Read July 1914: Countdown to War Online

Authors: Sean McMeekin

Tags: #World War I, #Europe, #International Relations, #20th Century, #Modern, #General, #Political Science, #Military, #History

July 1914: Countdown to War (58 page)

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2
. Cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 33 (emphasis added).

3
. Goschen to Grey (by private letter), undated but presumably 31 July 1914, no. 677 in BD, vol. 11.

4
. Goschen to Grey, 31 July 1914 (11:55
AM
), no. 337 in BD, vol. 11. This precisely dated dispatch confirms the gist of the conversation described in the longer letter, although with less detail.

5
. Pourtalès to Jagow, 31 July 1914 (10:20
AM
), received Berlin 11:40
AM
, no. 473 in DD, vol. 2.

6
. Details regarding
Kriegsgefahrzustand
in Albertini, vol. 3, 38; on the timing, see Fay, vol. 2, 523.

7
. Kaiser Wilhelm II, marginalia on Pourtalès to Jagow, 30 July 1914 (4:30
AM
), received Berlin 7:10
AM
, read by Kaiser at 7
PM
on 30 July 1914, no. 401 in DD, vol. 2.

8
. Willy to Nicky, 31 July 1914 (2:04
PM
), no. 480 in DD, vol. 3.

9
. Willy to King George V, 31 July 1914 (12:55
PM
), no. 477 in DD, vol. 2.

10
. Protocol of the meeting of the Prussian State Ministry on 30 July 1914, no. 456 in DD, vol. 2.

11
. Bethmann’s 31 July 1914 telegrams to his ambassadors comprise nos. 479, 488, 490–492 in DD, vol. 2 and vol. 3. The one to Schoen is no. 491, dispatched at 3:30
PM
. The ones to Petersburg, Rome, and London were sent between 3:10
PM
and 3:30
PM
. No. 479, to Tschirschky in Vienna, was sent a bit earlier (1:40
PM
), such that it mentioned everything but the twelve-hour deadline to Russia for compliance.

12
. Details in Marcus, 244, and Liaquat Ahamed,
Lords of Finance
, 29–30.

13
. Asquith, 31 July 1914, 138.

14
. Cited in Jannen Jr., 252.

15
. Grey to Bertie, 31 July 1914 (7:30
PM
), no. 352 in BD, vol. 11. “Tapped on the shoulder . . . beaten you after all”: cited in Marcus, 235–236.

16
. As noted by Jannen Jr., 253.

17
. Grey to Bertie, 31 July 1914, no. 367 in BD, vol. 11, 226–227. On Grey’s source as to Russian mobilization, see Albertini, vol. 3, 373.

18
. Grey to Bertie, 31 July 1914 (5:30
PM
), no. 348 in BD, vol. 11. “Unburdened himself”: cited in Jannen Jr., 254.

19
. McMeekin,
Berlin-Baghdad Express
, 107 and passim.

20
. On the French mobilization plan and how it intersected with the German one, see Schmidt, 343–344.

21
. Albertini, vol. 3, 67.

22
. Jules Cambon to Viviani, 31 July 1914 (2:17
PM
, received 3:30
PM
), no. 402 in DDF, ser. 3, vol. 11.

23
. On the dispute over whether Schoen specified that German mobilization was tantamount to war, see Albertini, vol. 3, 76–80.

24
. Viviani to Paléologue, 31 July 1914 (9/9:30
PM
), no. 438 in DDF, ser. 3, vol. 11; and, for Viviani’s promise to reply by 1
PM
on Saturday, Schoen to Jagow, 31 July 1914 (8:17
PM
, received 1 August 12:30
AM
), no. 528 in DD, vol. 3.

25
. Cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 91.

26
. Paléologue to Viviani, 31 July 1914 (10:43
AM
, received 8:30
PM
), in QO Autriche-Hongrie, vol. 32.

27
. Viviani to Paléologue, 31 July 1914 (9/9:30
PM
), no. 438 in DDF, ser. 3, vol. 11. For the point about decoding taking only a few minutes: Albertini, vol. 3, 89.

28
. Cited in Beatty, 244.

29
. Tuchman,
Proud Tower
, 461; for the details on the pistols, Berenson,
Trial of Madame Caillaux
, 242.

30
. Cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 87–88.

31
. Jannen Jr., 274. On the
Carnet
B: Tuchman, 108.

32
. Bertie to Grey, 1 August 1914 (1:10
AM
), no. 380 in BD, vol. 11.

33
. Bertie to Grey, 1 August 1914 (1:12
AM
), no. 382 in BD, vol. 11.

34
. Izvolsky to Sazonov, 1 August 1914 (1
AM
), cited in Albertini, vol. 2, 85.

35
. Cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 94–95.

36
. Fay, vol. 2, 518–519.

37
. Jules Cambon to Viviani, 31 July 1914 (2:17
PM
, received 3:30
PM
).

Notes to Chapter 22
      
“Now You Can Do What You Want”

1
. Cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 99–100.

2
. Barrère to Viviani, 31 August 1914, no. 411 in DDF, ser. 3, vol. 11.

3
. Cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 100.

4
. Viviani to Cambon, 31 July 1914, no. 338 in BD, vol. 11.

5
. Albertini, vol. 3, 379.

6
. Bethmann “communication,” as translated and passed on to the British Foreign Office, 31 July 1914, no. 372 in BD, vol. 11 (emphasis added).

7
. King George V to Tsar Nicholas II, passed on, Grey to Buchanan, 1 August 1914 (3:30
AM
), no. 384 in BD, vol. 11.

8
. Asquith, 1 August 1914, 140.

9
. Lichnowsky,
Heading for the Abyss
, 13, as compared to King George V to Tsar Nicholas II, 1 August 1914 (3:30
AM
).

10
. Albertini, vol. 3, 379.

11
. King George V to President Poincaré, no. 550 in DDF, ser. 3, vol. 11.

12
. Lichnowsky to Jagow, 1 August 1914 (11:14
AM
, received 4:23
PM
), no. 562 in DD, vol. 3, 66.

13
. Churchill, vol. 1, 229–230.

14
. Cited in Fromkin, 237–238. “Daemonic energy”: Morley on Churchill, cited in Tuchman, 113.

15
. Asquith, 1 August 1914, 140.

16
. Cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 388. For “whatever happened in Belgium”: cited in Tuchman, 113.

17
. Schoen to Jagow, 1 August 1914 (1:05
PM
, received 6:10
PM
), no. 571 in DD, vol. 3. For
Évidemment
: cited in Tuchman, 110.

18
. Viviani to ambassadors, 1 August 1914, no. 505 in DDF, ser. 3, vol. 11.

19
. Cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 103.

20
. Citations in ibid., vol. 3, 105.

21
. Cited in Tuchman, 110–111.

22
. Recouly, cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 107. “Packed to suffocation point”: cited in Marcus, 253. Other details: Tuchman, 110–111.

23
. Recouly/Messimy, cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 103.

24
. Pourtalès to Jagow, 1 August 1914, no. 536 in DD, vol. 3.

25
. Protocol of the Bundesrat, 1 August 1914 (morning), no. 553 in DD, vol. 3.

26
. Jagow to Pourtalès, 1 August 1914 (12:52
PM
), no. 542 in DD, vol. 3.

27
. Bethmann to Schoen, 1 August 1914 (1:05
PM
), no. 543 in DD, vol. 3.

28
. Bethmann, vol. 1, 165.

29
. Tirpitz, 290–291.

30
. Cited in Tuchman, 94.

31
. Zuber, 157.

32
. “Aufzeichnung Falkenhayns,” no. 1000a in Geiss, vol. 2.

33
. “Aufzeichnung Tirpitz,” no. 1000d in Geiss, vol. 2.

34
. Jannen Jr., 297.

35
. “Tagebucheintragung Lynckers,” no. 1000b in Geiss, vol. 2.

36
. “Aufzeichnung Moltkes,” no. 1000c in Geiss, vol. 2.

37
. Tuchman, 95.

38
. “Aufzeichnung Moltkes”; for the phone order, “Aufzeichnung Falkenhayns,” no. 1000a in Geiss, vol. 2, 556n4.

39
. “Aufzeichnung Tirpitz,” in Geiss, vol. 2.

40
. Kaiser Wilhelm II to King George V, no. 575 in DD, vol. 2.

41
. Bethmann to Lichnowsky, 1 August 1914 (7:15
PM
), no. 578 in DD, vol. 3.

42
. “Aufzeichnung Moltkes.”

43
. Lichnowsky to Jagow, 1 August 1914 (2:10
PM
, received Berlin 6:04
PM
, marked read by Kaiser Wilhelm II 8:30
PM
), no. 570 in DD, vol. 3. Champagne for everyone: Jannen Jr., 299.

44
. Jagow to Schoen, 1 August 1914 (8:45
PM
), no. 587 in DD, vol. 3.

45
. Nicky to Willy, 1 August 1914 (2:06
PM
, received Berlin 2:05
PM
), no. 546 in DD, vol. 3.

46
. Willy to Nicky, 1 August 1914 (9:45
PM
), no. 600 in DD, vol. 3.

47
. Schilling, 76–77; compare Sazonov, 212–213, and Pourtalès, 73–74.

48
. Pourtalès, 73–74.

49
. King George V to Kaiser Wilhelm II, 1 August 1914, no. 612 in DD, vol. 3.

50
. Bertie to Grey, 2 August 1914 (2:15
AM
), no. 453 in BD, vol. 11, responding to Grey to Bertie, 1 August 1914 (5:25
PM
), no. 419 in BD, vol. 11. For Grey mentioning the offer to an incredulous Paul Cambon: Grey to Bertie, 1 August 1914 (8:20
PM
), no. 426 in BD, vol. 11.

51
. “Aufzeichnung Moltkes.”

Notes to Chapter 23
      
Britain Wakes Up to the Danger

1
. Tirpitz minute, cited in Albertini, vol. 2, 195.

2
. Ibid. On Bethmann’s learning of the assault on Liège only on 31 July: Turner, “Schlieffen Plan,” 213.

3
. Bethmann to Wangenheim, 1 August 1914 (2:30
PM
), no. 547 in DD, vol. 3.

4
. Wangenheim to Bethmann, 1 August 1914 (12:20
PM
), no. 652 in DD, vol. 3.

5
. Bethmann to German consul in Luxembourg, 11:30
AM
, no. 640 in DD, vol. 3, and Eyschen’s reply to Bethmann and Jagow, 3 August 1914 (10:14
AM
), no. 730 in DD, vol. 3.

6
. Communication from French embassy, 2 August 1914 (4:40
PM
), no. 486 in BD, vol. 11.

7
. Jagow to Flotow, 2 August 1914 (4:35
PM
), no. 664 in DD, vol. 3, and, for French pilot being shot down, Lichnowsky to Tyrrell, 3 August 1914 (12:25
AM
), no. 539 (and enclosures) in BD, vol. 11.

8
. Cited in Tuchman, 121.

9
. Bertie to Grey, 1 August 1914 (12:30
PM
), no. 403 in BD, vol. 11. For analysis of what Poincaré must have known when he lied to Bertie, see Albertini, vol. 3, 112–117.

10
. Asquith, 2 August 1914, 146. For “she won’t do it..”: Grey, vol. 1, 327–328.

11
. Citations in Albertini, vol. 3, 401–402.

12
. Cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 399.

13
. Asquith, 2 August 1914, 146.

14
. Churchill, vol. 1, 232.

15
. Citations in Jannen Jr., 327–328.

16
. Morley,
Memorandum on Resignation
, 12–15.

17
. Cambon, cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 406–407.

18
. Morley,
Memorandum on Resignation.

19
. Cited in Albertini, vol. 3, 410.

20
. Cited in Jannen Jr., 332.

21
. Jagow to Below-Selaske, 29 July 1914 (to be opened later), no. 376 in DD, vol. 2.

22
. Citations in Tuchman, 130.

23
. Jagow to Below-Selaske, 2 August 1914 (6:55
PM
), and Below-Selaske back to Jagow, 3 August 1914 (3:05
AM
), no. 677 and 709 in DD, vol. 3.

24
. Belgian reply note in: Below-Selaske to Jagow, 3 August 1914 (12:55
PM
), no. 779 in DD, vol. 4.

Notes to Chapter 24
      
Sir Edward Grey’s Big Moment

1
. Lloyd George, vol. 1, 61.

2
. Lichnowsky to Jagow, 3 August 1914 (1:02
PM
), no. 764 in DD, vol. 4.

3
. Asquith, 3 August 1914, 148.

4
. Ibid. For the news confirming the German ultimatum, and Belgium’s refusal: Sir F. Villers to Sir Edward Grey (from Brussels), 3 August 1914 (9:31
AM
, received 10:55
AM
), no. 521 in BD, vol. 11.

BOOK: July 1914: Countdown to War
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