Why Did The July Crisis Of 1914 Result In A General European War? Who Is To Blame For This Outcome?

On the 28th of June 1914 Bosnian nationalist Gavrilo Princip shot dead the Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Franz Ferdinand and his wife in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, this lead to ‘the July Crisis’ whereby Austria-Hungary debated declaring war on Serbia. One month later on the 28th of July Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia for their hand in supporting the Bosnian liberation cellBlack Hand responsible for the assassination. By the 4th of August this “Third Balkan War” had escalated into a major European war with Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Serbia and Russia all belligerents. The assassination of the Archduke is often seen as the direct reason for the beginning of the war followed by the other nations lending their hand in defence of their allies. This is notthe case as tensions between the European powers had been rising in the decades prior to the breakout of the war in the form of ententes and alliances, the rise of nationalism and the growth of Germany. In this assignment I shall be referring to primary and secondary sources in an attempt to answer the question why did the July Crisis of 1914 result in a general European war and who was to blamefor this?
The domino effect of states declaring war in defence of their allies leading to a general European war was as the result of a series of alliances ad ententes that formed in the years prior to the war. In 1882 the Triple Alliance was formed between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. The Triple Entente was formed as a result of three separate military agreements from 1892 to 1907 betweenBritain, France and Russia. These commitments were as a result of rising tensions in Europe and as deterrents in case of a future war. As it is put in the


Hew Strachan book that if the alliances and ententes did not cause the war then their existence ensured that the conflict would become a wider war1. This ensured that if any future war was to break out on the continent it between any ofthese powers it was doomed to erupt into a general European war. This is one of the reasons that the July Crisis resulted in a general European war not because it was the goal of the aggressor state but that it was the faith of any future continental war. Then again the war started from Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia then Russia stepping in for the defence of Serbia who was in neither ofthese commitments. So for what reason did Austria-Hungary declare war on Serbia and why did Russia intervene?
In the decades before the war there was a rise in nationalism in Europe. This emerged from the French Revolution and the spread of literacy. By the beginning of the 20th century every nation had its own distinctive national identity, this was most dangerous for the people of the Balkansand Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary was home to eleven nationalities with the Austrians and Magyars given priority in ruling. Slavic peoples living in Austria-Hungary such as the Bosnians aspired to be like the Serbs who had founded their nation and expanded in size during the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913, this lead to the foundation of the Black Hand. An organisation committed to a Bosnia freefrom Austria-Hungary. Serbian Intelligence under General Apis aided this organisation. A Slavic brotherhood existed of whom Russia saw itself as defending; ‘For Russia, every Balkan issue became a test of Slavic fraternalism and aggressive Russian

nationalism’2. In a speech to the Russian legislature concerning the outbreak of war Tsar Nicholas II said that Russia was not just fighting for itshonour but for its brother-Slavs. Nationalism in Bosnia was the reason for the assassination in Sarajevo; it was the reason the Serbian Intelligence aided the Bosnian cell behind the assassination and it was the reason Russia stepped in to defend Serbia on Austria-Hungary declaring war. As we can see nationalism was a major reason behind a general European war during the July Crisis from the...