The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-10-18
HOW GERMANY
/. THRUST WAR upon
ALLIED NATIONS
Events Leading Up to Break Be-
tween Huns and the Powers
Of Europe.
King George Sent Appeals for Peace
but Kaiser Decided That Sword
Had Been Forced Into His Hand,
and HostiIities Began.

On June %, 1914, Archduke Frank
Ferdinand, heir apparent to Austria
Hungary, was assassinated, with his
consort, the Duchess Of Hohenberg,
by Bosnian conspirators at Sarajevo,
the capital of BOsniA, where Pan-SlaviC
feeling ran high.
On July % the AustrO-H Hungarian
minister at Belgrade presented to the
Serbian government a drastic ulti.
matum, demanding punishment Of the
alleged Serbian instigators of the trag.
edy and imposing, along with many
other humiliating demands, the con.
dition that Serbia "accept the collab.
grafton of Austrian officials in the sup
preston of the Pan-Serbian move.
ment," and giving her weaker neigh.
Dor forty-eight hours in which to COM
ply.
1t was openly the aim Of Austria,
'in accord with Germany not only
to deprive Serbia of its political in
dependence, but also to inflict check
to Russia. From then. on events
moved rapidly. Serbia, on July 25
gave way to all the Austrian demands,
but denied the right Of Austria to ex-
ercise judicial authority in Serbia.
Italy, before the expiration of the
ultimatum, made it known that she
was not in sympathy with the AustrO-
Hungarian note to Serbia.
At once diplomatic exchanges be.
gan between the various powers to
avert the war that was impending
but, on July q, Austria issued note
to the powers stating that Serbia's ac'
quiescence to her demands was un'
satisfactory and "filled with the spirit
of dishonesty" and on the following
day, July %, Austria declared war on
Serbia.
Russia at once began to mobilize
and notified the powers that she would
not permit the invasion of Serbia. The
next day Sir Edward Grey British
secretary for foreign affairs, sent
peace proposals for council of Eu-
rope to both the kaiser and the car
His action was supported by France
and Italy.
The kaiser's reply was a general or
der of mobilization and an ultimatur
with twelve-hour limit, to Russia tt
stop mobilizing. OF France, Germany
demanded to be informed of her atti
tude in case of a RussO-German war
This was on July 80, and on the same
day Austria invaded Serbia.
On July 81 military law was pro
claimed throughout Germany, and Rus
STA ordered general mobilization.
Personal messages were exchanged
between the car and the kaiser, tt
both of whom King George sent ap
peals for peace, but on August l Ger
many suddenly decided that "tht
sword had been forced into her hand
and declared war on Russia, while
Austria was still actually negotiating
with the car.
France at once ordered a genera
mobilization and Italy formally de
clared her neutrality. 1t was plain tha
general war was inevitable.
The kaiser sent an ultimatum II
German to King Albert Of Belgium or
August 2, demanding free passage fol
his armies. The same day German
forces crossed the frontiers of Luxem
burg and France, and on August
Germany declared war on France.
On the morning of August 4 the
German army invaded Belgium, which
had already appealed to England t.
preserve her neutrality, and the Brit
isb ambassador in Berlin demanded
the immediate withdrawal of TIM
kaisers forces from Belgium, and, un
able to obtain satisfaction, England de
clared war on Germany the same even
| ing. to the unaffected dismay OF tht
German chancellor, who could not be
| fks. e.