Russia was regarded as the champion of the Slavic people. The country therefore had a close alliance with the other Slavic European states. Of these, included the country of Serbia. On the 28th June 1914, the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, capital of the Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia. The assassin, Gustav Princep was a member of the Serbian terrorist group "Black Hand".
The Austrians, outraged at the death of their heir-presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary, insisted that the Serbians hand over the leaders of the Black Hand movement. On the 24th July, the Serbians appealed to Russia for assistance. The next day, the Serbians announced that they would not hand over the Black Hand leaders. Following this development on the 28th, Austria declared war on Serbia. Germany, allied with Austria and seen as the champion of the Germanic people, then declares war on Serbia's ally, Russia, on the 1st August. On the 3rd August, Germany declares war on its much hated enemy France. The Germans were now fighting a two front war and so the occupation of France was of the greatest imperative.
Russian History [Continue]
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The Schlieffen Plan was ordered by the German General Moltke, in which German forces would attack the French on two fronts - in effect having the French sandwiched in their own country.
For this to occur the Germans needed to be positioned in northern, western and eastern France and this could only be achieved by going through Belgium. However a pact made between Belgium and Great Britain in ____, stipulated should the country be attacked, Belgium would have British as an ally. And when Germany did invade, believing that the pact was meaningless, on the 4th August 1914, Great Britain and her Empire declared war on Germany.
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