World War I was a military conflict that raged from 1914 to 1918. It began as a localEuropean war between Austria - Hungary and Serbia on July 28, 1914. It wastransformed into a general European struggle by declaration of war against Russia onAugust 1, 1914 and eventually became a global war involving 32 nations. Twenty - eightof these nations, known as the Allies and the Associated Powers, and including GreatBritain, France, Russia, Italy, and the United States, opposed the coalition known as theCentral Powers, consisting of Germany, Austria - Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria. Theimmediate cause of the war between Austria - Hungary and Serbia was the assassinationof the Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, at Sarajevo in Bosnia by GavriloPrincip, a Serb nationalist. (Microsoft Encarta, 1996)On July 28 Austria declared war against Serbia, either because it felt Russia wouldnot actually fight for Serbia, or because it was prepared to risk a general European conflictin order to put an end to the Greater Serbia movement. Russia responded by partiallymobilizing against Austria. Germany warned Russia that continued mobilization wouldcause war with Germany, and it made Austria agree to discuss with Russia a possiblechange of the ultimatum to Serbia. Germany demanded, however, that Russia demobilize.Russia refused to do so, and on August 1, Germany declared war on Russia. (MicrosoftEncarta, 1996)The French began to mobilize on the same day. On August 2, German troopsinvades Luxembourg and on August 3, Germany declared war on France. On August 2,the German government informed the government of Belgium of its intention to march onFrance through Belgium in order, as it claimed, to prevent an attack on Germany byFrench troops marching through Belgium. The Belgian government refused to allow thepassage of German troops and called on the witnesses of the Treaty of 1839, whichguaranteed the justice of Belgium in case of a conflict...
