Monday, December 14, 2015

THE PRECISE POINT WHEN BBC DOCUDRAMA 37 DAYS LAYS THE BLAME FOR WW1 ON GREAT BRITAIN

In 37 DAYS SUBTLY ACCUSES GREY I began to show that the BBC Docudrama 37 Days, which dramatised the July Crisis, subtly blamed Sir Edward Grey for WW1. After watching this again I believe I have pinpointed the precise moment when the responsibility for WW1 is pinned on Grey and/or Great Britain.

In Episode 3 the following conversation takes place between Grey and Paul Cambon, the French Ambassador to Great Britain:
Cambon: Germany will declare war on France in the next 24 hours, and France knows it. The one thing that might stop them is you.
Grey: You credit Great Britain with too much power, Paul, and it has made you irresponsible.
Cambon: It is you who can stop it. You alone. The power is yours.

Whether this conversation actually took place verbatim I shall try to find out.

But this is the point when 37 Days lays the blame for WW1 on Sir Edward Grey.

Or, as Grey is merely a servant of the British Monarchy, is the British Monarchy being blamed here? By "you" is the scriptwriter blaming Grey or Great Britain?

One man who came out of the crisis with some credit was John Burns. I am going to research him.


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