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.