Lyla Lindsey
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife on 28 June 1914, set off a chain of events that led to the First World War. A month later, on 28 July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, which was a supporter of Russia. This declaration of war sparked a series of events that eventually led to France and Britain declaring war on Austria-Hungary and its allies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of France and Britain's declaration of war on Austria-Hungary | 4 August 1914 |
| Reason | Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, which was supported by Russia. This led to Germany declaring war on Russia and France. Germany's invasion of Belgium and the potential for German domination in Europe brought Britain into the war. |
| Context | Growing nationalism, increased militarism, imperial rivalry, and competition for power and influence. |
| Contributing factors | Long and short-term foreign policy goals, political pressures, previous crises, and the system of opposing alliances. |
| Related events | Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, on 28 June 1914. |
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What You'll Learn
Britain feared domination of Europe by a single power
Britain's foreign policy was based on maintaining a balance of power in Europe. Britain was also determined to protect its vast global empire and its sea trade. It feared that a German victory in western Europe would establish its control along the Channel coast and pose a threat to Britain's security and trade.
Germany's violation of Belgian neutrality and its desire to dominate Europe brought Britain and its empire into the war on 4 August 1914. This act of war broke the 1839 Treaty of London, which bound Britain to guard the neutrality of Belgium. Britain was nervous that a German victory against Belgium or France would guarantee German domination of Europe.
The new German navy was also a threat to Britain's naval dominance, which was the glue that held the empire together. This rivalry turned into an arms race as each nation tried to outproduce the other with ever-greater feats of technology. This culminated in the production of Dreadnought battleships, which were seen as the nuclear weapons of their day.
Britain's fear of German domination in Europe was not unfounded. Germany had been preparing for war since the 1870s. Their Schlieffen-Moltke plan took nine years to finalise and was based on the theory that if Germany went to war with Russia, France would inevitably attack Germany, producing the military nightmare of Germany fighting a war on two fronts. The plan assumed that France was weak and could be beaten quickly, and that Russia would take six weeks to mobilise its army, giving Germany time to knock out France before turning its attention eastward to Russia.
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France was honouring its alliance with Russia
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on 28 June 1914, set off a chain of events that led to the First World War. This assassination was the catalyst for Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. Russia's support for Serbia brought France into the conflict, honouring its alliance with Russia.
France and Russia had been allies since 1893 or 1894, and this alliance was reaffirmed in the face of the growing threat from Germany and Austria-Hungary. The two countries had a mutual interest in counteracting the threat of the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. Russia and France's alliance was further strengthened by their shared worries about Germany, with France fearing the emergence of a powerful neighbour and Russia concerned about German support for the Ottoman Empire's modernisation of its armed forces.
In the lead-up to the First World War, Russia and France worked together to put pressure on Britain to declare its support for them in the conflict. While Britain was not obligated to fight by the terms of its agreements with Russia and France, it was eventually pushed to join the war on 4 August 1914 due to Germany's violation of Belgian neutrality and British fears of German domination in Europe.
Thus, France's entry into the war against Austria-Hungary was influenced by multiple factors, including its alliance with Russia, the growing tensions and rivalry between European powers, and the complex web of alliances that characterised the early 20th-century international relations.
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Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife were assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student and member of an organisation seeking to end Austrian rule in Bosnia. This event triggered a chain of diplomatic manoeuvring between the major European powers, known as the July Crisis.
Austria-Hungary, with German encouragement, delivered an ultimatum to Serbia, a series of ten demands designed to provoke a war. Serbia accepted all but one of these demands, but this was insufficient for Austria-Hungary, which broke off diplomatic relations and prepared for a military invasion. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, marking the start of World War I.
The Austrian army invaded Serbia and captured Belgrade, but a Serbian counterattack forced them to retreat. The Serbian campaign, dubbed a "punitive expedition" by the Austro-Hungarian leadership, was commanded by Austrian General Oskar Potiorek. Despite their smaller size, the Serbian forces, supported by Montenegro, successfully repelled three Austro-Hungarian invasion attempts. Their victory at the Battle of Cer is considered the first Allied victory of World War I and a significant upset in modern military history.
The conflict escalated as Russia, France, and Britain became involved. Russia's mobilisation of its army was viewed by Germany as a threat, leading to Germany's declaration of war on Russia and France. Britain, fearing German domination in Europe, joined the war on August 4, 1915, after Germany invaded neutral Belgium.
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Germany supported Austria-Hungary
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife on 28 June 1914, set off a chain of events that led to the First World War. A month later, on 28 July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. This declaration was encouraged by Germany, which had already been preparing for war since the 1870s. Germany's war plan was time-sensitive and based on the theory that if Germany went to war with Russia, France would inevitably attack Germany, resulting in Germany fighting a two-front war. To avoid this, Germany aimed to knock France out of the war swiftly before turning its attention to Russia.
Austria-Hungary sought assurances from Germany that it would come to its aid if Russia declared war in support of Serbia. Germany agreed to support Austria-Hungary, and on 28 July, Russia ordered partial mobilisation in response to Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia. Germany viewed Russia's mobilisation as a threat to both itself and Austria-Hungary, and on 1 August, Germany declared war on Russia. This was followed by a declaration of war on France on 3 August.
Germany's violation of Belgian neutrality and Britain's fears of German domination in Europe led Britain to declare war on Germany on 4 August. Thus, Germany's support for Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia played a significant role in bringing France and Britain into the conflict.
Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, European powers viewed military strength as essential to their global influence. Germany and Austria-Hungary had been allies for some time, and their combined forces invaded Serbia during World War I. However, the war efforts of the Central Powers were ultimately unsuccessful, and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was one of the outcomes of the war.
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Britain was bound by the 1839 Treaty of London to protect Belgium's neutrality
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on June 28, 1914, sparked a series of events that led to the First World War. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, which in turn led to Russia's mobilisation of its army, an act that Germany viewed as an act of aggression. Germany declared war on Russia and its ally France on August 1 and 3, respectively.
Britain had initially hoped for a diplomatic solution to the escalating conflict. However, Germany's invasion of neutral Belgium on August 4, 1914, to bypass French defences and swiftly defeat France before turning to Russia, changed the situation. This act of war violated the 1839 Treaty of London, which recognised Belgium's independence and bound Britain to protect Belgium's neutrality.
The Treaty of London, signed on April 19, 1839, by Great Britain, Austria, France, Prussia, Russia, and Belgium, provided international recognition for the newly formed state of Belgium and guaranteed its independence and neutrality. The major powers, including Britain, had committed to safeguarding Belgium's neutrality and independence from the Netherlands, which had previously invaded Belgium in 1831.
Article 7 of the 1839 Treaty of London specifically bound Britain to guard Belgian neutrality in the event of an invasion. When Germany invaded Belgium, Britain was faced with a dilemma. The German government asked Britain to ignore its commitment to Belgium, referring to the treaty as a "scrap of paper." However, Britain refused, and Germany invaded Belgium anyway, leading Prime Minister Asquith to bring Britain into the Great War on August 4, 1914.
Britain's decision to declare war on Germany was influenced by concerns about German hegemony in Western Europe if France were defeated. Britain feared German domination in Europe and wanted to prevent a single, militarist autocracy from controlling the continent.
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Frequently asked questions
France and Britain declared war on Austria-Hungary because of a series of events that started with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on 28 June 1914. This led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia, which in turn led to Russia's support of Serbia, bringing France into the conflict. Germany's violation of Belgian neutrality and Britain's fear of German domination in Europe then brought Britain into the war.
Germany's invasion of Belgium on 4 August 1914 was the immediate cause of Britain's declaration of war on Germany. This act of war broke the 1839 Treaty of London, which bound Britain to guard the neutrality of Belgium.
The outbreak of World War I was shaped by growing nationalism, increased militarism, imperial rivalry, and competition for power and influence among European nations. The decisions for war were influenced by a combination of long- and short-term foreign policy goals, political pressures at home, previous crises, and the system of opposing alliances that had developed over the previous decades.
The Triple Entente, formed by Britain, France, and Russia, was a close cooperation against Germany and Austria-Hungary. The alliance contributed to the outbreak of World War I, as it heightened tensions and further entangled the nations in the conflict.
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