Vienna

Professor Christopher Clark unpicks the complex sequence of events during the July Crisis, leading to outbreak of the First World War, from the perspective of the key centres of decision-making.

In 1914, Vienna was the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, ruled by the ancient Hapsburg dynasty.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne and, after his assassination in Sarajevo on the 28th June 1914, the Austro-Hungarian decision-makers met in Vienna to consider what course of action to take against Serbia.

In this programme, Professor Christopher Clark explores the mind-set inside the Austrian administration during the tense days of July 1914, where he says, a 'militant group think' seized hold of the decision-makers, bent on settling their old scores with Serbia.

Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 4