July 1914, the slope towards the First World War evoked by Mattarella
From the Sarajevo bombing to the outbreak of war, a succession of diplomatic failures and fatal decisions
2' min read
2' min read
The 'July crisis' of 1914 - evoked today by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, after the sensational encroachment of Russian drones in Poland's airspace - was characterised by that 'imprudent behaviour' on the part of the great European states, such that the continent was plunged into the First World War: a conflict that Austria and Germany imagined to be limited in time and deployment, and which instead turned out to be a protracted clash in which all the states of the old continent were involved, with a carnage never before seen in Europe's bloody history.
It all began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria and Hungary, on 28 June in Sarajevo by the Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. Long weeks then began in which diplomacy failed to prevent the initial spark from igniting the fire. Austria immediately threatened Serbia with retaliation, and French President Poincaré went to Russia, Serbia's ally, to try to form a front that would block Vienna's threats. Vienna agreed with its German ally for a blitzkrieg against Serbia that would confront the European states with a fait accompli.
Britain, which had improved relations with Germany, considered a conflict unlikely and did not intervene diplomatically.
A month after the attack, on 23 July Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with an ultimatum to be answered within 48 hours, with humiliating conditions that were rejected by Belgrade. After three days Vienna launched its troops against Serbia, Moscow declared general mobilisation on 30 July. In turn, Berlin issued an ultimatum to Russia demanding the withdrawal of general mobilisation, and one to France demanding a declaration of neutrality, the guarantee for which was the surrender of the fortresses of Toul and Verdun to Germany.
Both ultimates were repulsed, the Kaiser's troops invaded Belgium to reach French territory, prompting Britain to enter the conflict. Within days, Serbia declared war on Germany, Austria-Hungary on Russia, France on Austria-Hungary, and England on Austria-Hungary. It was the First World War. Italy would enter it on 24 May the following year.
