The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 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 Hostilities 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 Sarajeyo.
the capital of Bosnia, where Pan-Slavic
feeling ran high.
On July % the Austro- Hungarian
minister at Belgrade presented to the
Serbian government 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,
lin accord with Germany" not only
to deprive Serbia of it's 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 notG to Serbia.
At once diplomatic exchanges be-
gan between the various powers to
avert the war that was impending;
but, on July 81 Austria issued note
to the powers stating that Serbias ac-
quiescenee to her demands was I'M
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 a 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 ultimatun
with a twelve-hour limit, to Russia to
stop modifying 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 a general mobilization.
Personal messages were exchanged
between the car and the kaiser, to
both of whom King George sent APP
peals for peace, but on August l Ger
many suddenly decided that .'the
sword had been forced into her hand"
and declared war on Russia, while
Austria was still actually negotiating
with the czar.
France at once ordered a general
mobilization and Italy formally de-
clared her neutrality. 1t was plain that
q general war was inevitable.
The kaiser sent an ultimatum in
German to King Albert of Belgium on
August ., demanding free passage for
his armies. The same day German
forces crossed the frontiers of Luxem-
burg and France, and on August 3
Germany declared war on France.
On the morning Of August 4 the
German army invaded Belgium, which
had already appealed to England to
preserve her neutrality, and the Brit
ish ambassador in Berlin demanded
the immediate withdrawal of the
kaiser's forces from Belgium, and, I'M
able to obtain satisfaction, England de-
clared war on Germany the same even
ing, to the unaffected dlsmay of the
German chancellor, who could not be-
lieve that 'just for scrap Of paper
England was going to make war"