Description
Book SynopsisThis study examines the role of British newspapers during the July Crisis of 1914. The author argues that decision-makers in Berlin and London framed their policies on a reading of the British press, which expressed deep skepticism about involvement in a general European war after the Sarajevo murders. British newspapers and journalists encouraged German hopes for British neutrality, as well as the indecisive nature of Sir Edward Grey''s foreign policy in 1914, helping spark the Great War.
Trade Review[T]he key element in Orgill’s work is his closely argued investigation of the impact the press had on feeding doubts among Liberal cabinet ministers about the wisdom of going to war. . . .[I]t is remarkable that Orgill could write such a detailed study of an under-researched element in the July Crisis, showing that, even on a subject that has generated countless works over the last century, it is indeed possible to say something new.
* Journal of British Studies *
In Rumors of the Great War: The British Press and Anglo-German Relations During the July Crisis, Nathan N. Orgill makes an important new contribution to debates about the origins of the First World War by examining the role of the British press. Orgill demonstrates that the British press contributed both to the indecisiveness of Sir Edward Grey’s foreign policy in July 1914 and to German hopes and beliefs that Britain would remain neutral in a European war, factors which many scholars argue were key causes of the war. This study is indispensable reading for all serious students of the July Crisis. -- Jack S. Levy, Rutgers University
This is a deeply researched, fluently written, and carefully argued study of the British press's role in the build-up to the First World War. Orgill offers important new perspectives on the unfolding European crisis in 1914, and this book will be of value not just to students and scholars of British journalism or the Great War, but for all those interested in the relationships between media, public opinion, and diplomacy. -- Adrian Bingham, University of Sheffield
Orgill is to be congratulated for providing us with the most comprehensive study available of the role of public opinion in the July Crisis. His careful analysis of journalism and the role of journalists provides fresh insights into the political culture of Europe in 1914. -- Gordon Martel, University of Northern British Columbia
Table of ContentsChapter 1: “Aura Popularis”: Press Policy and Anglo-German Relations before 1914
Chapter 2: An Austrian Affair: The British Press and the Sarajevo Murders (28 June-23 July 1914)
Chapter 3: The Great European War: The British Press and the July Crisis (23 July-2 August 1914)
Chapter 4: Many Shades of Grey: The British Press and the Question of Intervention (28 July-5 August 1914)
