Europe's Last Summer: Who Started the Great War in 1914?When war broke out in Europe in 1914, it surprised a European population enjoying the most beautiful summer in memory. For nearly a century since, historians have debated the causes of the war. Some have cited the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand; others have concluded it was unavoidable. In Europe’s Last Summer, David Fromkin provides a different answer: hostilities were commenced deliberately. In a riveting re-creation of the run-up to war, Fromkin shows how German generals, seeing war as inevitable, manipulated events to precipitate a conflict waged on their own terms. Moving deftly between diplomats, generals, and rulers across Europe, he makes the complex diplomatic negotiations accessible and immediate. Examining the actions of individuals amid larger historical forces, this is a gripping historical narrative and a dramatic reassessment of a key moment in the twentieth-century. |
Contents
17 | |
THE EASTERN QUESTION | 49 |
PART THREE DRIFTING TOWARD | 65 |
MACEDONIAOUT OF CONTROL | 67 |
AUSTRIAFIRST OFF THE MARK | 70 |
FRANCE AND GERMANY MAKE THEIR PLAY | 76 |
ITALY GRASPS THEN THE BALKANS DO TOO | 83 |
THE SLAVIC TIDE | 87 |
PART SEVEN COUNTDOWN | 199 |
SHOWDOWN IN BERLIN | 201 |
JULY 26 | 206 |
JULY 27 | 212 |
AUGUST 2 | 243 |
AUGUST 3 | 247 |
AUGUST 4 | 249 |
SHREDDING THE EVIDENCE | 251 |
Europe GOES TO THE BRINK | 94 |
MORE BALKAN TREMORS | 98 |
AN AMERICAN TRIES TO STOP IT | 104 |
PART FOUR MURDER | 111 |
THE LAST WALTZ | 113 |
IN THE LAND OF THE ASSASSINS | 118 |
THE RUSSIAN CONNECTION | 129 |
THE TERRORISTS STRIKE | 132 |
EUROPE YAWNS | 137 |
DISPOSING OF THE BODIES | 144 |
ROUNDING UP THE SUSPECTS | 146 |
PART FIVE TELLING LIES | 151 |
GERMANY SIGNS A BLANK CHECK | 153 |
THE GREAT DECEPTION | 162 |
BERCHTOLD RUNS OUT OF TIME | 168 |
THE SECRET IS KEPT | 170 |
PART SIX CRISIS | 173 |
THE FAIT IS NOT ACCOMPLI | 175 |
PRESENTING AN ULTIMATUM | 185 |
SERBIA MORE OR LESS ACCEPTS | 195 |
PART EIGHT THE MYSTERY SOLVED | 255 |
ASSEMBLING IN THE LIBRARY | 257 |
WHAT DID NOT HAPPEN | 259 |
THE KEY TO WHAT HAPPENED | 269 |
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT? | 276 |
WHO COULD HAVE PREVENTED IT? | 282 |
WHO STARTED IT? | 286 |
COULD IT HAPPEN AGAIN? | 292 |
SUMMING UP | 295 |
EPILOGUE | 297 |
AUSTRIAS WAR | 299 |
GERMANYS WAR | 303 |
The Austrian Note | 307 |
The Serbian Reply | 313 |
Who Was Who | 317 |
Notes | 319 |
331 | |
Acknowledgments | 337 |
339 | |
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Common terms and phrases
A. J. P. Taylor Albertini 1952 alliance ally Apis Archduke arms army asked Asquith assassination attack August Austria Austria-Hungary Austro-Hungarian Belgium Belgrade believed Berchtold Berghahn Berlin Bethmann Black Hand Bosnia Bosnia-Herzegovina Britain British cabinet cabled Caillaux Chancellor CHAPTER Churchill conflict Conrad crisis Czar decision declaration diplomatic Dual Monarchy emperor England Europe Europe's European powers Falkenhayn fight forces foreign minister foreign office France and Russia Franz Ferdinand Franz Joseph French Gavrilo Princip Geiss German ambassador German government Germany Germany's Hapsburg Empire Hartwig historians House Hungary Ibid Imperial and Royal Italy Jagow July July 25 June Kaiser Wilhelm knew later leaders London Luxemburg military mobilization Moltke Moltke's Narodna Odbrana nations naval Ottoman Pasic peace Petersburg political Prime Minister Princip question Royal Government Russia Sarajevo Sazonov Schlieffen secret Serbia Serbian Government Serbs Slavs Sophie territory tion Tirpitz told twentieth century ultimatum Vienna wanted weeks