Germany declares war on Russia
August 1, 1914 · 20th Century
On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia after the Russian Empire refused a 12-hour ultimatum to halt its military mobilization. Russia had mobilized on July 30 in response to Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia. German Ambassador Friedrich von Pourtales delivered the formal declaration to Foreign Minister Sergei Sazonov at the Russian Foreign Office in St. Petersburg. Germany then declared war on France two days later and invaded Belgium, drawing Britain into the conflict on August 4.
Key Figures
Kaiser Wilhelm IITsar Nicholas IITheobald von Bethmann HollwegErich von FalkenhaynCount Friedrich von PourtalèsSergey Sazonov
Locations
Winter PalaceBerlin StadtschlossNevsky Prospekt
Topics
st petersburgWWIRussiaFranceGermanyaustria
Connected Events — 2 Connections
Germany's declaration of war on Russia activated the Franco-Russian Alliance, forcing Germany to implement the Schlieffen Plan requiring invasion of Belgium, which triggered Britain's treaty obligation to defend Belgian neutrality Britain declares war on Germany
Precipitated Russia's disastrous involvement in World War I, creating the economic collapse, military defeats, and mass casualties that fueled revolutionary sentiment Lenin exploited The Bolshevik Revolution
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