The July 1914 Domino Effect: How a Balkan Crisis Became a World War

The Franco-Russian alliance (1894) turned a regional conflict into a continental war in days:

1. July 28: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia after the Sarajevo assassination.
2. July 30: Russia orders full mobilization to support Serbia.
3. July 31: Germany, bound to Austria-Hungary and fearing a two-front war, declares war on Russia.
4. August 1: Germany declares war on France (Russia's ally) and invades Belgium (Schlieffen Plan).
5. August 4: Britain declares war on Germany over Belgian neutrality.

By the end of July 1914, France had declared war on Germany—honoring its treaty with Russia. The alliance system, designed for deterrence, became a transmission belt for escalation. Within a week, Europe's great powers were at war.