The Great War #9 | Outbreak of World War I
In the summer of 1914, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo and the July Crisis, the Great Powers of Europe were drawn into World War I. What many believed would be a short conflict 'over by Christmas' instead became the First World War—a devastating global conflict marked by trench warfare, massive battles, and a brutal struggle across multiple fronts.
As tensions escalated, Germany issued its infamous “blank cheque” of support to Vienna, encouraging a hardline stance. Meanwhile, France stood ready to support its Russian ally, and Britain faced the difficult decision of whether to stay neutral or intervene. What began as a regional dispute in the Balkans quickly spiraled into a continental crisis, as telegrams, ultimatums, and hasty mobilizations locked the Great Powers of Europe into an unavoidable path to war.
By August 1914, diplomacy had collapsed. Germany declared war on Russia and France, while violating Belgian neutrality in its execution of the Schlieffen Plan, drawing Britain into the conflict. Everyone had expected a short war “over by Christmas,” but instead the First World War became a colossal struggle on multiple fronts. Trench warfare, mass casualties, and a new age of industrialized killing transformed the conflict into one of the deadliest wars in history.