6 Key Steps to World War One

The First World War began in the summer of 1914, shortly after the assassination of Austria’s Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, and lasted more than four years, ending in 1918. The Great War left more than 20 million soldiers dead and 21 million more wounded, which can be attributed to trench warfare and the number of countries involved in the war.
From European expansion in the late-19th and early-20th century, to the blank cheque assurance given to the Austro-Hungarian empire by Germany, Dan Snow explains the key events that led up to the "war to end all wars".
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#historyhit #worldwarone #ww1 #dansnow

[@paultittensor6672]

I think Blackadder said it best - "it was just too much trouble not to have a war"

[@bluedragontoybash2463]

The plan was so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel !

[@rayeasom]

Blackadder was correct. It was easier to just have a playground scrap to sort out the problems than it was to sort them out diplomatically. No leader wanted to be seen as weak by backing down or making compromises so war it was.

[@rayeasom]

@@bluedragontoybash2463or a fox.

[@anandhb2584]

Now there captain Darling!

[@woodrowpreacely7521]

Heh heh Sean the Irish Bastard! First couple seasons of that show wuz hilarious.

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

“Europe was divided into two blocs, each acting as the other’s deterrent…” “But this is sort of a war, isn’t it Sir?” “Well there was a tiny flaw in the plan Baldrick… ….it was böllocks”

[@cogtroper]

If only Archie wasn’t so famished…

[@Trebor74]

It was only mad doctrine without the wmds. And that only works if both sides don't think they can win.

[@shelleyhender8537]

Great to see Dan interview his aunt…both good historians in their own right! Canada is grateful to have both represent us!🇨🇦☺🇨🇦

[@dh7314]

Wait, so when did Franz Ferdinand form the band?

[@martinconnors5195]

No. He was the Archduke that was shot dead alongside his wife.

[@54032Zepol]

He literally told his assassin to take him out as in a spiteful reply to him seeing the gun.

[@onlyme219]

you girls will never know :)

[@richarthur3069]

What kind of music did the band; Erzherzog von Osterreich-Este play?

[@sten4982]

Dude you make me feel old now, I was doing kitchen work, smoking heaps weed being a cook when I used to listen to that band around 2010-11.😂

[@johnbulger8044]

Thanks Dan! This was an excellent concise summary of "the Great War", whose memory has been greatly overshadowed by WWII

[@karlkarlos3545]

I wished he hadn't left out inconvenient facts, like the Russian ambitions in the east or the French blank check to Russia. All in all old fashioned finger pointing towards Germany. I give it a B-.

[@Bernie4life4182]

My sophomore history teacher described the lead up to WW1 as MANIA M- Militarism A- Alliances N- Nationalism I- Imperialism A- Assassination

[@bluedragontoybash2463]

Assasination ? so it was Gavrilo Principe fault after all !

[@moonshot3159]

ur teacher is kinda cringe bruv

[@Bernie4life4182]

@@moonshot3159 Kinda like you right now

[@moonshot3159]

@@Bernie4life4182 opposite bruv

[@Bernie4life4182]

@@moonshot3159 Yea no

[@rmorine6394]

And thus, all this lunacy on the other side of the globe led to my 2X great uncle, a poor black sharecropper in Arkansas, being drafted. He died in France just weeks before the war ended. The movement around the globe due to the war also spread the influenza pandemic, which killed my great grandparents back home in Arkansas. Because of two gunshots and war-hungry leaders.

[@Trebor74]

It's also responsible for the American civil rights movement.

[@deano1018]

Great video, this taught me more than anything I learned about WWI in school. Thanks

[@submarinewahoo238]

I did not expect to see Margaret MacMillan here. I have her book Paris 1919 on my shelf and enjoyed her style of writing.

[@jackcrassus168]

You’d think it’d be over in 5 minutes, but it was actually close

[@npc1894]

Rip, legend

[@ivancertic5197]

One must have in mind that Princip didn't start the war, neither he ever thought about that. He was just a teenager in the moment of assassination, that grew up in a country occupied and colonised by Austrian empire. He was considering that Austrian prince symbolise their oppression, colonization, and brutality against native population, and wanted to fight ageinst that and for friedom. Tragically, he also accidentally shot princess, which he regretted deeply, as was testified on his trial. End result was success of his idea and goal - hundreds of years of Austrian and Hungarian occupation and colonisation of neighbouring people's (Czechs, Slovaks, Croats, Slovenes, Bosniaks etc.) brought to an end.

[@nadacalo9289]

Serbs,not Bosniaks

[@Scrooge1erAOA]

​@@nadacalo9289Bosnia was the annexed land so he is right

[@kr3586]

I could listen to Mr. Snow all day. In fact I've just done so. Thanks mate.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Super wonderful video working. that clearly counted and explained (indirect) factors that sparked WW1 . Thank you for your respectful 🙏 [ History Hit] channel and network page .for sharing this incredible historical coverage.

[@SunKing968]

Great job Dan!

[@user-cb9rm8lp4u]

Amazing how you get dilivered history in such detail and with such compassion all for free, thanks a lot!

[@AnDeNeef-iz6dw]

I have seen several films on this topic, but this one absolutely explains best the historical framework. Thank you Dan & team !

[@manningjackson2723]

Excellent video, thanks mate 👍

[@phyllisbennett7374]

Wow! What a great and insightful video. Thank you.

[@AvoidTheCadaver]

It does raise an interesting question. The Chinese had been fighting a civil war for years following the fall of the Qing empire then there was the Japanese invasion in the 20s. While the western powers were fighting WW1, China was going through its warlords period. Without the events of WW1 what would have become of the chinese mainland? Would Japan's invasion still have taken place? Would the nationalist forces have been able to rally the country and defeat the Japanese? Would the communists have been able to drive KMT to Taiwan? Certainly have made a massive change to what the country is like now

[@rodeastell3615]

Great video ... thanks to all concerned

[@nickharmer3049]

Absolutely brilliant. Thank you. 👊

[@terencenxumalo1159]

good work

[@Alan-db4mq]

Great video 👍

[@54mgtf22]

Hey Dan. Love your work 👍

[@Bang_Camaro]

Man this channel/Dan Snow is so good.

[@samrussell9875]

When's the next series coming out Dan?

[@jimcronin2043]

In both world wars Germany suffered greatly at having vastly overestimated the value of its major ally. They both turned out to be liabilities.

[@CrossOfBayonne]

And also it's freedoms taken away

[@bluedragontoybash2463]

never underestimate the cunningness of the Anglo Saxon

[@crapparc]

They likened it to being shackled to a corpse.

[@user-lc6ht4hj5c]

Nemcom vždy vládli vojnychiví agresori , Bismark , Hitler. Za "utrpenie" si Nemci môžu sami

[@annoyed707]

For a time, Germany's major ally was the Soviet Union.

[@jatzbethstappen9814]

Hilarious that KZbin thinks we "need" a historical context box for a video that is a documentary providing historical context!

[@jimwatson842]

Princip threw the match into the haystack. As Barbara Tuchman wrote, the weapons were already piled up “like jackstraws”.

[@Johnny-Joseph]

Fantastic

[@ian_b5518]

What in the hell is wrong with the graphics production. Bouncing zooms, images zipping on and off screen before my eyes can hardly focus. Made a visual pigs ear of what underneath is very interesting. If I could get a chance to focus.

[@brianfeely9239]

Superb summary. Can’t help but think of Blackadders opinion of the conflict.

[@MyBlueZed]

A very good episode! Fast paced and concise. Pretty sure you misquoted Bismarck’s “powerkeg” the first time though 😉

[@rayeasom]

Short answer NO. Long answer: the political and social issues in early 1900s Europe were many and complex. It was far easier to just have a war and settle the differences militarily than it was to sort out all the problems diplomatically. Unfortunately the war did not sort out the problems, they just exasperated them with the Treaty of Versailles creating massive social and economic turmoil in Germany which played a significant role in the rise of the Nazi party.

[@katherinecollins4685]

Really interesting

[@timdavies5219]

This is a good script but why spoil it by with all that switching and swooping and whooshing of the images? It's just irritating.

[@Johnny-Joseph]

Alright grandpa

[@densprangdedrangen]

I'm so happy that you involved the bit about Japan, this is often overlooked in history education in my country (Sweden), which makes it much harder for students to understand what led to Japan's involvement in WW2. :)

[@Trebor74]

Japan didn't really get anything out of Wwi.

[@AvoidTheCadaver]

@@Trebor74 It got the Germany territory of Qingdao on the Chinese mainland which made it a lot easier to gain a foothold on mainland China.

[@HVACSoldier]

@@AvoidTheCadaver True, but the UK and France made out like bandits, from WWI. Japan and Italy? Not so much. That’s one of the reasons that Mussolini got into power. It’s how the Japanese military came into power. They saw the military might of the UK and France, and said, “Me, too.”

[@robertschroeder9371]

If you haven't had an opportunity to visit the WWI museum in Kansas City, Missouri, I would strongly recommend it. A very well presented, and moving presentation of the lead up to the war, and the conditions it was fought, including mock ups of trenches, a massive walk in shell crater, and no-man's land.

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

Nope flat full of tornados and boring people

[@johnwright9372]

The Imperial War Museum in Kennington, London is vast. I also visited the Belgian War Museum in Brussels which is also huge.

[@patrickmiano7901]

The most disheartening irony is that Princip was spared the death penalty because he was under 21 at the time. As he lay dying of tuberculosis in his prison bed, I wonder if he had any regrets at all. He died seven months before the war ended. Many of the soldiers who were killed in the war his actions helped start were under 21 when they died.

[@TheDJMeyer85]

Honestly I find World War I more fascinating than WW2, both have incredible history (and both incredibly tragic) but something f about WW1 just grabs my attention more

[@lemon__j]

Interesting.

[@SK-lt1so]

Can you imagine if the conclusion was "it was all his fault"?

[@tomtaylor6163]

I’m American and the worst thing ever to happen to the World was Woodrow Wilson. He played all sides along with his Wall St pals until they realized that if England and France lost to Germany that they would lose all their fortunes. So they sided against Germany. Wilson was a Tyrant and he established many things which the world suffers from to this day. Ever hear of the Federal Reserve and their antics? You want a reason for the Great Depression and WW2? Wilson and his buddies caused all this

[@CrossOfBayonne]

Probably true although in an invertent way

[@Bernie4life4182]

Finally, someone else who blames Wilson for WW2!

[@beachboy13600]

Ah, like your thinking going to investigate. Thx

[@loislewis5229]

🧐

[@Historian212]

No one figure is to blame. A simple answer, in this case, is simplistic.

[@glennfolau6959]

Germany was considered the belligerent force, and most of the allies didn't want sanctions and punishment against Germany, however the French wanted Germany punished and to suffer. The resentment and hardship suffered by Germany smouldered for years, and we all know the outcome.

[@timwodzynski7234]

My great grandad served with The Royal Leicestershire Regiment on the Western Front.

[@nypdtarn]

What I have always found fascinating to think about with WW1 but yet I cannot find anything on is what the war looked like by the English Channel, how close were the front lines, did either side try amphibious assaults by boat, to try and take the enemy lines from behind, etc, how did it look were they tens of miles apart and did both sides just accept the status quo in that area etc

[@justjc51]

One event did not cause the war. I am happy to see that this is one of the conclusions that comes naturally from this video. Only thing I miss is a mention of the Baghdad railway(going there from Berlin) which some also think played role in how the new German empire was seen as a threat to the older empires. After all such a trade route could reduce the need to transport important raw materials(such as oil and coal) without the need for sea transport.

[@bdhaliwal24]

This should be required watching for all students of history. We’ll done.

[@Petrowsky14]

About time you got your aunt some screen time😂

[@-handala-]

Crazy that it’s Dan Snow’s great grand that lead the uk through all this.

[@incognitoomen7898]

Trench warfare is just the most brutal, bleak and depressing form of warfare in my opinion.

[@lunchymunchy2984]

Very interesting video… but what’s up with the editing?Fades and cuts like a 90s rave video… makes for a hard watch..

[@malizia63]

I like this analysis of the situation. Its done from a very much human ego perspective

[@manricobianchini5276]

No sound?

[@Scrooge1erAOA]

Before the assassination Konrad von Hoetzendorf asked the Austrian Kaiser over 20 times for war with Serbia. In a Nutshell if Austria wouldnt have annexed Bosnia after the people of the region kicked out the Ottomans there wouldn't have been an assassination.

[@hreader]

The trench warfare described here sounds so much like the current war in Ukraine. Will humanity NEVER learn?

[@petergilbert72]

I’m afraid there are too many inaccuracies in this account for me to watch to the end. I stopped half way. It’s entertaining though and the analysis makes good points.

[@JustBCWi]

Europe's Last Summer is perhaps the best book on the subject. The Emperor despised his crown prince, who was sympathetic to the Bosnians. When Ferdiand was murdered, he said, "thank God," and then saw this as an opportunity to be exploited to gain more territory.

[@francisebbecke2727]

Did Gavrilo Princip say, "Sorry, I didn't expect for everyone to get this upset?" OK, I know he didn't, but it would have been a good thing for him to say because he really did not expect for everyone to get that upset. It happened June 28, 1914. My mother was born two days later, June 30, 1914 in Snyder, Oklahoma.

[@mohammadnasrun1178]

For years Im much more fascinated by WW1 compare to WW2 even tho im not european. I can understand how and why WW2 is fought but i cant fathom the reason for WW1. Thanks for the explanation.

[@PiddyPat420]

9:30......thats sounds very similar to a country today......

[@unbindingfloyd]

All I can say is if all it took to destroy everything was a push the foundation must have been primed for collapse to begin with.

[@Malegys]

in 1914, The world was still stuck in the 19th century.

[@Theturtleowl]

Meanwhile, the Dutch: Gosh... I do hope they neighbours will keep it down.

[@judithsullivan9703]

I've seen several of these historical descriptions and have found them to be inadequate and incomplete. It's obvious this is a biased view of the history. I'm dropping this subscription and I certainly wouldn't pay for the expanded channel. I do happen to have an in-depth understanding of the causes of WWI and have an academic background in the subject. I'm extremely disappointed in the quality of the video.

[@varovaro1967]

Dont take it bad but you have the voice of Better Call Saul…. 😅

[@Dav1Gv]

As you would expect an excellent summary from Dan and his aunt. One point he didn't mention was that Bismarck had arranged a treaty between Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary. When expired Germany didn't bother to renew it so Russia and France drew togetther as Dan said. Was this the big mistake which led to the creation of the two alliances which certainly made more likely by increasing Germany's fears of being surrounded and resulted in the Schlieffen Plan which was a major cause of the war. Could one possibly say that Gen Potiorek's incompetent security in Sarajevo caused the war by enabling Princip to carry out the assassination? Could one say that the incompetence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire caused the war because they took so long to invade? A rapid invasion after the assassination might have localised the war but, of course, the Austro-Hungarians didn't do 'rapid'. Actually my own view is that the various countries didn't sleepwalk into war. They balanced the benefits of peace and war, loss of prestige etc but because the politicians (and some of the soldiers) didn't understand what modern war would be like they got the balance wrong so millions died.

[@beachboy13600]

I remember being in morning assembly at my English school back in the late 70s and singing hymns such as "onward Christian soldiers". They really do start you young.

[@dustylover100]

Isn't it ironic that some of the rules were related in some form were in countries who were enemies

[@Johnem-Love]

Wasn’t it the machinations of Conrad von Hötzendorf playing on the Emperor Franz Josef that spriraled an already ‘hot’ balkan situation (1912&13) explode into the Great War?

[@BigHenFor]

That was only the cherry on the cake. You need to look at the economic history as well as the geopolitical situation. A wise man said geopolitics is a poker game where everyone is lying. And the story of how the Great War came about is far more complex than is often understood.

[@drjones1736]

If their was any consequence, princip the person responsible for regicide was interviewed before he die in 1918 from the Spanish flu, was extremely regrettable about his actions and what they caused.

[@solomonkain]

Grim stuff. Yet history is doomed to repeat.

[@herzog1857]

Oh God, there are many inaccuracies in the video, especially regarding Serbia

[@brianford8493]

2 shots 2 kills....just sitting having a coffee after botching it the Archy boys driver gets confused and steers the wagon the wrong way.

[@oldtrkdrvr]

I think Franz Joseph deserves the biggest slice of the blame pie, but he was dead by then, so Wilhelm ll gets it. Nicolas ll was on the winning side, so he can't be blamed, so it all fell on Wilhelm.

[@slyasleep]

Neither Germany nor Austria-Hungary had a clear-cut vision of what a victorious peace would or should look like.

[@bluedragontoybash2463]

Germany and Austro-Hungary got trolled so bad by the Anglo Saxon

[@slyasleep]

Oh, they totally started that mess of their own volition. Nobody asked the Germans to drive away Russia, for example. That was all of their own making.

[@jamiejettwalker]

it seems so close to what is happening in Palestine & Isreal. Countries choosing sides, Russia with Hamas, Iran, Turkey, etc, The reluctant U.S., with Britain. Very scary

[@Russia-bullies]

Loved the caricatured map at 8:17.Britain had ceased to be a nation after 1801 & became a part of the UK then.There was no Turkey in WW1.The Turkish were then Turkish by race,only.Thanks for the good show,though.

[@gordonwilson1631]

The Industrial Revolution gave us the Military-Industrial Complex.

[@revpm69]

Don’t think the car carrying Franz Ferdinand had a reverse gear. It’s had to be pushed backwards.

[@GoodOlRoy]

The thumbnail looks like Shia LeBeouf right? I can’t be the only one thinking that

[@vincewhite5087]

Didn’t mentioned the heighten stress in Uk & German royal families

[@rbb9753]

Largely caused by the Kaiser’s deck shoes, according to Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook.

[@rb3872]

Japan wanted a Chinese Empire? Wait, what?!

[@williamrobinson7435]

Great! Thanks. What they missed out in MY education, on this, was the extent to which Princip was part of a large Serbian group. Nice one Dan and team! ⭐👍

[@Trebor74]

If i remember correctly,franz Joseph was not very well loked and was considered a bit of an idiot. Europe wasnt surprised when he was assassinated,and was surprised that it led to war. But tje prime agitation for that war was Germany,and its desire to be recognised as a major power and wanted its place in the sun. Considering Germany was only unified in 1870,it had defeated the french easily. It thought it would be jist as easily defeated the second time. Britain wouldn't go to war over belgium(even though both had signed a Belgian neutrality pact) so there was only russia to consider,amd russia was a mess

[@TheTom5150]

I wonder what would’ve happened if Germany could’ve approached France like they did the Soviet Union in 1939 with a non aggression pact. Thus they could’ve stayed out of Belgium and thus England would not of been obliged to get involved

[@tomhenry897]

France still mad about loosing in 1870

[@subliminaljuggernaut7278]

trouble is nobody wanted peace at that point. They believed it was the same world at the 1800 with limited warfare. politicians on all sides all believed the wars would last a few years, and casualties would be volunteer soldiers. they would give their rivals a bloody nose and acquire territories.

[@bluedragontoybash2463]

LOL No.. after losing Alsace Lorraine ?

[@sirmeowthelibrarycat]

🤔 A ‘Non-Aggression Pact’ that meant nothing to both Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia except to delay the war in Eastern Europe for two years.

[@tally1604]

Only if Germany was willing to return Alsace-Lorraine to France.

[@freneticness6927]

It started because a bloke called archie duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry.

[@matthewapsey4869]

The logical consequence of collectivism.

[@karlkarlos3545]

I wished he hadn't left out inconvenient facts, like the Russian ambitions in the east or the French blank check to Russia. All in all old fashioned finger pointing towards Germany. I give it a B-.

[@amish7657]

Cameroon was part of the German empire in 1914. It wasn’t part of the French empire.

[@padmelotus]

Crazy to think of Conglese troops fighting for Belgium, after Leopold had only just finished enslaving, mutilating, and damn near genociding them. What were they fighting for? Money. Promises of freedom?

[@slyasleep]

They should have all gone on a nice summer holiday.

[@sirmeowthelibrarycat]

🤔 Kaiser Wilhelm ll went on a sailing holiday to the Norwegian fjords in the summer of 1914 . . . !

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

Its no coincidence that you guys released this video because of the climate our modern world is in.

[@arturahmeti486]

Maybe WW1 and WW2 it's the same war and the only.

[@johnwright9372]

History is full of what ifs. The British Admiralty thought the Royal Navy should occupy Antwerp to threaten the German right flank, but there was no plan and the German Army advanced to quickly for anything to be done. The Royal Navy was dominant but it never had the mass armies which the continental nations did. Involvement in a European land war was a disaster.

[@slyasleep]

No WWI -> no Great Depression? Don‘t know about that…🧐

[@jaclynroth1440]

At what point (and I ask this naively and ignorant of what I don’t know) did all countries decide “cool the borders and land we have are good enough. These are forever what we are?” In other words. France doesn’t try to take over Belgium and US doesn’t try to claim Canada. Just asking - I wonder at what point we became fine with what we had.

[@badabing8884]

There was a tiny flaw in the plan: it was bollox!

[@christophermaclean8555]

If Italy had just stayed the course, we might not have had WW2. The central powers might have taken it.

[@pauls1883]

The key factor which turned a relatively simple “East Europe” war into a 4 year global bloodbath was the German High command’s overconfidence in the Schlieffen plan. If they had kept just a fraction of their army in Alsace Lorraine to mow down red trousered Frenchmen in droves (which actually DID happen in 1914) the bulk of their army and AH’s army could have made short order of the Russians in the east. The war would have been over by 1915. No Schlieffen plan means no Britain in the war, no Italy in the war and certainly no USA in the war. * pre-emptive face slap here for anyone who feels like using the old “Kiel Canal” chestnut 😂 that Britain “wanted” a war.