Tans Lecture | How Europe Went to War in 1914 | Christopher Clark | 2014

The European continent was at peace on the morning of Sunday 28 June 1914, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie Chotek arrived at Sarajevo railway station. Thirty-seven days later, it was at war. In its complexity and swiftness of evolution, the “July Crisis” of 1914 is without parallel in world history. How was this rapid escalation possible? Why did an international system that had maintained continental peace for generations fail to prevent war in 1914? When did war become inevitable?

In this lecture, Christopher Clark revisits the century-old debate on the outbreak of the First World War, highlighting the complexity of a crisis that involved sudden changes in the international system, the entanglement of regional and continental tensions and rapid interactions between a plurality of great powers. Drawing on his own research and on recent trends in the historical literature, he proposes fresh perspectives on an old question.

Christopher Clark is Professor of Modern European History at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of St. Catharine’s College. His best-selling history of Prussia, Iron Kingdom. The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600 – 1947, won several prestigious prizes and its critical reception gave him a public profile that reached well beyond the academic world. His latest book is a study of the outbreak of the First World War: The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914.

[socratesgeorgekazolias]

The period is so complicated with so many actors with their own disabilities and idiosyncrasies that reading the book twice will still leave you confused, yet enlightened. As a former Grunt, I long ago learned to hate all those who send young men to war and show my respects to soldiers who fell on all sides. I share professor Clark's view that all players deserve much of the, (how should I put this?) Blame.

I appreciated Clark's answer on the Ukraine war although I could see he was walking on eggs, looking for the right words.

Margaret MacMillan adds to the mix of causes the failure of The Second International to live up to its internationalist, working class, ideals and fall back on nationalism.

It is a great and much needed book.

[rolandrothwell]

Brilliant lecture. Chris is a genius 👏

[thattimestampguy]

*Questions*
1:05:34 Blame vs Responsibility. (Uncommon Evil vs Common Misbehavior amongst many.)
"No single state is playing by a different rulebook than the others [before, during WWI]
1:09:00 No one in 1914 feared war enough, did not fear how bad it was going to be.
1:11:55 The War in Iraq & Syria, Turmoil in Middle East. 1:13:45 The Middle East has a combination of older and newer causes of the Turmoil.
1:14:27 Yugoslav War 1990s.
1:16:07 The Kosovo Question. Serbia, victims of history, WWI, WWII, Civil War in Serbia, Bombing of Belgrade. A Century of Trauma in Serbia 1900-2000. Complex Geopolitics, unresolved issues.
1:18:29 "The Winners Write The Peace"
Winners set the terms, harsh/fair/soft
1:22:15 Would Women's Rights have taken off if World War did not happen?
1:25:55 Discourse of Commemoration
1:30:00 Franco-Russian Alliance.

[awatsycamorefarmnearsiouxf]

At the beginning of each war, both sides usually claim it will be a short war

[margaretvan]

The Franco Prussian war and subsequent Alliance was the unfinished business. Also, the complete lack of interdependency among ALL European states due to dominant monarchical rule.
There were too many Entente arrangements which not all European countries knew of except when protecting their own interests.

[Gettingback]

Amazing lecture on an important phase of history. But the past is never dead. Current geopolitical is as fluid as was in 1914 only difference is way more advanced weapons. God bless our race

[jackbrunner]

Although the combatant countries claimed honor and coming to the defense of others as arguments for war, my cynical side thinks that they all were in it for their own selfish countries advantage.

I would like to hear lectures detailing why they couldn’t stop. Why did Wilson’s Peace without Victory plan not take hold? It was so obvious by the end of 1914 that it was futile.

[McIntyreBible]

40:31, Clark believes that the debate of WW1 is not stale, but fresh.

[OHz]

Where was this version of this lecture given. Sorry I didn’t hear or pick it up. It speaks volumes of these students who obviously speak English as a second language and are asking articulate /well reasoned questions. Ahha it’s the Netherlands- those wacky Dutch!

[NancyGerst]

What was the date of this lecture? Google synopsis says Nov 18, 2014, but the date on the video above is in June of 2022.

[joncheskin]

The overriding issue to me was the rising chaos in the Balkans and the coming modernization of the Russian military. This rendered the German and Austrian position more and more precarious, and so when an opportunity arose for them to start a preventative war when they thought that they still had an advantage, they took it. The gamble was not completely foolish, better execution of the Schlieffen Plan might have carried the day in a relatively short amount of time. Once defeated on the Marne, however, the war turned into a slow motion death spiral for the Central Powers.

[sliceofheaven]

The one student asking at 1:15:00 point if a conflict in Ukraine could cause potentially a world war is pretty astute. I really hope the answer to that question is a negative one in 2023.

[bigglesharrumpher]

I think Australia would rather have had the 60, 000 WW1 dead back, rather than have the war known as its 'coming of age' and 'baptism of fire'. Think of how many families and successes could have come if those dead had instead been permitted to live natural, productive, lives. Then there is the destructive effect on the survivors and their families, the PTSD, alcoholism, suicides and domestic violence and neglect. Goes for any war, really.

[ipattison]

a 'plop' is a human-recognised sound so cannot be inaudible.

[StoutProper]

1:33:48 A very prescient, analytical take on current events

[jeffersonwright]

Why isn’t Austria ever held responsible for the outbreak WWI?

[McIntyreBible]

21:29, details of the actual assassination.

[boombang]

'Our shadows will roam across Vienna, lingering in its courts and striking fear into the hearts of the nobility.' The Serbs have demonstrated to the world numerous times that regardless of a nation's size, it has the right to oppose an occupier, no matter how formidable, and to achieve liberation. This embodies the classic David versus Goliath narrative, symbolizing the spirit of freedom confronting an all-consuming empire. Hats off to Gavrilo, a man of PRINCIPle.

[KungFuHonky]

There was no blame assigned in the treaty of Versailles. Look at the so-called "war guilt clause" it just says the Germans pay for the damage they caused.

[kidmohair]

this needs more views.
Prof Clark has, to date, in my opinion, presented the most cogent and well thought out
synopsis of the causes of this most wide reaching conflict.
WW1 set up and initiated almost every, and I would dare to say,
*every* succeeding conflict, the human world has since had to endure.