28 June: Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife are

							28 June: Austrian Archduke (heir to the throne) Franz Ferdinand
and his wife are assassinated by a Serbian terrorist group (the
“Black Hand”) in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Austria-Hungary stood in the way
of Slav independence as she wanted to keep together her multi-
ethnic, multi-national Empire.
                       ↓↓↓

6 July: Germany encourages Austria-Hungary to act firmly against
Serbia, promising her full support, even in a war against Russia
(“blank cheque”). => Triple Alliance / ancient friendship
                      ↓↓↓

23 July: Austria-Hungary officially blames Serbia for the
assassination and gives Serbia an ultimatum to hand over the
assassins.
                    ↓↓↓

25 July: Russia announces her support for Serbia (supporting Slav
independence). Serbia rejects the ultimatum.
                     ↓↓↓

28 July: Austria declares war on Serbia and bombards Belgrade, the
Serbian capital.
                     ↓↓↓

31 July: Russia begins mobilisation of her army to defend the Serbs.
                      ↓↓↓

1 August: Germany declares war on Russia.
                    ↓↓↓

3 August: Germany invades neutral Belgium. Germany declares war on
France.   => Schlieffen Plan
                     ↓↓↓

4 August: Britain declares war on Germany (under the British-Belgian
Treaty of 1839 Britain had agreed to protect Belgium => “this scrap
of paper” [William II]).