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The July Crisis and World War One

May 5, 2025

The July Crisis Viewing Questions

Key Events Leading to World War One

  1. Assassination in June 1914:

    • The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria at the end of June 1914 led to increased political and military tensions in Europe.
  2. Age of Franz Ferdinand:

    • Franz Ferdinand was 50 years old during his visit to Sarajevo.
  3. Reason for Franz Ferdinand's Visit:

    • The main reason behind Franz Ferdinand's visit to Sarajevo in June 1914 was to inspect the imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  4. Assassination Group:

    • The group that planned to assassinate Franz Ferdinand was called the "Black Hand," a secret military society.
  5. First Assassination Attempt:

    • The first assassination attempt on Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo failed. A bomb was thrown at his car but it bounced off the folded-down convertible roof and exploded behind him, injuring people in another car.
  6. Successful Assassination:

    • Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were killed by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand, in Sarajevo.

Reactions and Escalations

  1. European Reaction:

    • The assassination of Franz Ferdinand caused shock across Europe; countries were concerned and tensions escalated.
  2. Austria-Hungary's Reaction to Assassination:

    • Austria-Hungary saw the assassination as an opportunity to attack Serbia, whom they blamed for supporting the Black Hand.
  3. Concerns about Declaring War:

    • Austria-Hungary was concerned about Russia's support for Serbia and the possibility of Russia intervening.
  4. Germany's Support:

    • Germany offered Austria-Hungary a "blank check" assurance of support, encouraging them to take a hard line against Serbia.
  5. Russia's Response:

    • Russia began mobilizing its army in support of Serbia against Austria-Hungary's aggression.
  6. Germany's Reaction to Russia:

    • Germany viewed Russia's mobilization as an act of war and subsequently declared war on Russia.

Wider Implications

  1. Invasion of France through Belgium:

    • Germany planned to invade France through Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan, aimed at quickly defeating France before turning to Russia.
  2. Britain's Involvement:

    • Britain became involved due to Germany violating Belgium's neutrality, which Britain was obligated to defend by treaty.
  3. Consequences of German Invasion:

    • Germany's invasion of Belgium on August 4th led to Britain declaring war on Germany, marking the beginning of World War One.