( Pictures
and Maps to be added )
For
the majority of people in Europe and certainly for the men and women of
Ulster who were gearing up to fight Home Rule and its minions of suppression,
war came as a surprise, but a complex sequence of events were to draw
the the United Kingdom and the people of Ulster and Ireland into the Great
War of 1914-1918.
Archduke Franz Ferinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian imperial throne,
was murdered during an official visit to Sarajevo, capital of the recently
acquired province of Bosnia. Suspicion feel immediately at the feet of
neighbouring Serbia, the state to which most Bosnians wished to belong.
For Vienna this assassination was a unique opportunity to smash nationalism
in the Balkans, which had long threatened the internal stability of the
Empire. Austrias powerful ally, Germany, gave its blessing. But when Austria
declared war on Serbia, the Russian Tsar, posing as protector of the Balkan
people, ordered his own huge army to make ready. Russian mobilisation
threatened German strategic plans to avoid war on two fronts : the Germans
had long accepted that the Russians ally, France must be knocked out by
an invasion through Belgium before the Russians moved West. There was
now a panic in the German Imperial court. There might not be enough time
to knock out France if Russia was in such an advanced state of readiness.
While the Germans were still approaching Paris the Russians could be taking
Berlin.
On the 26 July Astro-Hungry declared war. Four days later Russia mobilised
its army and Germany demanded that they demobilise. When they refused
the Germans declared war, first on Russia, then two days later on France.
On Sunday 2 August Germany asked for free passage through Belgium and
when they refused Von Moltke poured his troops into Belgium anyway.
Now it was time for Britain to take an interest in what was happening,
because it was not only France’s ally but it was also treaty bound
to protect the freedom of the Belgians. Besides, the worlds most extensive
Empire and greatest naval power could not stand by and see the Jack boot
of the Hun smash its way through the English Channel so on Tuesday 4 August,
Britain declared War on Germany.
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