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bfisher · 08-07-2014, 07:27 PM

Thanks, Lynx-lynx, for the comments on Sean McMeekin's "July 1914 Countdown to War" , I have this on my TBR and will certainly move it up in the queue; it sounds quite interesting.

I read Christopher Clark's "The Sleepwalkers" earlier this year. Clark did suggest that Russia and France did much to make the Balkan Crisis escalate into general war. In particular, he identified 1912 as the critical moment when Raymond Poincare, then Prime Minister and minister of foreign affairs, in a reversal of prior French policy, commited France to supporting Russia in the event of a war arising from an Austro-Serbian quarrel. By a continuation along those lines "by the spring of 1914, the Franco-Russian Alliance had constructed a geopolitical trigger along the Austro-Serbian frontier. They had tied the defence policy of three of the world's great powers to the uncertain fortunes of Europe's most violent and unstable region." - ie, a French "blank cheque" to Russia.

Has anyone read Thomas Otte's recently published "July Crisis: The World's Descent into War, Summer 1914"? I'm thinking about adding this to my TBR. It's supposed to have some quite interesting comments of the European leaders of 1914.

08-07-2014, 07:27 PM	#68
bfisher Wizard Posts: 1,638 Karma: 28483498 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Sony PRS-T3, Galaxy (Aldiko, Kobo app)	Thanks, Lynx-lynx, for the comments on Sean McMeekin's "July 1914 Countdown to War" , I have this on my TBR and will certainly move it up in the queue; it sounds quite interesting. I read Christopher Clark's "The Sleepwalkers" earlier this year. Clark did suggest that Russia and France did much to make the Balkan Crisis escalate into general war. In particular, he identified 1912 as the critical moment when Raymond Poincare, then Prime Minister and minister of foreign affairs, in a reversal of prior French policy, commited France to supporting Russia in the event of a war arising from an Austro-Serbian quarrel. By a continuation along those lines "by the spring of 1914, the Franco-Russian Alliance had constructed a geopolitical trigger along the Austro-Serbian frontier. They had tied the defence policy of three of the world's great powers to the uncertain fortunes of Europe's most violent and unstable region." - ie, a French "blank cheque" to Russia. Has anyone read Thomas Otte's recently published "July Crisis: The World's Descent into War, Summer 1914"? I'm thinking about adding this to my TBR. It's supposed to have some quite interesting comments of the European leaders of 1914.