Leading Europe into War
“There were people who thought this was wrong, obviously. They weren’t the ones making the decisions. . . . Some people did see the realilty of what this was going to be like. But many people didn’t think about it at all.”
~ Professor Anthony McGinnis, University of Colorado
~ Professor Anthony McGinnis, University of Colorado
All the events prior to and following the assassination were almost solely guided by the leaders of the nations of Europe, rather than by their citizens. "An interesting point about [the outbreak of war] in terms of social history is that the leaders of these countries are all, of course, nobility and upper class. They're making the decisions themselves. Really nobody else is" (Professor Anthony McGinnis). Because public opinion was shaped largely by these leaders, the decisions made both before and after June 28 had minimal civilian input and reflected instead the objectives of European heads of state. The "presumably binding alliance system that bound [the European nations] to each other . . . also divided them," putting the national and political interests of Europe at the heart of the 1914 conflict (Professor Manfred Enssle, Colorado State University).
Civilian Reaction to War
“. . . the moment war was declared, it was hailed with varying demonstrations of enthusiasm on the part of the people in every country – with considerable in Serbia, Austria, Russia and Germany, with less in France, and almost none in England. But this does not mean that the peoples wanted war or exerted a decisive influence to bring it about. It is a curious psychological phenomenon that as soon as a country engages in war, there develops or is created among the masses a frenzy of patriotic excitement which is no index of their pre-war desires. And in the countries where the demonstrations of enthusiasm were greatest, the political influence of the people on the Government was least.” (Fay, 2: 548)
Kaiser Wilhelm II making his war speech from a balcony, July 31, 1914
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"We found the streets full of people and handbills being thrown about, something to do with some government decision between Austria and Serbia. We couldn’t find out anymore, except that people seemed to think there might be a war. But the boys said 'It’s nothing. There’s always some tin-pot little war brewing over here.' So we didn’t bother about it." ~ Mary Ludlum, a young American in Berlin during 1914 |
"Civilian reaction in the Austro-Hungarian Empire was fairly muted. Assassinations of leaders, while not commonplace, were not unknown in Europe. . . . To the general public in many of the European monarchies, political developments did not really affect them unless they were in the military." ~Doran Cart |
Austro-Hungarian citizens on the eve of World War I
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"The French population show[ed] little concern regarding the event. Balkanic countries and affairs seem[ed] far far away. Thus, even in Paris, the information of Franz-Ferdinand’s assassination [was] rapidly [forgotten]. Therefore, the Ultimatum emitted by Austria to Serbia on July 23rd [was] seen as a terrible surprise. . . . [T]he declaration of war was not welcomed with a general [enthusiasm] as the mobilisation of the people by August 1914 was somewhat resigned."
~Stéphane Jonard, Cultural Interpreter at the Musée de la Grande Guerre
~Stéphane Jonard, Cultural Interpreter at the Musée de la Grande Guerre
From The First World War: The Complete Story, 'To Arms 1914'