The First Week Of Ww1

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Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874 Ð'- 1965)

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were shot to death in Sarajevo. Seven members of a terrorist organization known as the Black Hand lined the streets of during the parade as the Duke and Duchess were en route through the city. It would be Gavrillo Princip that fired the two shots that succeeded in ending the lives of the Royal couple. This assassination would directly lead to the events that followed it exactly a month later. Beginning with the declaration of war on Serbia by Austria Hungary and ending with the declaration of war on Germany by Great Britain it would take one week for the major European powers to choose their sides. A week in which all the tensions, ambitions, and predispositions of the dominating powers of the continent would culminate and result in a string of hasty decisions that would mark the beginning of the Great War, determine the fate of an entire generation, and shape the 20th century.

Regardless of the fact that the assassin of the Archduke was had been born to Austria-Hungary. He was under the direction of a Serbian group. Following the murders an ultimatum was issued to Serbia on July 23rd of 1914. Being extremely compliant in their reply Serbia submitted their response. It however still proved to be unsatisfactory. Influenced by foreign minister Count Leopold von Berchtold, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declared war against Serbia on the date of July 28th 1914.

Due to the compliant nature of the Serbians response one must look to the underlying factors of the tension between the two countries. Terrorist groups were plaguing the empire of Austria-Hungary and the idea that something had to be done weighed heavily on the conscience of its rulers. It can also be concluded that behind the decisions of Austria-Hungary was Germany's eager support in the event that Russia should enter the war on the behalf of Serbia.

Following the sack of Belgrade on the 29th of July, Russia keeping true to their alliance with Serbia, mobilized their army. July 30th would only see the partial mobilization of the Russian army as to avoid conflict with Germany but, after the insistence of the Kaiser to stand down on July 31st received no reply, Germany the next day declared war on Russia.

The decision made by Kaiser Wilhelm to declare war on Russia though made quickly was not made without prior convictions. Germany was in a difficult situation as Austria-Hungary was their only ally. Also looming over it was the background of the arms race that had long been building in Europe and a race that Germany had been losing. The Kaiser although urging Russia and France in the beginning to remain neutral was still imperialistic in nature. No doubt he had reminisced in the