Declarations of War in WW1 | Illustrated London News
from the archives of The Illustrated London News
Main menu
Home
Newspapers
The Illustrated War News
The Illustrated London News
The Sphere
The Tatler
The Bystander
The Sketch
The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News
The Graphic
Buy the Magazine
Explore
Highlights
Map
Topics
War Artists
Learning
Timeline
Timeline
1914
Franz Ferdinand assassinated
Europe declares war
Recruitment begins
Battle of Mons
Battle of the Marne
Battle of the Aisne
East Coast bombed
1915
Edith Cavell executed
Poison gas introduced
Gallipoli Campaign begins
RMS Lusitania sunk
Munitions Ministry created
1916
Verdun Offensive begins
Battle of Jutland
Somme Offensive begins
1917
USA enters the war
W.A.A.C. established
The Battle of Passchendaele
1918
Rationing introduced
Russian Armistice signed
Operation Michael begins
Hundred Days Offensive
Spanish Flu peaks
Armistice signed
1919
Peace Treaty signed at Versailles
Cenotaph unveiled
About
The ILN at War
Highlights
map
Search
advanced search
Publication
The Illustrated War News
The Illustrated London News
The Sphere
The Tatler
The Bystander
The Sketch
Sporting & Dramatic News
Date
Home
Europe declares war
Europe declares war
Sir Edward Grey convinces Great Britain to go to war in aid of Belgium
By August 1914, the great powers of Europe were set against each other and marching to war. The Serbian state was implicated in the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand, and diplomatic relations between the two states quickly diminished. On the 28 July 1914, all hope of peaceful solution to the quarrel had been lost and Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
The declaration of war between Serbia and Austria-Hungary set a chain of events in motion that pulled all the great European powers into the war. On 1 August 1914, Germany declared war on Russia which had begun to mobilise its troops in support of its ally Serbia. The Illustrated London News reported that Russia had become the ‘Great Protector of the Slavs’ in reference to Russia’s policy of unity and separatism for all Slavic people. Austria-Hungary at this time was Germany’s only solid ally, and consequently Germany declared war on Russia in support of them.
France, which had been deeply distrustful of Germany since the Franco-Prussian War, mobilised its army in support of Russia. Russia, France and Britain had signed a pact together, known as the “Triple Entente”, which compelled them to support either of the other two in a time of crisis. France intended to honour this agreement and wanted to stem the tide of German militarism. Germany similarly saw French mobilisation as a threat and responded by declaring war on her on 3 August 1914. Little was reported about the various declarations of war in The Illustrated London News and the Great Eight Publications, except in regard to Great Britain.
On 4 August 1914, Britain declared war on Germany. This came as quite a shock because it had been uncertain whether Britain would enter the war as part of the “Triple Entente” or remain neutral. It was an issue of honour, Belgium’s independence, that brought Britain into the war. Germany had hoped that Britain would not honour the treaty between Britain and Belgium that was signed 70 years before. However, The Illustrated London News reported that the Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey had made his case in parliament that:
“We [Britain] have great and vital interests in the independence (of which integrity is the least part) of Belgium… If in a crisis like this, we ran away from those obligations of honour and interest as regards the Belgian Treaty, I doubt whether, whatever material force we might have at the end, it would be of very much value in face of the respect that we should have lost.”
Reactions to the declaration of war from the British populace are shown in the Great Eight publications to have been positive. The Illustrated London News noted that scores of people crowded outside Buckingham Palace on the eve of the declaration, to cheer the Royal Family and illustrate their patriotic fervour.
Click here to browse the archives for articles related to the outbreak of war.
Browse the Timeline
Current event28/07/1914
Most popular
The Orange and Green: Irish-Canadian Rangers in … 18 views
Oases in Western Egypt from Which British … 16 views
War Prizes: Ships Taken from Germany by … 15 views
The Dead Irish Leader: At the Funeral … 14 views
“The Old Business of Trench-Warfare Has Been … 14 views
A Leader in the Great Crisis in … 14 views
The Greatest of Modern Battlefields: Achi Baba … 14 views
Visited by the Prince of Wales: The … 13 views
Dead on the Field of Honour: Officers … 12 views
Another Monarch in Exile: Ex-King Ludwig of … 12 views
Related articles”Mobilisation of the Fleet Has Taken Place”: The British Dreadnought “King George V”In the course of his momentous speech in the House on August 3, Sir Edward Grey said : ” We felt strongly that France was entitled to know and to…British Interest in the War: Eager Crowds in London StreetsThe crowd in London has been taking the greatest interest in the state of affairs in Europe, and the fact that the crisis was at its height on the Saturday…A Weapon of the Protector of the Slavs: The Russian Army Preparing for War in Time of PeaceThe Austro-Hungarian Note to Servia, with regard to the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, the Duchess of Hohenberg, brought home once more to the general Russia’s…
Find us onTwitter
History Pin
DiscoverTimeline
The ILN at War
War Artists
The Newspapers
Topics
HelpHow to Use This Site
Terms and Conditions
Privacy
CompanyAbout Us
Contact Us
Copyright and Credits
© 2016 Copyright ILN LIMITED. All rights reserved.