July 1914 by Sean McMeekin

Author:Sean McMeekin [McMeekin, Sean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780465056996
Publisher: Basic Books

Churchill, by sending this secret message without approval from the cabinet, had committed an act of insubordination. Yet his behavior was more honest about British intentions than that of Sir Edward Grey, who, against the logic of his own biased diplomacy, continued denying that such a thing as a Triple Entente existed. Grey’s desire for peace was genuine, but it was hardly helped along by his flimsy pose of neutrality.

Good intentions in diplomacy avail little without good intelligence. In his knowledge of Russian military preparations, Grey was two full days behind events, and falling further behind. France’s peace-minded premier, stuck on board the France, was no better off. Germany’s Ambassador Schoen was not wrong to inform Berlin that Viviani intended to influence Petersburg, but Bethmann was deeply mistaken if he really believed that the premier’s efforts would amount to anything. Viviani did succeed in getting one official message to his ambassador, Paléologue, on Monday, reaffirming France’s support for Russia in the current crisis—though adding, in a personal touch (this phrase was not in the original Quai d’Orsay draft), that she was offering this support “in the interests of general peace.”34 Whether or not this message was intended to stiffen or weaken Russia’s posture vis-à-vis Germany and Austria, it was certainly not going to convince Sazonov to rescind mobilization measures Russia had already taken, about which Viviani seems to have been just as oblivious as Grey.

On the German side, Kaiser Wilhelm II, as a result of Bethmann’s dithering, was also two or three days behind. He had seen the text of the Austrian ultimatum only on Sunday and had still not seen Serbia’s reply when he went to bed Monday night. All three men, though for different reasons, would dearly have loved to prevent the European war that now seemed imminent. The lack of up-to-date information rendered them impotent in the face of onrushing events.

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