Time imperceptibly arrived in June, and 1914 was destined to be an uneventful year.

The contradiction in Europe is the contradiction between Germany and France, everyone is clamoring for war, but they do not have the courage to provoke it.

The Germans expected a solution to the Alsace and Lorraine problems once and for all, and the French were hungry for revenge.

Of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, only Hungary had no ambitions for Serbia. After the weakening of the rights of the Hungarians, the militarists shouted: "Draw your sword and aim it at Serbia." ”

Serbia, with the support of Russia, still clings to the dream of a Greater Serbia.

On 28 June, Rudolph was restless in the barracks. Although he had learned that the powerful crown prince would not go to Sarajevo, war was inevitable.

Not long ago, a military delegation of the Germans arrived in Istanbul, a move that sent a dangerous signal to the world. The Goeben cruised along the Suez Canal, and any provocation by the Germans on the ocean touched the fragile nerves of the British.

June 28 is the day when the combined Serbian and Bosnian armies were defeated by the Turkish army in 1389 and is a day of national shame for the Serbian people. The choice of the Austro-Hungarian exercises on this day was provocative.

Today is Sunday, and Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, is sunny and clear. The military governor, Portiorek, inspected the troops and rode on the way back.

After the Serbian Mamacha received news of the military parade, they sent assassins to premeditate a warning to Austria-Hungary that the madmen who even the king would dare to kill never thought about the consequences.

Portiorek did not change the route to the Latin Bridge, and the car drove to the Appel Pier in the city center, as originally planned.

It has to be said that history is created by the people, and Princip stands on the cusp of history again. His companion, Mykhailo Psara, fired several shots at the car, but failed to hit the target. Zabrinovich premeditated the bomb to drop a bomb on the car, and was arrested by the gendarmes after attempting the operation. The legendary Assassin Princip appeared, and in the confusion, he rushed out of the back of the car and threw the bomb into the back seat of the car, leaving General Potiorek lying in a pool of blood, his fate uncertain.

In the afternoon of the same day, the Austro-Hungarian Chief of the General Staff, Hutzendorf, and the Minister of War both believed that the time had come for a "solution to the Serbian question" and demanded an immediate military mobilization and a declaration of war on Serbia. Archduke Ferdinand also had the idea of expanding his territory, but feared Russian intervention, so he asked Kaiser Wilhelm II for help.

The old emperor was as conservative as ever, and without the support of the Germans, he would not have signed the war order in any case.

On 5 July, the Austro-Hungarian ambassador to Germany, Drokie, was instructed to present a letter from Emperor Joseph to Wilhelm II. The assassination, the letter said, "was the result of direct agitation by the Russian and Serbian Great Slavists; Their aim is to weaken the Triple Alliance and divide my empire. …… If we allow this to continue, it will mean that my court and my territory will be in danger for a long time.

No one exercised restraint.

The Kaiser learned of the assassination of General Portiorek on his yacht off the coast of Kiel and immediately ceased his browsing activities. He lived like a gambler who had placed a bet, and kept shouting: "1914 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" ”

If the war dragged on until 1917, when Russia and France completed a new military expansion program, the balance of power would have changed. In June, Germany completed the widening of the Kiel Canal, which allowed the new "dreadnoughts" to sail directly into the Baltic Sea through the canal from the North Sea.

The Entente, on its part, was also ready to move.

Mafia leader Dmitrivić was the head of the Serbian Army Intelligence, and Prime Minister Pašić had known about the assassination in advance, and after the assassination, Pašić asked Russian War Minister Sukhomlinov for weapons support.

In the communiqué on the talks between the two countries and on open diplomatic occasions, Russia and France have repeatedly emphasized the "precious friendship" between the two countries, exaggerated the "fraternal naval and army forces," and pledged to each other to "cooperate with their allies loyally and unremittingly."

The biggest driver of the war was Britain, the source of centuries of trouble.

Britain was ready for war, and believed that it was better to fight late than early, and that it would be detrimental to itself if it delayed any longer. Because Britain saw that Germany was more productive than it could, it would quickly catch up in the naval shipbuilding race, hoping to defeat its dangerous rivals by war in 1914 while still maintaining naval superiority. However, after the Sarajevo incident, Britain did not show any intention of entering the war at first, because it was afraid of Germany pulling back from the precipice and taking responsibility for starting the war in the first place. Britain secretly encouraged France and Russia to fight against Germany and Austria, and pledged their support, which emboldened France and Russia.

In essence, Britain was the most war-hungry, and the Berlin-Baghdad railway was under construction. This ambitious 2B project touched British interests and caused the Anglo-German alliance to be completely aborted in 1904. Once this plan is completed, it will not only lose Britain's interests in the Middle East, but also threaten their maritime power in the Atlantic. By this time, the empire had begun to decline, the Monroe Doctrine had driven them out of the Americas, and the Boer War had taken a heavy toll on them.

War is an inevitable choice for every country. Just like a pile of gunpowder, if there is no match, there will be a lighter to light it.

Immediately after receiving the letter, the Kaiser stated that Austria-Hungary "could certainly count on Germany as an ally and a friend to support it." Germany fully supported" Austria-Hungary's "military action" against Serbia and believed that "it would be a pity if we let go of such a favorable opportunity".

The old emperor muttered: "In 1914 we cannot turn back, there will be a terrible war." ”

On 6 July, Serbia rejected the Austro-Hungarian offer, and Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

On 7 July, Austria-Hungary began shelling Belgrade, and Russia issued a general mobilization order. Military activities began in the Warsaw and Verna military districts, and other military districts were put on alert.

After the Germans' 48-hour deadline, Germany declared war on Russia on 9 July. At the same time, Russia declared war on Germany, Austria-Hungary.

France mobilized for war, although the French declared that they would only stay at the border. But for Germany, the reasons are sufficient. On July 13, Germany, Austria-Hungary declared war on France.

On 14 July, the German army marched into Belgium. Under the pretext of guaranteeing Belgian independence, Britain issued a withdrawal notice to Germany. Germany refused.

On July 15, Britain declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary.