On the afternoon of Sunday, June 28, 1914, the German Emperor Wilhelm II and Crown Prince Qin Tian were on a yacht off the coast of Kiel, touring the nearby scenery. The pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info was accompanied by the Minister of the Navy, Count Tirpitz, Field Marshal.

Another important purpose of this visit was to inspect the widened Kiel Canal. The widening of the Kiel Canal allowed naval warships anchored in Kiel to pass through the canal and go directly to Wilhelmshaven without having to detour Jutland, which not only saved a lot of time, but also ensured the safety of the fleet. After all, a bytour of Jutland is very likely to be besieged by the British Royal Navy.

"Your Majesty, the Kiel Canal has been widened in its entirety. In this way, we will no longer have to worry about the separate deployment of the fleet. Marshal Count Tirpitz smiled.

"Well, the Imperial Navy is getting stronger and stronger, and I'm very satisfied. This time, the chances of us defeating the British will be very high. "Wilhelm II was very pleased to have such a powerful navy. He seems to have seen that his goal is succeeding step by step.

"Your Majesty, the reason why the navy can have its current scale is due to the contribution of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! If it weren't for the support of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, as well as the warships he designed, the navy would not have been so powerful. Marshal Count Tirpitz had a look of praise on his face.

"Your Excellency the Marshal is serious. It was my duty to do my best for the empire to become stronger. "Qin Tian is very humble.

It was at this time that a staff officer stepped onto the deck of the yacht.

"Tell Your Majesty, the Austro-Hungarian side is in an emergency." said the staff officer.

"Oh? What's going on? Wilhelm II asked.

A hint of joy flashed in Qin Tian's eyes, he knew that it should have happened. You know, today he is a little scared, for fear that history has changed. Now, he can finally put his heart back in his stomach.

"The Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo." The officer continued.

"What?" Both Wilhelm II and Marshal Count Tirpitz exclaimed.

But then, a smile appeared on both of their faces. Whether Archduke Ferdinand lives or died, they didn't care. What they care about is what kind of opportunity this event brings to Germany.

"Your Majesty, great! The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand undoubtedly gave Austria-Hungary a pretext for war against Serbia. The Russians would not have watched Serbia be attacked by Austria-Hungary. They will definitely send troops to help Austria-Hungary. And according to our covenant with Austria-Hungary, we are obliged to help Austria-Hungary! Marshal Tirpitz said excitedly.

Wilhelm II nodded repeatedly, and if both Russia and Germany intervened, Britain and France would inevitably be involved. This big war will break out because of this.

"What a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Wilhelm II sighed.

"Return to Berlin at once, gather all the main generals of the army and navy, the war is about to break out!" Wilhelm II ordered.

For Germany, which is bent on changing the current national pattern through war and gaining a broader colony and market, the Sarajevo incident is indeed a golden opportunity. Germany's military preparations have long been completed. The mobilization of troops was secretly completed as early as March, and an offensive could be launched at any time.

Germany's main adversaries, Russia and France, are still undergoing rearmament of their armies. This gave Germany a greater advantage in the war.

In the summer palace of Moscow, the capital of Russia, Nicholas II, after receiving the Serbian ambassador to Russia, summoned the senior military and political officials of Russia.

"Gentlemen, Serbia has come to us for help. They were about to face an invasion from Austria-Hungary. And we, absolutely not allow Austria-Hungary to invade Serbia. Once they occupy the Balkans, it will be a disaster for the Russian Empire! "Tsar Nicholas II was very tough.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Regardless of whether Archduke Ferdinand's death had anything to do with Serbia or not. Once Austria-Hungary occupied the Balkans, it would be very detrimental to the Russian Empire. So, we have to stop them! "Prime Minister Vyacheslav? Previ said.

"When will our army be able to complete its mobilization?" Nicholas II looked at the Minister of War Sukhhomlinov.

"Your Majesty, our mobilization will take at least three months." Sukhhomlinov replied.

Nicholas II couldn't help frowning, three months was obviously too long. However, there is no way around it, who made the territory of the Russian Empire too vast, the infrastructure construction extremely backward, and the mobilization system equally full of loopholes?

"Your Majesty, even if the mobilization is not completed, we don't have to worry. The main forces of the Germans were on the Western Front, and our standing army would be enough to storm East Prussia and defeat them. If you're lucky, you might even hit Berlin! The commander of the Russian army, Grand Duke Nikolai, smiled.

Tsar Nicholas II couldn't help laughing, he would be very happy if the Russian army could reach Berlin. He was eager to see what the conceited distant cousin had to say when the time came.

"What about the Navy?" Nicholas II asked.

"Your Majesty, the Navy is no match for the Germans. But there is no problem in guaranteeing the safety of St. Petersburg. "Admiral Ivan? Admiral Griglovich replied.

Nicholas II nodded in satisfaction. After a crushing defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian Navy began a painstaking reconstruction. Although, the development is fast. But there is still a big gap with the German Navy. However, Russia's strongest is the army, not the navy. Therefore, Nicholas II did not expect any miracles from the Navy. It would be enough for the Navy to cooperate with the coastal fortifications and ensure the security of the Russian mainland. What's more, although the German navy is strong, their enemy is not Russia, but Britain, the maritime hegemon.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have promised Serbia that in the event of an Austro-Hungarian invasion, we will attack Austria-Hungary and support them at once. If the Germans dare to intervene, we will attack East Prussia! Nicholas II said in high spirits.

Russia had made three concessions and retreats in the past during the international crises of 1909, 1912 and 1913, but this time, Tsar Nicholas II decided not to budge and back down this time.