Outbreak of WW1

The Great War began a month after the assassination of the Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand. This was not all that lead to one of the world's most destructive conflicts, however. The weeks leading up to the armed conflict are known as the July Crisis and the deals and pacts made during the crisis are equally important in discussing the outbreak of the First World War. Let's explore the outbreak of WWI and why it took a month for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand to lead to a global war.

Outbreak Of WWI Timeline

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand

On 28 June 1914, during his visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated along with his wife Duchess Sophie. The assassin, Gavrilo Princip was detained and imprisoned, but could not be executed due to his age. He was 19 at the time.

Fig. 1: Assassination of Franz Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie

Fig. 2: Gavrilo Princip

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand sent ripples into Europe and concluded with the outbreak of the Great War. This event had Europe in shock. Just how could a teenager manage to assassinate the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne?

The killing of Franz Ferdinand, the successor to the throne infuriated the Emperor of Austria-Hungary Franz Joseph. Austria-Hungary presented a ten-point ultimatum to Serbia, chiefly accusing them of orchestrating the murder of his nephew. Despite Serbia agreeing to nine of the ten objectives, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia anyway.

Fig. 3: Emperor Franz Joseph

The Russian Empire decided to intervene and, in turn, Germany declared war on Russia. Due to the existence of the Franco-Russian alliance, France declared war on Germany. After Germany invaded Belgium, the United Kingdom too declared war on Germany. The First World War had begun. Austria-Hungary would later declare war on Russia, days after France and the United Kingdom entered the war.

Outbreak of WW1 Causes and Alliances

The German Empire was pursuing an imperialist foreign policy of Weltpolitik, Germany and its Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II wanted war to prove that the German Empire could stand next to the other European great powers.

Following the death of Franz Ferdinand, an international crisis known as the July Crisis took place. The July Crisis was a month-long period of tension where alliances and plans were drawn up for the coming war.

Fig. 4: Kaiser Wilhelm II

From 5 July 1914 onwards, Germany actively encouraged Austria-Hungary to take action against Serbia. Wilhelm II even assured Franz Joseph that Germany would assist Austria-Hungary in any way it could should Austria-Hungary find itself in a difficult position. The offer, known as the "blank cheque" was accepted by Franz Joseph.

The German and Austrian Empires found a rather unlikely ally in the East, the Ottoman Empire. Together, the three empires would face the might of the Russian Empire and France: but where was the British Empire?

The German Empire had sought to defeat both the French and the Russian forces with relative ease. As long as they followed the already existing Schlieffen Plan, victory seemed achievable. With this plan, Germany sought to invade France through Belgium, take Paris, and move eastwards after the French defeat to face the Russians.

Invading Belgium however, proved to be harder than expected. Not only did the Belgians fight valiantly, but violating Belgian neutrality prompted the United Kingdom to declare war on Germany.

Fig. 5: The Schlieffen Plan as proposed by Alfred von Schlieffen

Needless to say, the Germans, due to replanning the Schlieffen Plan, were unable to take Paris. As for Russia, they managed to mobilise much faster than the German command had expected. As they fought in the west, Russian forces were already pushing in from the east. Germany was not prepared to fight on two fronts and a quick victory never materialised.

Outbreak Of WW1 Significance

What is the significance of the outbreak of the First World War?

• It began the Great War, the 'War to End All Wars'.
• The collapse of Russia in the face of the German armed forces contributed to the rise of Bolsheviks in Russia, a political party which overthrew the Tsar and established the Soviet Union.
• The Great War saw over 20 million dead, with over 25 million wounded or maimed.
• It gave rise to military technology hitherto unseen such as tanks, a staple of modern warfare.
• It contributed to the influencing re-establishment of national identity in regions that were ruled by the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, most notably in Arab-speaking Mesopotamia and the Balkans.
• The outbreak of the First World War played into the desires of many heads of state in Europe. You see, some wanted war. As it seemed, only devastation like that seen in the Great War could bring peace, but this turned out not to be the case.