logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2017
16m 48s

The Causes of World War 1

History Unplugged
About this episode
The reasons for the Great War go way beyond the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Learn about the causes of one of humanity's most vicious wars. 
Up next
Yesterday
Before the Cold War, Russia and America Were the Closest of Distant Friends
Nearly a century of Cold War tensions between the United States and Russia hide the incredibly close friendship that the two nations enjoyed before this period. From America’s colonial founding in the 1600s to the eve of World War One, the two distant nations relied on each other ... Show More
46m 31s
Jan 13
The Horrifying Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the Titanic of the Great Lakes
One of the worst nautical disasters in recent American history is the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. On November 10, 1975, the “storm of the century” threw 100 mile-per-hour winds and 50-foot waves on Lake Superior. The ship found itself at the worst possible place, at the ... Show More
48m 16s
Jan 8
Inside the Deadly German U-Boats That Brought Britain to Its Knees (But Were Deadlier for Their Own Crews)
Over the course of World War II, Germany’s submariners sank over three thousand Allied ships, nearly three-quarters of Allied shipping losses in all theaters of the war. Winston Churchill famously declared the only thing that truly frightened him during World War II was the U-boa ... Show More
41m 19s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2014
100 Years Ago Today
100 Years ago today Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian radical in Sarajevo. How did this event result in a war that would consume not just Europe but the World? In this episode we will talk about the situation in Europe in 1914 and the nations that would take ... Show More
23m 44s
Jul 2025
Beyond the trenches: a new take on WW1
When you think of the First World War, what springs to mind? Is it trench warfare? The myth that troops would be home by Christmas? Or perhaps the idea that the whole thing began because of the assassination of an Austro-Hungarian archduke? In this episode, we’re going beyond the ... Show More
42m 12s
Jun 2014
Month of Madness - Sarajevo
Prof Christopher Clark unpicks the complex sequence of events that led to the First World War. In the first programme, he travels to Sarajevo to tell the story of extraordinary chances that led to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. 
13m 41s
Jul 2024
467. The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Victim (Part 3)
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, as heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was one of the most important men in the world. But he was a lonely man, not helped by the fact that, in spite of custom and tradition, he had chosen for wife Sophie, an aristocrat who nonetheless was not noble eno ... Show More
58m 2s
Dec 2024
Revisited 10: The Anglo-German Naval Arms Race - The Approach of War
In which we discuss how the British and Germans approached the war, arms limitation treaties, and the growing budget crises of 1913. Contact sales@advertisecast.com to advertise on History of the Great War. History of the Great War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Le ... Show More
39m 4s
Apr 2020
2: The War to End All Wars
The First World War would cast a shadow over the next two decades, altering the course of nations. In this episode we discuss, in the briefest way I know how, the History of the Great War. Website Patreon Twitter Facebook Discord Email: historyofthesecondworldwar@outlook.com Lear ... Show More
26m 46s
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
Jul 2024
470. The Road to The Great War: The Kaiser’s Blank Cheque (Part 2)
In the wake of the cataclysmic assassination of Franz Ferdinand on the 28th of June 1914, in Austria, the long percolating question of what to do about Serbia, reached a climax. At last, they had been handed an opportunity to take decisive action. On Sunday 5th of July an emissar ... Show More
45m 8s
Oct 1
World War II: Part 1 - World War I
<p>World War II didn’t appear out of nowhere. Dr. Roy begins by going back to the 18th and 19th centuries, explaining how the rise of the British Empire, the exploitation of India, the discovery of oil, and the unification of Germany set the stage for catastrophe. Along the way, ... Show More
1h 50m
Jul 2024
468. The Murder of Franz Ferdinand: The Crime (Part 4)
Archduke Franz Ferdinand has arrived in Sarajevo for a military inspection, alongside his wife, Sophie, on the 28th of June 1914. Unbeknownst to them, six assassins, including Gavrilo Princip, line the route of the motorcade, from Sarajevo train station to the town hall. Having c ... Show More
1 h