logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2014
13m 45s

Month of Madness - London

BBC Radio
About this episode

Professor Christopher Clark unpicks the complex sequence of events that led to WW1. Today, how British decision-makers reacted in the 'July Crisis' of 1914.

Up next
Jun 2015
USA: Isolationism
How did WW1 change America's place in the world? Jonathan Dimbleby presents a public debate from the US Library of Congress in Washington 
50m 1s
Jun 2015
Germany: The Waging of War
How did technological and industrial development revolutionise World War One? The tank, gas, flame throwers, Zeppelins were like nothing that had been experienced before. 
50m 4s
Jun 2015
Sarajevo: Nationalism
A century ago a shot rang out in Sarajevo which set the world on a path to war. How did the peace made after WW1 influence the ethnic conflicts in the region during the 1990s? 
50m 5s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2020
9. Causes of the First World War
Whose fault was it? Does the question even make sense? Are wars always somebody's "fault"? Was it really the first global war? And should Britain have fought, or stayed out? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
46m 7s
Jul 2024
472. The Road to The Great War: Britain's Fateful Choice (Part 4)
On the 24th of July 1914, in London, the Liberal British Cabinet met to hear the Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, read them the Ultimatum handed to Serbia by the Austro-Hungarian Empire the day before. The world held its breath, awaiting Serbia’s response. With Germany determi ... Show More
53m 45s
Jul 2024
469. The Road to The Great War: Countdown to Armageddon (Part 1)
By the end of July 1914, the world hovered on the edge of a cataclysmic world war; Austria was at war with Serbia, Russia with Germany, and an ultimatum had been handed to Belgium. The July crisis had resolved itself in the most calamitous way possible. But how did this state of ... Show More
48m 40s
Nov 2022
The Budget: Britain's Financial Crisis Explained
<p>Rising interest, cost of living crisis, energy prices at an all-time high- is Britain's precarious financial situation the fault of policymakers or global forces? On the day the chancellor reveals the Autumn budget Dan and Dr Charles Read, economic historian and fellow at the ... Show More
37m 28s
May 2024
The Atomic Bomb & Civil War Cigars: Greatest 'What Ifs' from History
<p>We think of history as a neat chain of predictable events; but what if the truth is far wilder than that? Today, we're talking about the pivotal forces of randomness and chance, and how tiny moments can change the course of our human story.</p><br><p>Dan is joined by Brian Kla ... Show More
29m 28s
Jun 2018
World War One at home
Professor Maggie Andrews, historical consultant on the BBC Radio 4 drama series Home Front, joins us to reveal how the First World War was affecting British civilian life as the conflict entered its closing stages Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn ... Show More
29m 7s
Oct 2013
The First World War and Richard III
Sir Max Hastings explores the origins and bloody outbreak of the First World War, while Philippa Langley and Michael Jones describe the discovery of Richard III's remains Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc ... Show More
1h 13m
Sep 2021
The Paris Peace Conference: everything you wanted to know
Professor David Stevenson answers listener questions on the 1919-20 conference that sought to resolve the aftermath of the First World War   In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, Professor David Stevenson explores the 1919–20 conference that sought to r ... Show More
1h 4m
Aug 2025
594. The First World War: The Invasion of Belgium (Part 1)
Following the declaration of war in 1914, how did the outbreak of the First World War unfold? What were the earliest military engagements of this terrible, totemic event? Who were its key political players and how did they respond? What was the attitude to the war in Germany? Wer ... Show More
1 h
Jul 2024
473. The Road to The Great War: The Tsar Chooses War (Part 5)
“We have been forced to draw the sword”. Following the expiry of Austria’s Ultimatum on Saturday 25th July 1914, the Kaiser and the Tsar - friends and cousins, long desirous of peace between their two nations - found themselves in a new and highly precarious situation. Even so, t ... Show More
55m 29s