Immediate Causes of World War One Include:
The July Crisis
-28th June- Assassination of Austrian Archduke Fans Ferdinand and Wife
-5th July - German "Blank Cheque" To Austria- Hungary
-23rd July - Austro-Hungarian Ultimatum to Serbia
-25th July - Serbia Declines the Ultimatum and Austria-Hungary Declares War
-30th July - Russia Orders Mobilization
-31st July - Germany Sends Russia an Ultimatum
-1st Aug - Germany Declares War on Russia
-3rd Aug - Germany Invades Belgium
-3rd Aug - Germany Declares War on France
-4th Aug - Britain Declares War on Germany
-6th Aug - Austria Hungary declares war on Russia.
-28th June- Assassination of Austrian Archduke Fans Ferdinand and Wife
Gavrilo Princip, A member of the Serbian Nationalist Group The Black Hand, Assassinated the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his Wife during their visit to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. The visit was planned on the Anniversary of the Serbs defeat at Kosovo in 1389 and St. Vitus' Day, which is a celebration of Slavic nationalism.
-5th July - German "Blank Cheque" To Austria- Hungary
The German Blank Check was a guarantee of unconditional German support given from Kaiser Wilhelm II and his chancellor to Austria-Hungary if Russia were to intervene with Austria- Hungary's conflict with Serbia and the per The Austrian Ultimatum.
-23rd July - Austro-Hungarian Ultimatum to Serbia
This was the reason Austro-Hungarians wanted the Blank Cheque was so they could send Serbia the Ultimatum. This Ultimatum claimed that Serbia was involved in the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and contained 10 severe demands that Serbia had to accept within 48 hours to avoid war with Austria-Hungary. Serbia attempted to negotiate the terms of the Ultimatum because they accepted most of the terms. One term Serbia had a large issue with is the leading of all investigations surrounding the assassination of the Archduke take place under Austro-Hungarian law enforcement officers and courts. Despite negotiations, the Austro-Hungarians do not amended the Ultimatum nor do they extend the deadline for response, as requested by the Russians. Winston Churchill, Head of Britain’s Royal Navy at the time, called the ultimatum “the most insolent document of its kind ever devised”
-25th July - Serbia Declines the Ultimatum and Austria-Hungary Declares War
Despite Kaiser Wilhelm's request to Austria-Hungary to remove the clause for war, the Austrians carried on and declared war on Serbia, bombing Belgrade on July 29th.
-30th July - Russia Orders Mobilization
Russia had strong interests in controlling Serbia. When Austria-Hungary entered Serbia, Russia told Austria that if they did not evacuate Serbia Russia would be forced to mobilize. Because the Austro-Hungarians did not evacuate Serbia the Russians were forced to mobilize, despite accoridng to some sources wishing to have negotiated a settlement.
