21st JULY 1914 The Austro-Hungarian government holds private conferences on Serbia at Budapest and Ischl. Emperor Franz Josef II reads the terms and remarks that, There is no way that Russia will swallow it. This will lead to a big war. German Foreign Minister Von Jagow denies any knowledge of the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum, but warns that the Entente powers should not interfere with what should remain an Austro-Serbian matter. French Ambassador Cambon reports to Paris that it appears the Germans are making preparations for war. Russian Foreign Minister Sazonov warns the German Ambassador to Russia, Ambassador Portuales, that, Germany must reckon with Europe if she supports Austro-Hungarian War with Serbia. Portuales telegrams the German Foreign Ministry of the delivered warning. Kaiser Wilhelm reads the warning and writes the following in the margins of the report, Germany, no! Russia? Yes! German Foreign Minister Von Jagow requests a complete list of the itinerary of the Kaisers ongoing cruise, noting that, if war should break out, it might be best if the Kaisers ship were in the Baltic at the time of the outbreak of war. French President Raymond Poincare, still meeting with the Czar, promises the Russian government that France will fulfill all of her treaty obligations in the event of a war with Germany. Here lies another diplomatic wrinkle - the French and Russians have a -full- alliance, meaning that they will support each other in war or peace, not a-defensive- alliance, like that which Britain has with the other two Entente Powers, and which binds the Triple Alliance Powers (Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy) together. Poincare then warns Austrian Ambassadors that The Russian people are very warm friends of the Serbs, and France is Russias ally. He informs the French Embassy in St. Petersburg that He (Russian foreign minister Sazonov) must be firm, and we must support him. #TheGreatWar
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 21:44:29 +0000
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