:rock:

Not for the war itself, but for coming up with an actual newspaper clipping.

One of the first things to happen was the British government ordered all warships to assemble at their home ports. The Home Fleet moved to Scapa Flow and the Orkneys to prepare for a blockade of Germany if it came to that. This was done on the sole order of First Sea Lord Prince Louis Battenberg, as First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill was on vacation at the time.

"I wondered whether those stupid Kings and Emperors could not assemble together and revivify kinship by saving the nations from hell but we all drift on in a kind of dull cataleptic trance. As if it was somebody else's operation."
-Winston Churchill in a letter to his wife upon hearing of the Declaration of War

Marting Gilbert, The First World War, Henry Holt, 1994
Richard Hough, The Great War at Sea, Oxford University Press, 1983
Ian Westwell, World War 1 Day by Day, The Brown Reference Group, 1999

I just come across this as well which you might find interesting, hopefully you can view it alright outside of the UK:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-...y-29-1914.html

Yeah, I managed to download it. Thanks!

Cool link Jamie :cool:

29th July 1914.

A series of telegrams (later known as the 'Willy-Nicky conference') are dispatched between Berlin and St Petersburg, as Berlin seeks to prevent the Austria/Serbian war from spreading into a larger conflict.
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/...914,%201%20a.m.

Russia commences partial troop mobilization, Germany cautions against this and begins mobilization herself. Austria-Hungarian monitor warships begin shelling Belgrade.

July 29:

Bulgaria declares neutrality.

The German Navy begins to mobilize. Prince Heinrich tells his brother the Kaiser that King George V had said "We shall try all we can to keep out of this and shall remain neutral." Admiral von Tirpitz expresses doubts about Britain's neutrality, and Wilhelm replies "I have the word of a king, and that is good enough for me." Alan Palmer, in his book The Kaiser, Warlord of the Second Reich, calls Heinrich's reporting "innacurate".

Tsar Nicholas II signs a partial mobilization order, to go into effect August 4.

Austro-Hungarian warships begin to attack Belgrade.

The British First Fleet (later renamed the Grand Fleet) completes its move to Scapa Flow.

Seems like a strange carry-over from the last major conflict on the planet, that the first shots of anger are fired by Austrian river monitors little different from those employed in the American Civil War.

http://www.borzsony.hu/imagebase/f1cc1f1f/14.jpg

Nice newspaper Oberon.
But this comment in the article suggests the journalist doesn't know much about the period.
- As well as the dispositions noted above, page 6 also contains a “Special Daily Telegraph War Map” although what exactly it is meant to illustrate is a tad unclear – it seems to be more about the main rail routes in Eastern Europe than anything

July 30: After much deliberation, Tsar Nicholas II signs an order for full Russian mobilization.

The Netherlands declares neutrality.

http://www.germanculture.com.ua/july/0708belgrade.jpg

http://www.fold3.com/image/53862790/

July 31

Berlin: German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg sends a telegram to Austrian Foreign Minister, Count Leopold Berhtold, asking Austria not to mobilise against Russia. At the same time General Helmuth von Moltke advises Austrian General Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf to mobilise immediately.

Germany gives Russia an ultimatum to halt all war mobilisation. Russia refuses.

Germany asks France for a guarantee of neutrality. France refuses.

French Ambassador to Germany Jules Cambon and Belgian Minister Baron Beyens write to the American Ambassador, James W. Gerard, asking him to intervene. Gerard writes to Bethmann-Hollweg, asking "Is there nothing my country can do? Nothing that I can do towards stopping this dreadful war?" He recieves no reply.

Industrialist Walther Rathenau publishes an article in the Berliner Tageblat saying that without Germany's blind loyalty to Austria, that nation would not have been so bold in her war policy.

Paris: Socialist leader Jean Jaurès, who has been trying to organize a peace movement, is assassinated. Most of France fully supports a war with Germany.

The London Stock Exchange closes. Stock Markets in Berlin, Rome and Vienna have already closed. To prevent massive selling and a possible crash, the New York Stock Exchange also closes.

http://m.theaustralian.com.au/nation...9278333ae6e3e0

On the evening of July 31, Australian prime minister, Joseph Cook told an audience at Victoria’s Horsham Town Hall that “when the Empire is at war, so is Australia at war”

Opposition leader, Andrew Fisher speaking at a separate event in Colac on the same evening, used a more memorable turn of phrase:
“But should the worst happen after everything has been done that honour will permit, Australians will stand beside our own, to help and defend her, to our last man and our last shilling.”

:rock:

Thanks, Grant, for more insight and yet another viewpoint. The more information the better. :sunny:

1st August

The Netherlands orders general mobilization of the Dutch Army.

Germany cancels the sailing of steamships from its ports, trapping many tourists and expatriates in the country.

Germany gives Russia a time limit of 12 hours to reverse mobilization and France 18 hours for it to declare neutrality.

August 1

Belgium proclaims armed neutrality. Britain and France both agree. Germany says nothing.

France begins to mobilize its army. Huge cheering crowds greet the men, and flowers decorate the cannon as they roll on their way.

When it is reported that the French Ministry of War feels that Russia should invade Germany, General Nikolai Golovin says this "was the equivalent of asking Russia to commit suicide." Tsar Nicholas sends one last telegram to the Kaiser: "Our long proved friendship must succeed, with God's help, in avoiding bloodshed."

At 1700 hours Kaiser Wilhelm orders mobilization of all German forces, and declares war on Russia at 1910 hours. He is still hoping that Britain might remain neutral and convince France to do so as well, if he guarantees that he will not attack France. Von Moltke points out that the Schlieffen plan is already in effect, German troops are about to sieze railways in Luxembourg, and there is no way to stop it now. At 2300 hours Wilhelm gives the order for the German army to begin its march westward.

In Britain, King George V is still hoping that war might be averted. He sends a telegram to his cousin the Tsar: "I cannot help thinking that some misunderstanding has produced this deadlock. I am most anxious not to miss any possibility of avoiding the terrible calamity which at present threatens the whole world."

When the German ambassador to Russia handed the war declation to Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Sazonoff, the minister said "This is a criminal act of yours. The curses of all nations will be upon you." The ambassador, Friedrich Pourtalès, replied "We are defending our honor." Sazonoff said "Your honor is not involved. You could have prevented war with one word; you didn't want to."

Deciding that "St. Petersburg" is too German-sounding, the move is immediately begun to change that city's name to Petrograd.