On this day...1914 THE WAR IN THE WEST BEGINS 0700 hours - Belgium notifies the German Ambassador, Below, that it has had no option othen than to reject the German demand for free passage through its territory and advised the Germans that the Belgian forces would resist German incursions with force. Part of the Belgian statement read: ...The attack upon her independence with which the German Government threaten her constitutes a flagrant violation of international law. No strategic interest justifies such a violation of law....If this hope is disappointed the Belgian Government are firmly resolved to repel, by all the means in their power, every attack upon their rights. 0830 to 0930 hours - The French and British Ambassadors in Brussels send the first reports of Germany’s ultimatum to Belgium back to their respective governments. Morning – There is a major British Cabinet meeting during the morning, which is divided between those who increasingly see a need to respect Belgian neutrality and stand up to the Germans, and those who seeks to stay out of the conflict on the Continent. Four pacifist members of the Cabinet resign or do so shortly afterwards. The British government then sends an ultimatum to Germany to respect Belgian neutrality. As a result of the meeting Winston Churchill orders the full mobilization of the Royal Navy. As these developments become public, large crowds fill the streets of London in support of the war. 1325 hours - Henry Hadley, and English Language teacher who had been teaching in Berlin for the last three years was on board a train travelling to Paris. He had decided to leave Berlin as the outbreak of hostilities looked increasingly likely. Hadley and his English housekeeper, Elizabeth Pratley, had caught a train to Cologne from Berlins Friedrichstraße station, intending to change trains there. While on board a conductor became suspicious of their behaviour for he believed he had heard Hadley speaking in a number of foreign languages. The Conductor also later said that Hadley did not appear to know where he was travelling to and had argued with a waiter in the dining car before making gestures at German officers who were also on the train. While the train was stopped in Gelsenkirchen station Hadley was challenged by one of these officers and an altercation ensued. After briefly returning to his seat, Hadley got up once more and was confront again in the corridor. He accuser this time was Prussian officer, First Lieutenant Nicolay. In the ensuing dispute he fired his pistol and shot Hadley in the stomach. Hadley was taken off the train and then placed in an ambulance to be taken to the Evangelische Krankenhaus in Gelsenkirchen for treatment. Afternoon - Berchtold reluctantly has an Austrian declaration of war against Russia drawn up. The Austrians had been trying desperately to maintain a conflict against Serbia only but over the past month German pressure had seen the whole issue spiral out of control. Now, the Austrians were unwittingly drawn into a conflict with Serbia and Russia, leaving their mobilisation in a state of confusion. The Austrian commander in the Balkans, had begun planning for the attack on Serbia, acting on the assumption that most of the Austrian Army will be deployed southwards. 1500 to 1615 hours – Foreign Secretary Grey delivered a stirring speech in the House of Commons which justified the British policy of supporting Belgium and standing by the Entente with France, even though this would lead to Britain’s involvement in a Continental conflict. 1515 hours – Henry Hadley died in the hospital at Gelsenkirchen. He was the first British casualty of the war. Elizabeth Pratley was later interrogated at a military prison in Münster but was eventually released without charge. She was finally allowed to return home in November 1914. The British government received a communique from the German government, via the American embassy in Berlin, declaring that Lieutenant Nicolay had acted in self-defence, saying that Hadley had appeared to be reaching for a weapon, and did not respond to the warning hands up or I will shoot. A court martial later cleared him of all blame. Nonetheless, the British government continued to regard the case as one of murder. 1600 hours – The British Army is officially ordered to mobilise. Looking out a Foreign Office window, Grey sadly comments, “The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.” Grey officially transmits Britain’s “sincere regret” over the seizure of the two Turkish battleships in the Tyne shipyards, but fails to offer any compensation Evening - King Albert assumes direct command of the Belgian Army and declines a French offer of military aid. Albert orders the demolition of the Meuse bridges near Liège and the rail links from Luxembourg in order to slow up any German advance into Belgian territory. The Belgian Chief of Staff General Selliers attempted to thwart the order but the bridges and tunnels around Liège were destroyed or blocked over the next three days. Meanwhile, Turkey signed a military pact with Germany. A secret German-Ottoman alliance against Russia is also concluded. 1815 hours - A German declaration of war on France is delivered to Viviani by German Ambassador Schoen. The French government then protests the non-existent movement of Austrian troops to Alsace, creating a pretext for a later declaration of war on Austria. THE WAR AT SEA BEGINS The German civilian ship SS Königin Luise was pressed into Navy service and equipped with a load of 200 naval mines and two cannons. She had previously served as a steam ferry between Hamburg and Holland. Many German U-Boats had put ot sea over the previous few days and were already operating in the North Sea, laying mines and standing ready to attack Allied shipping. The first merchant ship sinking of World War I occurred when the British tank vessel SS San Wilfrido, a 6,000 ton ship working for the Eagle Oil and Shipping Company, struck a mine off Cuxhaven in the North Sea.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 09:50:57 +0000
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