July 1914: Countdown to War

In July 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand set off a chain of events that ultimately led to World War I, a conflict that would reshape history. Historian Sean McMeekin explores how a small group of European leaders, driven by ambition and miscalculation, swifted Europe toward war, revealing surprising new evidence that complicates traditional narratives. This revolutionary account traces the tense month from the assassination to Britain’s entry into the war, highlighting the pivotal decisions of key figures that changed the course of the twentieth century.