An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

471. The Road to The Great War: The Austrian Ultimatum (Part 3)

July 18, 2024

Description

On the 20th of July 1914 the heads of state of two great European powers - France and Russia - met in St Petersburg. Little did they know, though they may have suspected, that the Austrians were...
Read more here

Books Referenced

Towards the Flame

Author: Dominic Lieven

Context:

Referenced as a brilliant book about Russia and the origins of the First World War, specifically discussing Russia's anxieties about the Ottoman Empire's naval expansion and control of the straits.

The Sleepwalkers

Author: Christopher Clark

Context:

Referenced multiple times for its analysis of Sazonov's diplomatic documents and his construction of an alternative narrative about the assassination, as well as discussion of the French-Russian alliance and the concept of a 'Balkan trigger' or 'tripwire'.