“The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.” Sir Edward Grey, British Foreign Secretary
Starry Night Over The Rhone, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888
Because my post on Armistice Day, the end of World War 1, got such a huge response, it seemed right to commemorate the beginning of the Great War. Here’s the complicated timeline:
June 28, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated in Sarajevo.
July 28, 1914 Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
July 31, 1914 As an ally of Serbia, Russia announces full mobilization of her armed forces.
August 1, 1914 Germany mobilizes her armed forces and declares war on Russia.
August 3, 1914 Germany declares war on France.
August 4, 1914 Germany declares war on a neutral Belgium and invades in a move designed to defeat France quickly, causing Britain to declare war on Germany.
A Star Shell by C.R.W. Nevinson. 1916
References: The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman is a detailed account of the start of World War I. The timeline of WWI came from this site. Here is a poem based on Nevinson’s painting.
Recent Comments