:08:01.534 This was a war mechanized and industrialized to 125 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:06.700 an unprecedented degree, a brutal conflict fought without mercy or respite. 126 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:09.894 Men would march forward with the stirring songs 127 00:08:09.960 --> 00:08:12.694 of their nations echoing in their hearts, driven 128 00:08:12.760 --> 00:08:18.334 by a spirit of honor, by a sense of duty, only to be consumed utterly by 129 00:08:18.400 --> 00:08:22.094 a horrifying nightmare of mud, choking gas, treacherous 130 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:25.974 barbed wire, and the unrelenting deafening cacophony of 131 00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:28.060 endless ceaseless shellfire. 132 00:08:28.840 --> 00:08:32.254 The earth itself became a graveyard, the trenches 133 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:35.334 yawning wounds across the land filled not with 134 00:08:35.400 --> 00:08:38.220 glory, but with the dead and the dying. 135 00:08:38.840 --> 00:08:44.260 The very air turned toxic, a silent specter that choked the breath from lungs. 136 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:48.414 And still, the war machine ground on, devouring 137 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:51.454 a generation, carving its scars not just into 138 00:08:51.520 --> 00:08:55.540 the soil of Europe, but into the soul of humankind. 139 00:08:56.440 --> 00:08:59.620 By Christmas of that first year, the illusions had crumbled. 140 00:09:00.400 --> 00:09:04.094 The belief in a quick war, a righteous war, had drowned in the blood of the 141 00:09:04.160 --> 00:09:07.020 Marne, been buried in the frozen earth of Flanders. 142 00:09:07.760 --> 00:09:11.100 This is the story of World War I, 143 00:09:11.680 --> 00:09:16.054 a conflict that reshaped history, shattered empires, and 144 00:09:16.120 --> 00:09:18.980 left behind ghosts that whisper through the ages. 145 00:09:19.800 --> 00:09:25.334 A war that saw the world burn, yet left the seeds of future battles sown deep 146 00:09:25.400 --> 00:09:26.300 within the soil. 147 00:09:27.280 --> 00:09:29.140 This was not the end. 148 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:32.580 This was merely the beginning of a century of conflict. 149 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:38.780 This is the story of how the world unraveled. 150 00:09:39.320 --> 00:09:44.820 Welcome to the descent into the abyss, into the trenches, into the fire. 151 00:10:22.040 --> 00:10:25.340 It was the final summer before the outbreak of World War I, 152 00:10:26.880 --> 00:10:28.734 the last summer of the old world. 153 00:10:41.560 --> 00:10:43.814 For the everyday men and women walking the 154 00:10:43.880 --> 00:10:46.174 streets of the western world, especially those who 155 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:48.054 had lived through the lively early years of 156 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:53.254 the 20th century, war seemed like the farthest thing from their minds. 157 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:07.294 During those years, men who fantasized about the 158 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:11.100 thrill of battle would have struggled to find a conflict to join. 159 00:11:11.520 --> 00:11:14.574 In 1901, and in the 13 years that 160 00:11:14.640 --> 00:11:17.054 followed, the people of western Europe and the 161 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:21.300 English-speaking Americas were shifting from warriors to consumers. 162 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:27.454 Motor cars, motorcycles, airships, electric trains, and submarines 163 00:11:27.520 --> 00:11:30.260 became novelties to fill the growing leisure time. 164 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.494 The emerging middle class looked forward to more 165 00:11:33.560 --> 00:11:36.020 years of progress, prosperity, and peace. 166 00:11:36.800 --> 00:11:41.694 There had been no war among the great powers for nearly half a century, and the 167 00:11:41.760 --> 00:11:47.254 globalization of the world economy suggested that war was a relic of the past. 168 00:12:06.200 --> 00:12:09.614 To many, that hot, sun-soaked, beautiful summer 169 00:12:09.680 --> 00:12:13.420 of 1914, the most stunning in living memory, 170 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:15.380 Europe felt like an Eden. 171 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:21.054 Stefan Zweig captured the mood perfectly, writing that 172 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:24.060 he had rarely experienced a summer more luxuriant, 173 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:28.060 more beautiful, and, I'm tempted to say, more summery. 174 00:12:28.680 --> 00:12:30.774 In particular, the middle and upper classes were not happy with the war. 175 00:12:30.840 --> 00:12:32.654 The middle class Britons saw themselves living in 176 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:35.654 a perfect world, one in which economic forces 177 00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:39.420 would prevent the European powers from waging war on each other. 178 00:12:40.120 --> 00:12:42.494 For those with a comfortable income, the world 179 00:12:42.560 --> 00:12:45.000 of their time felt freer than it does today. 180 00:12:47.680 --> 00:12:52.414 Until 1914, the sensible, law-abiding Englishman could 181 00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:55.200 go through life barely aware of the state's presence. 182 00:12:56.040 --> 00:12:58.980 One could live wherever and however one pleased, 183 00:12:59.280 --> 00:13:02.700 and travel almost anywhere in the world without needing anyone's permission. 184 00:13:03.720 --> 00:13:07.300 For the most part, a passport wasn't required, 185 00:13:08.120 --> 00:13:09.700 and many people didn't even have one. 186 00:13:13.160 --> 00:13:16.774 The French geographer André Siegfried circled the globe 187 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:19.460 with nothing more than his visiting card as identification. 188 00:13:20.560 --> 00:13:22.860 It was an era of free capital flow 189 00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:25.980 and the unrestricted movement of people and goods. 190 00:13:26.880 --> 00:13:30.094 In fact, there was more globalization before 1914 191 00:13:30.160 --> 00:13:31.454 than there is today. 192 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:53.614 Much of the final quarter of the 20th 193 00:13:53.680 --> 00:13:58.340 century was spent simply regaining the ground lost in the preceding 75 years. 194 00:13:59.280 --> 00:14:02.254 Economic and financial interconnectedness were among the powerful 195 00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:04.534 forces that made war among the major European 196 00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:07.700 powers seem not just impractical, but obsolete. 197 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:16.540 In the Western world, ordinary people had no fear of an impending conflict. 198 00:14:17.360 --> 00:14:20.414 While some leaders expressed concerns, even they did 199 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:23.300 not expect war to break out in the summer of 1914. 200 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:29.054 France had long desired to reclaim territories lost 201 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:31.574 to Germany decades earlier, but those in a 202 00:14:31.640 --> 00:14:33.374 position to know were certain that France would 203 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:35.300 not initiate a war to recover them. 204 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:41.774 On December 13th, 1913, the Russian Prime Minister 205 00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:44.414 informed the Tsar that all French statesmen sought 206 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:47.260 peace and were willing to cooperate with Germany. 207 00:14:47.800 --> 00:14:53.134 By the end of 1913, it was clear that Franco-German relations were in a better 208 00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:55.100 state than they had been in years. 209 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:01.060 Germany feared a future war with Russia. 210 00:15:01.560 --> 00:15:03.974 By the winter of 1914, they knew the 211 00:15:04.040 --> 00:15:08.054 Tsar's armies were in no condition to fight and wouldn't be for several years. 212 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:47.614 The glorious final days of June 1914 unfolded 213 00:15:47.680 --> 00:15:50.574 under a summer sky and calm seas, until 214 00:15:50.640 --> 00:15:52.534 they were suddenly struck by a shock they 215 00:15:52.600 --> 00:15:54.580 mistakenly believed had come out of nowhere. 216 00:16:08.040 --> 00:16:13.294 The path that led the major powers of Europe into war in 1914 was long and 217 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:17.374 winding, shaped by numerous factors that ultimately pushed 218 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:19.140 them toward armed conflict. 219 00:16:19.920 --> 00:16:22.654 Perhaps the most significant and apparent factor was 220 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:25.060 the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. 221 00:16:26.160 --> 00:16:30.374 This brief but decisive conflict resulted in France's 222 00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:33.374 humiliating defeat and the unification of the German 223 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:35.020 states under Prussian leadership. 224 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:38.134 The creation of the German Empire, one of 225 00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:40.974 the spoils of victory, saw the annexation of 226 00:16:41.040 --> 00:16:44.174 Alsace and Lorraine from France, causing a major 227 00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:46.500 shift in the European balance of power. 228 00:16:47.520 --> 00:16:50.614 Germany's rapid rise to economic and military dominance 229 00:16:50.680 --> 00:16:54.060 only heightened the anxieties of its neighboring countries. 230 00:16:56.600 --> 00:16:59.694 By 1938, Germany was the world's second most 231 00:16:59.760 --> 00:17:03.020 powerful industrial nation, behind only America. 232 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:07.540 For nearly two decades, between 1871 and 1890, 233 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:11.380 the new European balance of power remained unchallenged. 234 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:13.894 Thanks to the diplomatic skill and cunning of 235 00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:19.054 Otto von Bismarck, the German Chancellor who successfully kept France isolated. 236 00:17:24.840 --> 00:17:28.734 However, when Bismarck left office in 1890, it 237 00:17:28.800 --> 00:17:30.894 didn't take long for a series of unpredictable 238 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:34.820 shifts to start undermining his carefully crafted continental system. 239 00:17:35.800 --> 00:17:39.574 Relations between France and Germany rapidly worsened, and 240 00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:42.334 Russia, under the Tsar, began to draw closer 241 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:44.700 to both France and Austria-Hungary. 242 00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:48.294 In response, Germany worked to strengthen its alliance 243 00:17:48.360 --> 00:17:52.580 with the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy, ensuring an ally to the east. 244 00:17:53.320 --> 00:17:56.054 Yet, this alliance would prove costly, as it 245 00:17:56.120 --> 00:17:59.094 increasingly tied Germany to a crumbling empire struggling 246 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:03.460 to control the nationalist movements within its diverse population. 247 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:07.174 The volatile situation in the Balkans grew more 248 00:18:07.240 --> 00:18:09.500 dangerous as Turkey's influence waned. 249 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:13.300 Austria and Russia, eager to exploit these opportunities, 250 00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:17.320 each pursued paths that would inevitably lead to conflict. 251 00:18:18.040 --> 00:18:21.420 The rise of Serbia further destabilized the region. 252 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:26.294 Serbia, angered by Austria's 1908 annexation of Bosnia 253 00:18:26.360 --> 00:18:30.334 and Herzegovina, expanded its influence and territory following 254 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:34.814 the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913, which 255 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:37.020 only fueled Austria's growing irritation. 256 00:18:51.840 --> 00:18:55.774 With Bismarck's departure, the bellicose and unpredictable Wilhelm 257 00:18:55.840 --> 00:18:59.574 Wacht, who had become Kaiser in 1888, quickly 258 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:03.460 pushed Germany toward a more aggressive stance in international relations. 259 00:19:04.200 --> 00:19:07.174 France, already eager to avenge its defeat in 260 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:11.854 1870 and reclaim the lost provinces, grew even 261 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:16.060 more alarmed by Germany's expanding industrial and military strength. 262 00:19:16.800 --> 00:19:19.614 Russia, too, found reason for concern about the 263 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:22.374 Austro-German alliance, which not only cast a 264 00:19:22.440 --> 00:19:25.374 menacing shadow over its western frontier, but also 265 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:28.340 threatened to undermine Russian interests in the Balkans. 266 00:19:28.840 --> 00:19:32.254 The first significant crack in Bismarck's diplomatic framework 267 00:19:32.320 --> 00:19:35.934 appeared in 1892, with the dismantling of its 268 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:38.900 cornerstone, the isolation of France. 269 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:43.254 That year, Russia and France signed a military 270 00:19:43.320 --> 00:19:47.054 agreement, later bolstered by additional talks in 1893 271 00:19:47.120 --> 00:19:50.174 and 1894, in which both nations pledged to 272 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:53.240 assist each other if either were attacked by Germany. 273 00:19:54.200 --> 00:19:57.414 This shift from Bismarck's pragmatic Realpolitik to Wilhelm 274 00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:01.894 II's more ambitious Weltpolitik ultimately forced Britain to 275 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:05.580 reassess its position in relation to the other major European powers. 276 00:20:06.320 --> 00:20:09.334 For much of the late 19th century, Britain 277 00:20:09.400 --> 00:20:12.820 had maintained a relatively friendly relationship with Germany, 278 00:20:13.360 --> 00:20:16.014 in part because Queen Victoria's eldest daughter was 279 00:20:16.080 --> 00:20:18.774 married to the German Crown Prince Frederick, who 280 00:20:18.840 --> 00:20:21.620 ascended to the throne in March 1888. 281 00:20:22.440 --> 00:20:25.814 However, after Frederick's death from cancer following a 282 00:20:25.880 --> 00:20:30.254 mere three-month reign, his estranged son, Wilhelm 283 00:20:30.320 --> 00:20:34.174 II, took the throne, heralding a new era 284 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:37.340 of competition with Britain for colonies and global markets. 285 00:20:38.600 --> 00:20:41.574 Wilhelm's first public remarks as Kaiser were not 286 00:20:41.640 --> 00:20:43.974 addressed to his people, but rather to his armies. 287 00:20:52.080 --> 00:20:55.400 We belong to each other, I and the army. 288 00:20:56.160 --> 00:21:00.500 We were born for each other and will indissolubly cleave to each other. 289 00:21:01.400 --> 00:21:06.534 I promise ever to bear in mind that from the world above the eyes of my 290 00:21:06.600 --> 00:21:09.614 forefathers look down on me, and that I 291 00:21:09.680 --> 00:21:14.374 shall one day have to stand accountable to them for the glory and honor of the 292 00:21:14.440 --> 00:21:15.040 army. 293 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:24.494 The German army, under Prussian leadership, was the 294 00:21:24.560 --> 00:21:27.614 most formidable military force in the world, but 295 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:30.654 it was Germany's naval expansion that estranged Britain. 296 00:21:39.800 --> 00:21:42.740 Our naval power involved British existence. 297 00:21:43.800 --> 00:21:46.134 If our naval supremacy were to be impaired, 298 00:21:46.200 --> 00:21:48.654 the whole fortunes of our race and empire 299 00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:52.180 would perish and be swept utterly away. 300 00:21:56.520 --> 00:21:58.934 Under the guidance of Rear Admiral Alfred von 301 00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:02.334 Tirpitz, and with the Kaiser's backing, the Kriegsmarine 302 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:07.260 revealed its plan to build a fleet of 38 battleships over the next 20 years. 303 00:22:08.080 --> 00:22:10.934 Viewing Britain as the greatest obstacle to Germany's 304 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:14.094 expansion, Tirpitz saw the German fleet as a 305 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:18.100 political tool that could enhance the country's influence in global affairs. 306 00:22:18.600 --> 00:22:21.534 The launch of 14 battleships in Germany between 307 00:22:21.600 --> 00:22:25.254 1900 and 1905 marked the beginning of a 308 00:22:25.320 --> 00:22:29.134 naval arms race, which escalated further when Britain 309 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:33.014 introduced the revolutionary turbine-driven all-big-gun 310 00:22:33.080 --> 00:22:37.340 battleship HMS Dreadnought in 1906. 311 00:22:38.040 --> 00:22:41.820 Each new launch pushed Germany and Britain further apart. 312 00:22:46.680 --> 00:22:49.254 I explained to him that the real ground 313 00:22:49.320 --> 00:22:52.054 for the growing antagonism in this country towards 314 00:22:52.120 --> 00:22:55.774 Germany was not jealousy of her rapidly expanding 315 00:22:55.840 --> 00:22:59.500 commerce, but fear of her growing navy. 316 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:02.580 The Kaiser did not care. 317 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:06.134 I do not wish for a good understanding 318 00:23:06.200 --> 00:23:09.940 with England at the expense of the extension of the German fleet. 319 00:23:14.920 --> 00:23:16.974 Germany's support for the Boers during the South 320 00:23:17.040 --> 00:23:20.974 African War of 1899 to 1902 accelerated the 321 00:23:21.040 --> 00:23:23.460 end of Britain's previous policy of isolation. 322 00:23:25.280 --> 00:23:30.094 In 1904, Britain signed the Entente Cordiale, significantly 323 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:32.974 strengthening its diplomatic and military ties with its 324 00:23:33.040 --> 00:23:34.700 traditional rival, France. 325 00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:39.740 A similar agreement was reached with Russia in 1907. 326 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:43.134 By the end of the 19th century, Britain 327 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:47.220 had clearly aligned itself with the Franco-Russian alliance. 328 00:23:50.840 --> 00:23:53.894 Although these agreements were not formal treaties and 329 00:23:53.960 --> 00:23:58.534 did not obligate Britain to go to war in support of France or Russia, they did 330 00:23:58.600 --> 00:24:01.694 create a moral commitment to stand with both 331 00:24:01.760 --> 00:24:03.540 nations against the central powers. 332 00:24:04.440 --> 00:24:07.414 An unforeseen incident involving any of these countries 333 00:24:07.480 --> 00:24:11.214 could easily spark a larger conflict, which, due 334 00:24:11.280 --> 00:24:15.300 to the competing alliance systems, might quickly involve them all. 335 00:24:31.760 --> 00:24:34.900 Sunday, 28th June, 1914. 336 00:24:39.640 --> 00:24:42.494 Early in the morning, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and 337 00:24:42.560 --> 00:24:46.100 his wife Sophie attended mass in a chapel set up for them at their hotel. 338 00:24:47.040 --> 00:24:50.100 Afterward, they boarded a train bound for Sarajevo, 339 00:24:50.360 --> 00:24:52.414 a journey lasting just under half an hour. 340 00:24:59.120 --> 00:25:01.494 Upon reaching the railroad terminal on the outskirts 341 00:25:01.560 --> 00:25:05.620 of the city, they transferred to a motorcade for the remainder of the trip. 342 00:25:06.600 --> 00:25:09.534 The procession of chauffeur-driven cars entered Sarajevo 343 00:25:09.600 --> 00:25:13.700 between 9.30 and 10 o'clock, heading towards the town hall. 344 00:25:14.560 --> 00:25:17.940 The morning rain had ceased and the top of the car was lowered. 345 00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:24.814 That morning, Gavrilo Princip, the Bosnian-Serb teenager 346 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:27.374 who aspired to be a martyr, had positioned 347 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:30.894 himself and his fellow conspirators along the embankment 348 00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:34.680 at three locations where it was crossed by bridges. 349 00:25:35.440 --> 00:25:38.094 As the Archduke's motorcade made its way along 350 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:40.534 the quay, it would be passing through a 351 00:25:40.600 --> 00:25:43.094 deadly gauntlet of nationalist assassins. 352 00:25:43.160 --> 00:25:46.300 As the Archduke's procession entered the first bridge, 353 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:48.060 it entered a kill zone. 354 00:25:49.040 --> 00:25:51.700 Three conspirators lined the riverside of the quay, 355 00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:53.860 with two more positioned on land. 356 00:25:54.640 --> 00:25:57.014 The first attempt on the Archduke's life came 357 00:25:57.080 --> 00:26:01.094 from the riverside, where Nijelko Kabrinovic, after asking 358 00:26:01.160 --> 00:26:04.460 a nearby policeman to identify Franz Ferdinand's motorcar, 359 00:26:05.160 --> 00:26:08.540 accidentally knocked the cap off his bomb while trying to detonate it. 360 00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:11.380 He threw the bomb at the Archduke's car, 361 00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:14.254 but it missed, bouncing off the folded-down 362 00:26:14.320 --> 00:26:16.814 hood of the convertible and landing beneath the 363 00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:19.140 car behind it, where it exploded. 364 00:26:20.080 --> 00:26:24.894 The countess felt a slight graze on her neck from the blast, and those in the 365 00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:27.580 following car sustained minor injuries. 366 00:26:28.360 --> 00:26:31.414 Hearing the explosion and the crowd's shouts, Princip 367 00:26:31.480 --> 00:26:33.174 quickly made his way to the scene where 368 00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:35.100 it appeared that the attempt had failed. 369 00:26:36.120 --> 00:26:39.574 The gendarme had Kabrinovic firmly in custody, and 370 00:26:39.640 --> 00:26:41.500 were hauling him off to the police station. 371 00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:45.040 None of the other conspirators was to be found. 372 00:26:46.200 --> 00:26:48.814 Alone, Princip wandered back to what had been 373 00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:50.854 his appointed station on the riverside of the 374 00:26:50.920 --> 00:26:53.700 embankment at what was called the Latin Bridge. 375 00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:57.180 He then crossed the street. 376 00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:02.014 Of the others, one was so jammed in the crowd that he could not pull the 377 00:27:02.080 --> 00:27:03.140 bomb out of his pocket. 378 00:27:04.200 --> 00:27:06.854 A second saw policemen standing near him, and 379 00:27:06.920 --> 00:27:09.800 then decided that any movement would be too risky. 380 00:27:10.800 --> 00:27:15.740 A third felt sorry for the Archduke's wife, and did nothing. 381 00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:20.340 A fourth lost his nerve and slipped home. 382 00:27:21.400 --> 00:27:25.334 Franz Ferdinand decided to cancel existing plans, which 383 00:27:25.400 --> 00:27:27.694 called for his motorcade to maneuver through winding 384 00:27:27.760 --> 00:27:29.340 alleys on the way to the museum. 385 00:27:30.120 --> 00:27:31.894 After the stop at the town hall for 386 00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:34.854 a reception and speeches, he insisted on driving 387 00:27:34.920 --> 00:27:37.654 to hospital to visit Colonel Medici, who'd been 388 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:39.500 likely wounded in the bombing attack. 389 00:27:40.440 --> 00:27:46.174 The driver in the lead car was not told of the change in plans, and turned 390 00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:47.980 off the main road toward the museum. 391 00:27:49.120 --> 00:27:52.374 When the mistake was realized, the Archduke's driver 392 00:27:52.440 --> 00:27:57.020 halted his car to consider how best to get back on the route to hospital. 393 00:27:57.760 --> 00:28:03.100 Meanwhile, they sat motionless less than five feet from the dejected Princip. 394 00:28:03.720 --> 00:28:06.460 He was astonished at his sudden good fortune. 395 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:08.700 He quickly seized his chance. 396 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:11.100 He reached for a bomb in his pocket, 397 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:14.734 but became aware that hemmed in by the crowd, he could not swing his arm to 398 00:28:14.800 --> 00:28:19.414 toss it at his target, so he pulled out his pistol and fired two shots at 399 00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:20.500 point-blank range. 400 00:28:21.080 --> 00:28:23.760 His first shot hit the Archduke in the jugular. 401 00:28:24.360 --> 00:28:26.374 His second caught the Duchess in the abdomen 402 00:28:26.440 --> 00:28:28.540 as she was rising to her husband's aid. 403 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:33.694 Princip then turned the revolver on himself, but 404 00:28:33.760 --> 00:28:37.620 was prevented from firing it by a bystander who hurled him to the ground. 405 00:28:38.760 --> 00:28:41.574 Confusion erupted as the crowd and nearby police 406 00:28:41.640 --> 00:28:43.900 battled one another to get the boyish assassin. 407 00:28:45.120 --> 00:28:49.694 Princip tried once again to kill himself, reaching 408 00:28:49.760 --> 00:28:52.720 into his pocket to remove the capsule and swallow. 409 00:28:53.560 --> 00:28:56.980 The poison was old and only made the assassin vomit. 410 00:28:57.920 --> 00:29:01.140 The mob closed in about him and began to beat him. 411 00:29:02.040 --> 00:29:04.520 Eventually, the police wrestled him away from the crowd. 412 00:29:05.280 --> 00:29:07.700 Meanwhile, the limousine sped off to seek help. 413 00:29:08.600 --> 00:29:11.374 Sophie dear, Sophie dear, don't die, stay alive 414 00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:13.980 for our children, Franz Ferdinand called out. 415 00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:17.820 The first shot was fired around 10.30. 416 00:29:18.760 --> 00:29:21.974 Sophie passed away at roughly 10.45, with 417 00:29:22.040 --> 00:29:24.980 the Archduke following soon after around 11. 418 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:28.020 It was far from nothing. 419 00:29:42.080 --> 00:29:44.334 If the murders in Sarajevo had occurred even 420 00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:46.974 a century earlier, it would have taken weeks 421 00:29:47.040 --> 00:29:50.860 or months for word to reach distant corners of the world. 422 00:29:51.760 --> 00:29:55.374 The consequences could have been entirely different, but 423 00:29:55.440 --> 00:29:56.860 technology had changed that. 424 00:29:57.920 --> 00:30:01.460 Foreign officials around the globe learned of the shooting almost immediately. 425 00:30:02.520 --> 00:30:04.734 In Germany, the Kaiser was informed of the 426 00:30:04.800 --> 00:30:08.620 assassination while racing in a regatta aboard his yacht, Meteor. 427 00:30:09.800 --> 00:30:12.180 Wilhelm decided to return to Berlin immediately. 428 00:30:13.080 --> 00:30:16.214 In England, the outrage, as the assassinations were 429 00:30:16.280 --> 00:30:19.094 called, dominated the foreign coverage in the morning 430 00:30:19.160 --> 00:30:22.180 edition of the London Times. 431 00:30:23.200 --> 00:30:26.454 In France, however, at the first cabinet meeting 432 00:30:26.520 --> 00:30:30.180 following the murders, the killings were scarcely mentioned. 433 00:30:31.160 --> 00:30:34.734 In fact, across Europe's capitals, the reaction to 434 00:30:34.800 --> 00:30:36.814 the assassination of the heir to the Habsburg 435 00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:41.060 throne was shockingly calm, even indifferent. 436 00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:46.860 The truth was that few in Austria-Hungary mourned Franz Ferdinand's death. 437 00:30:47.640 --> 00:30:50.054 While the leaders of the dual monarchy expressed 438 00:30:50.120 --> 00:30:53.094 regret over the killing of royalty, they saw 439 00:30:53.160 --> 00:30:57.020 the Archduke's removal as the least mourned choice among the royal family. 440 00:30:57.880 --> 00:31:01.014 Of course, as heir to the throne, Franz 441 00:31:01.080 --> 00:31:03.214 Ferdinand was second only to the Emperor in 442 00:31:03.280 --> 00:31:05.300 importance within the Habsburg Empire. 443 00:31:06.240 --> 00:31:09.574 But by murdering him, Serbian terrorists had issued 444 00:31:09.640 --> 00:31:12.620 a direct challenge to the Empire's very existence. 445 00:31:13.360 --> 00:31:18.100 If Austria-Hungary failed to respond, it would risk losing its authority. 446 00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:23.700 Yet this was not the primary motivation for Austria's desire to destroy Serbia. 447 00:31:24.440 --> 00:31:26.854 The Habsburgs had long sought to eliminate Serbia 448 00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:30.214 as a threat and the killings merely provided the pretext. 449 00:31:36.520 --> 00:31:38.974 Before the assassination, Austria had already been looking 450 00:31:39.040 --> 00:31:41.720 for a reason to assert its dominance over Serbia. 451 00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:46.380 The murders gave Vienna an excuse to act, not the cause. 452 00:31:47.120 --> 00:31:50.134 Austria-Hungary saw the Austro-Serbian confrontation as 453 00:31:50.200 --> 00:31:52.854 a golden opportunity to solidify its power in 454 00:31:52.920 --> 00:31:57.340 Europe, achieve global status, weaken the Entente powers, 455 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:01.534 hinder Russian modernization, and eliminate the threat Serbia 456 00:32:01.600 --> 00:32:03.734 posed to its authority in the Balkans. 457 00:32:08.840 --> 00:32:12.140 The German ambassador to the dual monarchy reported to the Kaiser. 458 00:32:13.360 --> 00:32:16.734 Canberto, the Austro-Hungarian foreign minister, told me 459 00:32:16.800 --> 00:32:18.814 today that everything pointed to the fact that 460 00:32:18.880 --> 00:32:20.534 the threads of the conspiracy to which the 461 00:32:20.600 --> 00:32:24.140 Archduke fell a sacrifice together at Belgrade. 462 00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:27.814 I frequently hear expressed in Vienna, even among 463 00:32:27.880 --> 00:32:30.574 serious people, the wish that at last a 464 00:32:30.640 --> 00:32:34.380 final and fundamental reckoning should be had with the Serbs. 465 00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:43.700 The Kaiser wrote in the margin of his report, now or never. 466 00:32:44.560 --> 00:32:48.940 Four days later, on July 6th, he sent a message to the Austrian emperor. 467 00:32:50.320 --> 00:32:53.454 The emperor Franz Josef may rest assured that 468 00:32:53.520 --> 00:32:56.374 his majesty will faithfully stand by Austria-Hungary 469 00:32:56.440 --> 00:32:59.134 as is required by the obligations of his 470 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:01.814 alliance and of his ancient friendship. 471 00:33:07.840 --> 00:33:10.260 And with that, on the very same day, 472 00:33:10.560 --> 00:33:12.294 the Kaiser set off on a summer cruise 473 00:33:12.360 --> 00:33:14.780 aboard the royal yacht in Scandinavian waters. 474 00:33:15.600 --> 00:33:18.534 While Europe continued to enjoy its idyllic summer 475 00:33:18.600 --> 00:33:21.734 vacation, Austria moved forward to cash in on 476 00:33:21.800 --> 00:33:24.860 Germany's blank check for unconditional support against Serbia. 477 00:33:25.840 --> 00:33:29.374 After securing Germany's backing 25 days after the 478 00:33:29.440 --> 00:33:34.214 Archduke's assassination, Austria issued a 10-point ultimatum to Serbia. 479 00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:44.734 Throughout July, Germany's top military leaders, along with 480 00:33:44.800 --> 00:33:48.520 the Kaiser, Chancellor and Foreign Secretary, were all on leave. 481 00:33:51.080 --> 00:33:52.934 Once the Austrians had set a firm date 482 00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:56.880 for their ultimatum, Berlin discreetly called its leaders back. 483 00:33:57.560 --> 00:34:02.540 They returned starting on July 23rd, one by one, to avoid drawing attention. 484 00:34:03.400 --> 00:34:06.820 After their return, the debate over the next steps began. 485 00:34:07.680 --> 00:34:09.774 Among those engaged in discussions on the fate 486 00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:13.694 of war and peace were Germany's key military 487 00:34:13.760 --> 00:34:17.574 figures, Chief of Staff von Moltke, War Minister 488 00:34:17.640 --> 00:34:21.100 von Falkenhayn and Military Cabinet Chief von Linke, 489 00:34:21.560 --> 00:34:23.660 along with several other important officials. 490 00:34:27.600 --> 00:34:31.294 For Moltke, the debates were particularly frustrating, both 491 00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:33.854 because civilian leaders did not share his perspective 492 00:34:33.920 --> 00:34:37.460 or objectives, and because they lacked the knowledge he had. 493 00:34:41.160 --> 00:34:43.814 A Saxon officer speaking with Moltke's deputy on 494 00:34:43.880 --> 00:34:46.494 July 23rd noted that he got the sense 495 00:34:46.560 --> 00:34:50.260 the General Staff would welcome the outbreak of war at this moment. 496 00:34:53.360 --> 00:34:55.540 Moltke did not fear Russian mobilization. 497 00:34:56.160 --> 00:34:57.460 He actively sought it. 498 00:34:58.320 --> 00:35:02.060 He understood more than most that time was running out for Germany. 499 00:35:02.520 --> 00:35:05.940 Germany was committed to following Moltke's grand strategy, 500 00:35:06.280 --> 00:35:08.180 a plan that few were fully aware of. 501 00:35:12.200 --> 00:35:16.334 The Kaiser, Falkenhayn, and until July 31st, the 502 00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:19.340 German Chancellor Bethmann, were kept in the dark. 503 00:35:20.440 --> 00:35:22.374 None of them knew that Moltke had already 504 00:35:22.440 --> 00:35:25.534 set his plan for Germany's opening moves in the war into motion. 505 00:35:39.880 --> 00:35:43.654 On July 25th, Serbia accepted nine of Austria's 506 00:35:43.720 --> 00:35:46.414 ten points, but rejected in part the demand 507 00:35:46.480 --> 00:35:48.654 that Austrian officials be involved in the investigation 508 00:35:48.720 --> 00:35:52.700 of the assassination, seeing it as an infringement on its sovereignty. 509 00:35:53.720 --> 00:35:57.520 On the same day, Serbia also mobilized its army. 510 00:35:58.200 --> 00:36:02.134 Russia confirmed partial mobilization on July 26th, entering 511 00:36:02.200 --> 00:36:04.100 a phase of preparation for war. 512 00:36:05.240 --> 00:36:08.100 Austria responded by mobilizing that same day. 513 00:36:09.000 --> 00:36:13.660 Then on July 28th, the dual monarchy declared war on Serbia. 514 00:36:14.720 --> 00:36:16.734 Up to this point, it might still have 515 00:36:16.800 --> 00:36:20.014 been possible to localize the conflict, but Germany 516 00:36:20.080 --> 00:36:24.254 continued to take an uncompromising stance, escalating tensions 517 00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:26.980 and internationalizing the crisis. 518 00:36:27.960 --> 00:36:32.014 On July 29th, Germany demanded that Russia immediately 519 00:36:32.080 --> 00:36:34.060 halt its preparations for war. 520 00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:38.700 Failure to comply would result in Germany mobilizing its own army. 521 00:36:39.840 --> 00:36:43.780 The German Imperial Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, 522 00:36:44.240 --> 00:36:47.980 instructed the ambassador in St. Petersburg to deliver this message. 523 00:36:49.680 --> 00:36:52.214 Kindly call attention to the fact that further 524 00:36:52.280 --> 00:36:56.900 confirmation of Russia's mobilization measures would force us to mobilize. 525 00:36:57.640 --> 00:37:02.020 And in that case, a European war could scarcely be prevented. 526 00:37:06.840 --> 00:37:09.174 Russia could not afford to passively accept the 527 00:37:09.240 --> 00:37:12.214 erosion of Serbian sovereignty or the growing influence 528 00:37:12.280 --> 00:37:14.900 of Austria in Eastern and Southeastern Europe. 529 00:37:15.960 --> 00:37:19.174 As a result, on July 30th, Russia ordered 530 00:37:19.240 --> 00:37:22.340 a general mobilization in support of Serbia. 531 00:37:23.160 --> 00:37:26.814 Russian mobilization began the following day, but it 532 00:37:26.880 --> 00:37:29.420 was not necessarily an immediate step towards war. 533 00:37:30.280 --> 00:37:32.614 The Russian forces could, if needed, have remained 534 00:37:32.680 --> 00:37:36.620 on their own territory for weeks while diplomatic negotiations continued. 535 00:37:37.480 --> 00:37:40.100 Germany's actions escalated the tension. 536 00:37:40.840 --> 00:37:44.454 At 1.45 p.m. on July 31st, 537 00:37:44.520 --> 00:37:48.160 Germany issued a proclamation signaling the threat of war. 538 00:37:48.760 --> 00:37:50.814 By 3.30 p.m., the German government 539 00:37:50.880 --> 00:37:54.860 addressed both Russia and France, presenting Russia with an ultimatum. 540 00:37:55.800 --> 00:38:01.294 Unless Russia demobilized within 12 hours, Germany would 541 00:38:01.360 --> 00:38:03.060 fully mobilize its forces. 542 00:38:04.120 --> 00:38:06.854 The German ambassador in Paris was instructed that 543 00:38:06.920 --> 00:38:10.174 mobilization equated to war, and France was asked 544 00:38:10.240 --> 00:38:12.300 to provide guarantees of neutrality. 545 00:38:13.160 --> 00:38:15.940 Events were spiraling quickly beyond control. 546 00:38:16.800 --> 00:38:20.940 When Russia did not respond, Germany ordered a full mobilization. 547 00:38:21.600 --> 00:38:22.620 Time was running out. 548 00:38:23.360 --> 00:38:25.574 In each country, mobilization marked the point at 549 00:38:25.640 --> 00:38:27.460 which war plans were set into motion. 550 00:38:30.680 --> 00:38:32.860 Nowhere was this more evident than in Germany, 551 00:38:33.040 --> 00:38:36.260 where the nation had become a prisoner of its own military strategy. 552 00:38:37.680 --> 00:38:41.534 The Schlieffen Plan, initially conceived in 1897 and 553 00:38:41.600 --> 00:38:44.780 revised in 1905 by Count Alfred von Schlieffen, 554 00:38:45.240 --> 00:38:47.854 then chief of the German general staff, was 555 00:38:47.920 --> 00:38:50.854 designed to address the nightmare scenario of fighting 556 00:38:50.920 --> 00:38:53.760 a two-front war against both Russia and France. 557 00:38:54.720 --> 00:38:57.334 Schlieffen's primary goal had been to create a 558 00:38:57.400 --> 00:39:01.340 strategy that allowed Germany to confront this challenge head-on. 559 00:39:02.440 --> 00:39:04.974 While it offered a potential solution, the plan 560 00:39:05.040 --> 00:39:08.174 inadvertently reduced the army's anxiety about a two 561 00:39:08.240 --> 00:39:11.574 front war, thus emboldening its willingness to take 562 00:39:11.640 --> 00:39:14.180 the risks associated with such a conflict. 563 00:39:14.720 --> 00:39:16.694 Schlieffen calculated that in the event of a 564 00:39:16.760 --> 00:39:19.374 war with both France and Russia, Russia would 565 00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:22.414 take longer to mobilize, giving Germany a crucial 566 00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:25.694 window of approximately six weeks to quickly defeat 567 00:39:25.760 --> 00:39:27.460 France through a massive offensive. 568 00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:30.654 Once France was subdued, Germany could then shift 569 00:39:30.720 --> 00:39:34.620 the majority of its forces to the east to counter the Russian advance. 570 00:39:35.800 --> 00:39:38.454 However, a significant concern was that the heavily 571 00:39:38.520 --> 00:39:42.254 fortified defenses along France's northeastern border could delay 572 00:39:42.320 --> 00:39:45.340 the rapid execution of the western campaign. 573 00:39:46.120 --> 00:39:49.334 To overcome this, Schlieffen decided that German forces 574 00:39:49.400 --> 00:39:51.654 must cross a small strip of Dutch territory 575 00:39:51.720 --> 00:39:55.780 and then push through Belgium, disregarding its neutrality, 576 00:39:56.160 --> 00:39:58.500 before driving into northwestern France. 577 00:39:59.280 --> 00:40:02.614 The plan gave particular importance to five armies 578 00:40:02.680 --> 00:40:07.340 positioned between Metz and Holland, comprising a total of 35 corps. 579 00:40:08.200 --> 00:40:10.774 These forces, stationed on the far right of 580 00:40:10.840 --> 00:40:13.894 the offensive, were tasked with executing a massive 581 00:40:13.960 --> 00:40:18.160 encirclement, with one army maneuvering around Paris's western flank. 582 00:40:18.800 --> 00:40:20.814 The aim was to trap the French armies 583 00:40:20.880 --> 00:40:23.740 from behind, forcing them against their own frontier. 584 00:40:24.840 --> 00:40:28.420 Colonel General Helmuth von Moltke, who succeeded Schlieffen, 585 00:40:28.800 --> 00:40:31.494 made several significant adjustments to the original plan 586 00:40:31.560 --> 00:40:33.860 between 1906 and 1914. 587 00:40:34.840 --> 00:40:37.220 Though he was a meticulous and thorough officer, 588 00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:40.334 Moltke was also introspective and struggled with periods 589 00:40:40.400 --> 00:40:41.740 of low self-confidence. 590 00:40:43.120 --> 00:40:46.294 His modifications included weakening the right flank and 591 00:40:46.360 --> 00:40:48.780 abandoning the planned advance through Holland. 592 00:40:49.720 --> 00:40:54.540 These changes, in hindsight, would prove to be critical missteps. 593 00:40:57.560 --> 00:41:00.974 On the 1st of August 1914, Germany could 594 00:41:01.040 --> 00:41:06.180 wait no longer for a response from Tsar Nicholas II and declared war on Russia. 595 00:41:07.240 --> 00:41:09.934 In keeping with her alliance with Russia, France 596 00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:14.300 mobilized her forces, triggering the complex web of European alliances. 597 00:41:15.440 --> 00:41:18.134 On the 2nd of August, Germany presented Belgium 598 00:41:18.200 --> 00:41:22.020 with an ultimatum, demanding the right to pass through her territory. 599 00:41:23.000 --> 00:41:25.180 The Belgians quickly rejected the request. 600 00:41:25.960 --> 00:41:29.100 The following day, Germany declared war on France, 601 00:41:29.320 --> 00:41:33.400 and France reciprocated with her own declaration of war. 602 00:41:34.520 --> 00:41:39.420 Early on the 4th of August, German forces crossed the Belgian frontier. 603 00:41:40.480 --> 00:41:44.140 The strength of the German forces on this front was formidable. 604 00:41:45.200 --> 00:41:48.614 Colonel General Alexander von Kluck's 1st Army, stationed 605 00:41:48.680 --> 00:41:52.860 on the extreme right, numbered 320,000 troops. 606 00:41:54.080 --> 00:41:56.934 The neighboring 2nd Army, under Colonel General Karl 607 00:41:57.000 --> 00:42:03.534 von Bülow, and the 3rd Army, led by General Max von Hausen, counted 260,000 and 608 00:42:03.600 --> 00:42:05.620 180,000 men, respectively. 609 00:42:06.560 --> 00:42:08.814 The invasion of Belgium brought the final major 610 00:42:08.880 --> 00:42:11.220 power into the conflict, Great Britain. 611 00:42:12.280 --> 00:42:15.094 I ask the House, from the point of 612 00:42:15.160 --> 00:42:19.540 view of British interests, to consider what may be at stake. 613 00:42:20.600 --> 00:42:26.054 If France is beaten to her knees, if in a crisis like this we run away 614 00:42:26.120 --> 00:42:29.334 from obligations of honor and interest as regards 615 00:42:29.400 --> 00:42:33.214 the Belgian Treaty, we should, I believe, sacrifice 616 00:42:33.280 --> 00:42:37.134 our respect and good name and reputation before 617 00:42:37.200 --> 00:42:39.934 the world, and should not escape the most 618 00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:42.900 serious and grave economic consequences. 619 00:42:49.000 --> 00:42:54.214 God grant we may not have a European war thrust upon us, and for such a 620 00:42:54.280 --> 00:42:55.820 stupid reason too. 621 00:42:56.800 --> 00:43:02.974 No, I don't mean stupid, but to have to go to war on account of tiresome 622 00:43:03.040 --> 00:43:05.580 Serbia beggars belief. 623 00:43:09.560 --> 00:43:12.334 Britain had no formal military agreement with France 624 00:43:12.400 --> 00:43:14.534 and Russia, but was bound by a treaty 625 00:43:14.600 --> 00:43:17.580 from 1839 to guarantee Belgium's neutrality. 626 00:43:23.480 --> 00:43:25.140 The moment had arrived. 627 00:43:28.200 --> 00:43:31.180 At 11 p.m. on August 4th, 1914, 628 00:43:31.680 --> 00:43:34.260 the last summer of the old world came to an end. 629 00:43:35.160 --> 00:43:38.014 Standing on the balcony of his residence, British 630 00:43:38.080 --> 00:43:40.654 Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Gray watched as the 631 00:43:40.720 --> 00:43:42.740 lamplighters moved along the street below. 632 00:43:45.920 --> 00:43:49.180 The lamps are going out all over Europe. 633 00:43:49.960 --> 00:43:53.414 We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.