Thank you for listening to the rest is history. For weekly bonus episodes, ad free listening, early access to series, and membership of our much loved chat community, go to therestishistory.com and join the club that is the restishory.com. tom, we've got brilliant news for the listeners, haven't we? Because although we are going on a tour to the United States in the autumn, we're a patriotic podcast. So we didn't want to leave people in our own beloved country feeling neglected. So we'll be going to two very different and diverse places in our United Kingdom, won't we, to meet the public? We will.

So we wanted to get a real spread. So Dominic, we fixed on Cambridge and Oxford, two very random places. So we'll be at Cambridge, the corn exchange on the 17 September, and then we'll be at Oxford and we'll be at the new theater. And that will be on the 19 September.

We're massively looking forward to it, Tom. And what we'll be doing, we'll be talking about our new book, which has got the exciting title of the rest is history returns. And if you want to get your tickets, go right now to the restishory.com.

Corfu the 8 May 1909 Dearest Nikki.

As Hinze is returning for your birthday, I gladly seize the opportunity to send you these lines with all my heart. I wish you many happy returns. May heaven bless and protect you and your wife and children. May you be successful in your work, for your country and the welfare of your people. Will you kindly accept as birthday present a watercolor sketch made by a clever coffee painter representing the achilleon, seen from the olive grove at the foot of the hill. We spent a lovely time there under a blue sky, surrounded by sweet scents and flowers, sitting on the marble terraces in the shade of fine palm trees. Oh, I hope that once I also cousins.They are. And there's this whole series of messages. They're famously called the Nikki Villi telegrams. And we will be coming back to these messages later in this. In this episode. They have been sending for many years. So this one is five years before the outbreak of war. These messages are kind of semi public, semi private, all the stuff about give my love to Alex and the children. That's obviously a private and genuine message. But foreign office officials would help the various emperors draft these messages and put in them sentiments about avoiding war and about settling, you know, diplomatic disputes and so on. There's a couple of other interesting things in this one which I found online. So Kaiser says in this letter, he says, when I went to Corfu, I was really looking forward to a proper holiday because I worked so hard. And then he says, but when we got there, we found out there's a revolution in Constantinople. So I had to do lots of paperwork. And he says to him, we poor rulers, it seems, are You've got Sir Edward Grey's hat or a simulacrum of it.Yeah.You went to his cottage or the site of it, and you've sat in the Kaiser's chair.Yeah.Incredible. So you have a real insight. This is personal for you.Yeah, I really do. And this is why I have such a. Such a handle on the whole episode.Yeah.Because I can see from both sides, Dominic.Well, that's commendable.Yeah.So the Kaiser has been waived three weeks on his yacht, the Hohenzollerne. He's been to the keel regatta, and there's been loads of great larks and bants with Royal Navy officers there. So no sign of anglo german antagonism at the regatta. It's all been smiles and sort of handshakes and stuff. And then he's gone off to Norway now all this time he has been interested in the case because he's been telegraphing, as is always his way, he's been sending unwanted advice to other european royals.Yeah, well that never happens because when I go on holiday I never send messages or emails. Say about the podcast, effer yeah, unwanted.Advice where people reply saying, tom, you're on holiday, pipe down. That kaiser. Parallel. Uncanny. So the Kaiser still believes in all this time that there won't be a general war. There is no doubt about that when they present him. So when he's in that chair and they present him with the text of the ultimatum, he says to his, the sort of head of his naval staff, Admiral Muller, he says, well, what do you know? It's a firm note, after all. In other words, he's surprised that the Austrians have not just wimped out a bit, which deep down he seems to have expected them to do. Admiral Muller says, I actually think this could mean war. I don't see how we back down from this. And Wilhelm says, oh no, no, no, the Serbs would never risk a war against Austria and the Russians would never pile in. And Abram Muller thinks at the time he is deluding himself because he just cannot bring himself to contemplate the reality.Because he's such a man of peace.He's a blusterer. He's mister Toad. Because when it comes to it, actually, he will always try to back away. Now we will see in this story whether this is what happens, whether the Kaiser does indeed try to back away. So on Monday the 27th, so it's now a day and a half after the expiry of the ultimatum, he arrives back in Germany. His chancellor, Thibald Bethmann Holweg, has said to him, please don't come to Berlin, don't come into the center of the city. There will be demonstrations of support for you. There will be very excited crowds who think you're coming back to, you know, declare war or something. We can't afford anything like that. You go to your palace in Potsdam and the Kaiser's very displeased about this. He says, this is getting madder. Now, that man instructs me, I may not show myself to my people, but he does as he's told. He goes to his palace and everybody there. The general senses, you know, this is going to be a bit tricky, but there will not be a world war. His aide de camp, his adjutant, Hans von Plessenhouse, writes in his diary, yeah, the Austrians aren't even ready to get going.We hope to localize the war. England declares that she wishes to remain neutral. This is the belief in Berlin at this point. You know, they have listened to Prince Lichnowsky telling them, oh, Edward Gray feels a bit of sympathy for Austria. He doesn't want to be a supportive, loyal friend. Our honor and prestige are bound up with this. And now for the Kaiser to 's like it's all about him and his family and how he's been betrayed. So now we're at a very serious point. We haven't mentioned the Change your mind. Change your mind. Go for the full mobilization.And actually, the war minister telephoned Nicholas at his palace. And Nicholas lost his temper on the phone and said, I will cut you off. I'm so determined not to do this. So they send Sergei Saznov, the foreign minister. 03:00 p.m. that afternoon, he goes to the Peterhof palace and he says, look, your majesty, there is no chance of avoiding war. This is where we are now. The Germans clearly are gagging for a fight. They can't wait to get started with us, which, of course, I mean, he genuinely believes. I think we cannot delay any longer, please. And at first, I mean, it's so tragic when you think what's going to happen to almost all of these people. At first, Nicholas says, no, I quote, he hates the idea of sending thousands and thousands of men to their deaths. I don't want to do this. And Sazanov says, please, your majesty, we have to do it or we will be smashed. And so he wears him down. And at 04:00 Sazonov telephones the army chief of staff is a guy called General Yanushkiewicz, and he says, it's done. We've got the order. Transmit the order. And by the way, when this call is over, smash the telephone so the tsar can't change his mind.And there's an amazing description. The central telegraph office in St. Petersburg. There are rows and rows of telegraph operators sitting there quietly, waiting. And then at just after 04:00 that afternoon, the general Januszkiewicz walks in with the order, and he hands it to the chief operator, and nobody says anything. There's an atmosphere of deathly calm. And then a few seconds later, you hear the sound of clicking and tapping as the machines start to send out the order all across the russian empire.My goodness. So we're almost there. So we've got one last episode to go. If you can't wait for it, you can hear it right now by joining the rest is history club at the restitshistory.com. but either way. The abyss is yawning wide open now, and in the final episode, everyone will tumble into it. So on that cheery note, goodbye. Goodbye.

also cousins.

They are. And there's this whole series of messages. They're famously called the Nikki Villi telegrams. And we will be coming back to these messages later in this. In this episode. They have been sending for many years. So this one is five years before the outbreak of war. These messages are kind of semi public, semi private, all the stuff about give my love to Alex and the children. That's obviously a private and genuine message. But foreign office officials would help the various emperors draft these messages and put in them sentiments about avoiding war and about settling, you know, diplomatic disputes and so on. There's a couple of other interesting things in this one which I found online. So Kaiser says in this letter, he says, when I went to Corfu, I was really looking forward to a proper holiday because I worked so hard. And then he says, but when we got there, we found out there's a revolution in Constantinople. So I had to do lots of paperwork. And he says to him, we poor rulers, it seems, are You've got Sir Edward Grey's hat or a simulacrum of it.Yeah.You went to his cottage or the site of it, and you've sat in the Kaiser's chair.Yeah.Incredible. So you have a real insight. This is personal for you.Yeah, I really do. And this is why I have such a. Such a handle on the whole episode.Yeah.Because I can see from both sides, Dominic.Well, that's commendable.Yeah.So the Kaiser has been waived three weeks on his yacht, the Hohenzollerne. He's been to the keel regatta, and there's been loads of great larks and bants with Royal Navy officers there. So no sign of anglo german antagonism at the regatta. It's all been smiles and sort of handshakes and stuff. And then he's gone off to Norway now all this time he has been interested in the case because he's been telegraphing, as is always his way, he's been sending unwanted advice to other european royals.Yeah, well that never happens because when I go on holiday I never send messages or emails. Say about the podcast, effer yeah, unwanted.Advice where people reply saying, tom, you're on holiday, pipe down. That kaiser. Parallel. Uncanny. So the Kaiser still believes in all this time that there won't be a general war. There is no doubt about that when they present him. So when he's in that chair and they present him with the text of the ultimatum, he says to his, the sort of head of his naval staff, Admiral Muller, he says, well, what do you know? It's a firm note, after all. In other words, he's surprised that the Austrians have not just wimped out a bit, which deep down he seems to have expected them to do. Admiral Muller says, I actually think this could mean war. I don't see how we back down from this. And Wilhelm says, oh no, no, no, the Serbs would never risk a war against Austria and the Russians would never pile in. And Abram Muller thinks at the time he is deluding himself because he just cannot bring himself to contemplate the reality.Because he's such a man of peace.He's a blusterer. He's mister Toad. Because when it comes to it, actually, he will always try to back away. Now we will see in this story whether this is what happens, whether the Kaiser does indeed try to back away. So on Monday the 27th, so it's now a day and a half after the expiry of the ultimatum, he arrives back in Germany. His chancellor, Thibald Bethmann Holweg, has said to him, please don't come to Berlin, don't come into the center of the city. There will be demonstrations of support for you. There will be very excited crowds who think you're coming back to, you know, declare war or something. We can't afford anything like that. You go to your palace in Potsdam and the Kaiser's very displeased about this. He says, this is getting madder. Now, that man instructs me, I may not show myself to my people, but he does as he's told. He goes to his palace and everybody there. The general senses, you know, this is going to be a bit tricky, but there will not be a world war. His aide de camp, his adjutant, Hans von Plessenhouse, writes in his diary, yeah, the Austrians aren't even ready to get going.We hope to localize the war. England declares that she wishes to remain neutral. This is the belief in Berlin at this point. You know, they have listened to Prince Lichnowsky telling them, oh, Edward Gray feels a bit of sympathy for Austria. He doesn't want to be a supportive, loyal friend. Our honor and prestige are bound up with this. And now for the Kaiser to 's like it's all about him and his family and how he's been betrayed. So now we're at a very serious point. We haven't mentioned the Change your mind. Change your mind. Go for the full mobilization.And actually, the war minister telephoned Nicholas at his palace. And Nicholas lost his temper on the phone and said, I will cut you off. I'm so determined not to do this. So they send Sergei Saznov, the foreign minister. 03:00 p.m. that afternoon, he goes to the Peterhof palace and he says, look, your majesty, there is no chance of avoiding war. This is where we are now. The Germans clearly are gagging for a fight. They can't wait to get started with us, which, of course, I mean, he genuinely believes. I think we cannot delay any longer, please. And at first, I mean, it's so tragic when you think what's going to happen to almost all of these people. At first, Nicholas says, no, I quote, he hates the idea of sending thousands and thousands of men to their deaths. I don't want to do this. And Sazanov says, please, your majesty, we have to do it or we will be smashed. And so he wears him down. And at 04:00 Sazonov telephones the army chief of staff is a guy called General Yanushkiewicz, and he says, it's done. We've got the order. Transmit the order. And by the way, when this call is over, smash the telephone so the tsar can't change his mind.And there's an amazing description. The central telegraph office in St. Petersburg. There are rows and rows of telegraph operators sitting there quietly, waiting. And then at just after 04:00 that afternoon, the general Januszkiewicz walks in with the order, and he hands it to the chief operator, and nobody says anything. There's an atmosphere of deathly calm. And then a few seconds later, you hear the sound of clicking and tapping as the machines start to send out the order all across the russian empire.My goodness. So we're almost there. So we've got one last episode to go. If you can't wait for it, you can hear it right now by joining the rest is history club at the restitshistory.com. but either way. The abyss is yawning wide open now, and in the final episode, everyone will tumble into it. So on that cheery note, goodbye. Goodbye.

You've got Sir Edward Grey's hat or a simulacrum of it.

Yeah.

You went to his cottage or the site of it, and you've sat in the Kaiser's chair.

Yeah.

Incredible. So you have a real insight. This is personal for you.

Yeah, I really do. And this is why I have such a. Such a handle on the whole episode.

Yeah.

Because I can see from both sides, Dominic.

Well, that's commendable.

Yeah.

So the Kaiser has been waived three weeks on his yacht, the Hohenzollerne. He's been to the keel regatta, and there's been loads of great larks and bants with Royal Navy officers there. So no sign of anglo german antagonism at the regatta. It's all been smiles and sort of handshakes and stuff. And then he's gone off to Norway now all this time he has been interested in the case because he's been telegraphing, as is always his way, he's been sending unwanted advice to other european royals.

Yeah, well that never happens because when I go on holiday I never send messages or emails. Say about the podcast, effer yeah, unwanted.

Advice where people reply saying, tom, you're on holiday, pipe down. That kaiser. Parallel. Uncanny. So the Kaiser still believes in all this time that there won't be a general war. There is no doubt about that when they present him. So when he's in that chair and they present him with the text of the ultimatum, he says to his, the sort of head of his naval staff, Admiral Muller, he says, well, what do you know? It's a firm note, after all. In other words, he's surprised that the Austrians have not just wimped out a bit, which deep down he seems to have expected them to do. Admiral Muller says, I actually think this could mean war. I don't see how we back down from this. And Wilhelm says, oh no, no, no, the Serbs would never risk a war against Austria and the Russians would never pile in. And Abram Muller thinks at the time he is deluding himself because he just cannot bring himself to contemplate the reality.

Because he's such a man of peace.

He's a blusterer. He's mister Toad. Because when it comes to it, actually, he will always try to back away. Now we will see in this story whether this is what happens, whether the Kaiser does indeed try to back away. So on Monday the 27th, so it's now a day and a half after the expiry of the ultimatum, he arrives back in Germany. His chancellor, Thibald Bethmann Holweg, has said to him, please don't come to Berlin, don't come into the center of the city. There will be demonstrations of support for you. There will be very excited crowds who think you're coming back to, you know, declare war or something. We can't afford anything like that. You go to your palace in Potsdam and the Kaiser's very displeased about this. He says, this is getting madder. Now, that man instructs me, I may not show myself to my people, but he does as he's told. He goes to his palace and everybody there. The general senses, you know, this is going to be a bit tricky, but there will not be a world war. His aide de camp, his adjutant, Hans von Plessenhouse, writes in his diary, yeah, the Austrians aren't even ready to get going.

We hope to localize the war. England declares that she wishes to remain neutral. This is the belief in Berlin at this point. You know, they have listened to Prince Lichnowsky telling them, oh, Edward Gray feels a bit of sympathy for Austria. He doesn't want to be a supportive, loyal friend. Our honor and prestige are bound up with this. And now for the Kaiser to 's like it's all about him and his family and how he's been betrayed. So now we're at a very serious point. We haven't mentioned the Change your mind. Change your mind. Go for the full mobilization.And actually, the war minister telephoned Nicholas at his palace. And Nicholas lost his temper on the phone and said, I will cut you off. I'm so determined not to do this. So they send Sergei Saznov, the foreign minister. 03:00 p.m. that afternoon, he goes to the Peterhof palace and he says, look, your majesty, there is no chance of avoiding war. This is where we are now. The Germans clearly are gagging for a fight. They can't wait to get started with us, which, of course, I mean, he genuinely believes. I think we cannot delay any longer, please. And at first, I mean, it's so tragic when you think what's going to happen to almost all of these people. At first, Nicholas says, no, I quote, he hates the idea of sending thousands and thousands of men to their deaths. I don't want to do this. And Sazanov says, please, your majesty, we have to do it or we will be smashed. And so he wears him down. And at 04:00 Sazonov telephones the army chief of staff is a guy called General Yanushkiewicz, and he says, it's done. We've got the order. Transmit the order. And by the way, when this call is over, smash the telephone so the tsar can't change his mind.And there's an amazing description. The central telegraph office in St. Petersburg. There are rows and rows of telegraph operators sitting there quietly, waiting. And then at just after 04:00 that afternoon, the general Januszkiewicz walks in with the order, and he hands it to the chief operator, and nobody says anything. There's an atmosphere of deathly calm. And then a few seconds later, you hear the sound of clicking and tapping as the machines start to send out the order all across the russian empire.My goodness. So we're almost there. So we've got one last episode to go. If you can't wait for it, you can hear it right now by joining the rest is history club at the restitshistory.com. but either way. The abyss is yawning wide open now, and in the final episode, everyone will tumble into it. So on that cheery note, goodbye. Goodbye.

to be a supportive, loyal friend. Our honor and prestige are bound up with this. And now for the Kaiser to 's like it's all about him and his family and how he's been betrayed. So now we're at a very serious point. We haven't mentioned the Change your mind. Change your mind. Go for the full mobilization.And actually, the war minister telephoned Nicholas at his palace. And Nicholas lost his temper on the phone and said, I will cut you off. I'm so determined not to do this. So they send Sergei Saznov, the foreign minister. 03:00 p.m. that afternoon, he goes to the Peterhof palace and he says, look, your majesty, there is no chance of avoiding war. This is where we are now. The Germans clearly are gagging for a fight. They can't wait to get started with us, which, of course, I mean, he genuinely believes. I think we cannot delay any longer, please. And at first, I mean, it's so tragic when you think what's going to happen to almost all of these people. At first, Nicholas says, no, I quote, he hates the idea of sending thousands and thousands of men to their deaths. I don't want to do this. And Sazanov says, please, your majesty, we have to do it or we will be smashed. And so he wears him down. And at 04:00 Sazonov telephones the army chief of staff is a guy called General Yanushkiewicz, and he says, it's done. We've got the order. Transmit the order. And by the way, when this call is over, smash the telephone so the tsar can't change his mind.And there's an amazing description. The central telegraph office in St. Petersburg. There are rows and rows of telegraph operators sitting there quietly, waiting. And then at just after 04:00 that afternoon, the general Januszkiewicz walks in with the order, and he hands it to the chief operator, and nobody says anything. There's an atmosphere of deathly calm. And then a few seconds later, you hear the sound of clicking and tapping as the machines start to send out the order all across the russian empire.My goodness. So we're almost there. So we've got one last episode to go. If you can't wait for it, you can hear it right now by joining the rest is history club at the restitshistory.com. but either way. The abyss is yawning wide open now, and in the final episode, everyone will tumble into it. So on that cheery note, goodbye. Goodbye.

's like it's all about him and his family and how he's been betrayed. So now we're at a very serious point. We haven't mentioned the Change your mind. Change your mind. Go for the full mobilization.And actually, the war minister telephoned Nicholas at his palace. And Nicholas lost his temper on the phone and said, I will cut you off. I'm so determined not to do this. So they send Sergei Saznov, the foreign minister. 03:00 p.m. that afternoon, he goes to the Peterhof palace and he says, look, your majesty, there is no chance of avoiding war. This is where we are now. The Germans clearly are gagging for a fight. They can't wait to get started with us, which, of course, I mean, he genuinely believes. I think we cannot delay any longer, please. And at first, I mean, it's so tragic when you think what's going to happen to almost all of these people. At first, Nicholas says, no, I quote, he hates the idea of sending thousands and thousands of men to their deaths. I don't want to do this. And Sazanov says, please, your majesty, we have to do it or we will be smashed. And so he wears him down. And at 04:00 Sazonov telephones the army chief of staff is a guy called General Yanushkiewicz, and he says, it's done. We've got the order. Transmit the order. And by the way, when this call is over, smash the telephone so the tsar can't change his mind.And there's an amazing description. The central telegraph office in St. Petersburg. There are rows and rows of telegraph operators sitting there quietly, waiting. And then at just after 04:00 that afternoon, the general Januszkiewicz walks in with the order, and he hands it to the chief operator, and nobody says anything. There's an atmosphere of deathly calm. And then a few seconds later, you hear the sound of clicking and tapping as the machines start to send out the order all across the russian empire.My goodness. So we're almost there. So we've got one last episode to go. If you can't wait for it, you can hear it right now by joining the rest is history club at the restitshistory.com. but either way. The abyss is yawning wide open now, and in the final episode, everyone will tumble into it. So on that cheery note, goodbye. Goodbye.

Change your mind. Change your mind. Go for the full mobilization.

And actually, the war minister telephoned Nicholas at his palace. And Nicholas lost his temper on the phone and said, I will cut you off. I'm so determined not to do this. So they send Sergei Saznov, the foreign minister. 03:00 p.m. that afternoon, he goes to the Peterhof palace and he says, look, your majesty, there is no chance of avoiding war. This is where we are now. The Germans clearly are gagging for a fight. They can't wait to get started with us, which, of course, I mean, he genuinely believes. I think we cannot delay any longer, please. And at first, I mean, it's so tragic when you think what's going to happen to almost all of these people. At first, Nicholas says, no, I quote, he hates the idea of sending thousands and thousands of men to their deaths. I don't want to do this. And Sazanov says, please, your majesty, we have to do it or we will be smashed. And so he wears him down. And at 04:00 Sazonov telephones the army chief of staff is a guy called General Yanushkiewicz, and he says, it's done. We've got the order. Transmit the order. And by the way, when this call is over, smash the telephone so the tsar can't change his mind.

And there's an amazing description. The central telegraph office in St. Petersburg. There are rows and rows of telegraph operators sitting there quietly, waiting. And then at just after 04:00 that afternoon, the general Januszkiewicz walks in with the order, and he hands it to the chief operator, and nobody says anything. There's an atmosphere of deathly calm. And then a few seconds later, you hear the sound of clicking and tapping as the machines start to send out the order all across the russian empire.

My goodness. So we're almost there. So we've got one last episode to go. If you can't wait for it, you can hear it right now by joining the rest is history club at the restitshistory.com. but either way. The abyss is yawning wide open now, and in the final episode, everyone will tumble into it. So on that cheery note, goodbye. Goodbye.