Der Weltkrieg, I. Band Die Vorgeschichte des Weltkrieges

This volume offers a concise yet thorough tour through the tangled web of diplomatic maneuvering that set Europe on the path to the Great War. The author walks listeners through the shifting alliances after Bismarck’s departure, the rise of the Triple Entente, and the competing ambitions of the great powers—France’s colonial hunger, Russia’s Balkan designs, Britain’s naval concerns, and Germany’s own strategic missteps. By detailing crises such as the Bosnian question, the Moroccan confrontations, and the two Balkan wars, the narrative reveals how each episode added pressure to an already fragile balance.

Interwoven with the broader geopolitical picture are insights into the role of rail projects, colonial negotiations, and personal diplomatic exchanges that believed peace still possible. The final sections examine the fateful summer of 1914, tracing the cascade of ultimatums and mobilizations that erupted into open conflict. Listeners will come away with a clearer sense of why the continent slipped from cautious diplomacy into full‑scale war.