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On the 20th of July 1914 the heads of state of two great European powers - France and Russia - met in St Petersburg. Little did they know, though they may have suspected, that the Austrians were simultaneously writing up an Ultimatum, and waiting for the departure of the French to hand it to Serbia. Russia, at that time a vast continental empire under the leadership of the conservative, nervous Tsar Nicholas II, posed a major threat to the Austrians. It had modernised quickly and was in a far more confident position than it had been ten years earlier. Moreover, it had invested interests in the Balkans - the axis of their grain reserves - and little sympathy for the Austrians and their assassinated Archduke. Meanwhile, France felt itself to be a country in decline, long the whipping boy of Europe, and threatened by Germany - the growing, encroaching industrial shadow on its border. The time had come to recover French prestige in the world, and a war in the Balkans, guaranteeing the intervention of their most useful ally, Russia, may have seemed the answer\u2026So it was that in the wake of their summit, both powers parted having cemented their alliance, eager to drive Britain into the conflict with them, and determined take a firm hand with whatever broke out in the Balkans. Three days later, Austria delivered its Ultimatum to Serbia...\n\nJoin Dominic and Tom as they discuss the intrigues and interests of the formidable Franco-Russian alliance, their historical relationship with the Austrians, and the part they played in bringing the apocalyptic First World War to fruition. Also, the moment that Austria-Hungary finally dealt Serbia its inflammatory Ultimatum, and their response to it. With time ticking, the thunder clouds of war were closing in.\n_______\n\nLIVE SHOWS\n\n*The Rest Is History BOOK TOUR*\nTo celebrate the launch of our second book, \u201cThe Rest Is History Returns\u201d, Dominic and Tom will be appearing onstage in both Oxford and Cambridge in September!\n\n*The Rest Is History LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall*\nTom and Dominic, accompanied by a live orchestra, take a deep dive into the lives and times of two of history\u2019s greatest composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.\n\n*The Rest Is History LIVE in the U.S.A.*\nIf you live in the States, we've got some great news: Tom and Dominic will be performing throughout America in November, with shows in San Francisco, L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Boston and New York.\xa0\n\nTickets on sale now at TheRestIsHistory.com\n_______\n\nTwitter:\n@TheRestHistory\n@holland_tom\n@dcsandbrook\n\nProducer: Theo Young-Smith\nAssistant Producer: Tabby Syrett\nExecutive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices