ww1

How old was Germany when WWI began?

40 years old

Why was the Archduchess Sophie unpopular with the court?

Archduke's marriage to Sophie will never be accepted due to her low birth. She was a lady-in-waiting before she met the archduke.

What did the Austrians do while considering war with Serbia because of the assassination?

Before they can have their war, they decide they must consult with their much stronger ally:The German Empire.So they send a delegation to Potsdam to meet with the Kaiser, Wilhelm II. They go to the Kaiser and tell him that this is intolerable,,that they cannot let this act of terrorism go unpunished. And the Kaiser says to them, "We'll back you, whatever you do. Germany is behind you, without reservation."

What was designed to prevent conflict between European powers?

Concert of Europe so that whenever war seemed perilously close, the nations of Europe would come together in a congress, a conference, and instead come to a settlement that all parties would abide by.

Germany replaced which country as the most powerful land-based military in Europe?

France

What was Otto von Bismarck's primary foreign policy objective to guarantee German's security?

His life's work was to ensure that France and Russia never allied so that Germany would never be surrounded.

WWI was the first major conflict in Europe itself since the wars begun by which historical figure?

Napoleon

What was the name of the weak czar who ruled Russia at the outbreak of WWI?

Nicholas II

What did Pourtales warn Sazonov would happen if their countries went to war?

Pourtàles begs Sazonov to call off Russian mobilization. He tells him that there must be solidarity between the monarchies, that they must work together or all fall alone. Pourtàles tells Sazonov there will be revolution-- revolution in Europe if the monarchies did not work together.If they don't work together, all of the crowns will fall.

What did the Austrians have to wait for before sending their ultimatum to the Serbs?

President Poincaré, the leader of France,was going to Russia to meet with the czar.And the Austrians, ever nervous, decide that they can't send the ultimatum while their two greatest adversaries are meeting together in the same place.It would never do.They could make decisions too quickly.They could coordinate in ways they normally couldn't when they're a thousand miles apart.So the Austrians delay.They wait until Poincaré is a hundred miles out to sea before sending their ultimatum.

What caused Sazonov to order Russia's military to mobilize?

Sazonov gets reports of Austrians shelling Belgrade. These reports are false, of course. The Austrian army won't be ready to do anything until August 14th, but he has no way of knowing that. So he, one of the last men opposed to full Russian mobilization, lets the dam break and declares himself for a full mobilization of the Russian army.

Who was Sergei Sazonov?

Sergei Sazonov was the foreign minister of Russia, he woke to receive the terms of the ultimatum that Austria sent to Serbia. He reads quietly to himself, then turns to an aide and fatefully utters, "It's a European war."

Why was the Archduke's visit on that day perceived as a slap in the face by the Serbs?

That day marked the anniversary of one of the greatest battles in Serbian history: The Battle of Kosovo. It's one of the great rallying points of the Serbian people, a point of national pride. To Serbian nationalists, this is one of their proudest days. And for them, for the Archduke of Austria, the symbol of their oppression, the embodiment foreign rule to come here on that date was the greatest insult.

What was the greatest irony about the Archduke's assassination?

The Archduke was perhaps the greatest defender of the Serbs in the Empire, and so when moderation was called for, the parties for war simply had to point to his death and say,"He was their greatest friend and look what they did to him! What do you think they're gonna do to us?" And all arguments were quelled.So, at last, the Hungarians relented on one condition, that the Austro-Hungarian Empire would not annex a foot of Serbian land.

What was Kaiser's suggestion for the Austrians to show that they didn't plan to annex Serbia?

The Kaiser tries to open peace talks, perhaps even hold a conference, but the Austrians will have none of it. So he proposes a novel solution: Halt in Belgrade. Belgrade, the Serbian capital, is just a few miles from the Austrian border. If the Austrian army occupies the capital, they can declare victory and save face while showing the rest of Europe that they don't plan to annex Serbia. And they can do it quickly enough to perhaps keep the Russians out of the war.

Who tried to work out a last minute alternative to war before one of them abruptly died?

The Russian ambassador dies of a heart attack

What event preceded the Archduke's assassination by Gavrilo Princip?

The assisination failed at first, and Gavrilo was sad about that, so he went to eat a snack, a sandwich. The archduke's driver makes a wrong turn, where Gavrilo was eating his sandwich, and their car stalled, so Gavrilo fires two shots, and the archduke and his wife die.

Which group of people in the Austro-Hungarian Empire were very vocally opposed to conflict with Serbia?

The hungarians

What was the ostensible reason for the Archduke's visit to Sarajevo?

They've come to Sarajevo to watch military maneuvers. But really, that's an excuse. It's their anniversary. They've come to get away from the stifling courts of Austria.

Why did the Serbs refuse to let the Austrians investigate the assassination on Serbian soil?

To agree to such a thing is tantamount to giving up sovereignty. (supreme power)No nation would accept this.

What happened on July 28th, 1914

on the 28th of July, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia,

To what is World War I frequently referred to?

seminal catastrophe of the 20th century (Great War)