Nationalism was the latest intersubjectivity which had taken the place of religion at the end of 18th century in the world, especially in the Europe. It had created many great nation states like France, Germany, Italy and the others like Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia etc. There were only two empires from medieval ages, Austria - Hungary and Ottoman. Both of them had problems with these nationalist movements. Ottomans lost their Balkan terriorities to these states and Austria-Hungary was still try to handle her own lands. On the other hand the organization in the name of Black Hand was formed with the aim of uniting all of the territories with a South Slavic majority not ruled by either Serbia or Montenegro. There were hundreds of members, many of whom were Serbian Army officers. Their strategy was guerilla tactics and in order to do this they were training guerilla fighters and saboteurs.
Gavrilo Princip, Bosinan Serb, was one of these trainees at his 19. In fact he was refused by Black Hand officers because of weak and small body. However, he choosed to be trained in Serbian Chetnik Organization and on 28 June 1914 he was ready as an assasain in Sarajevo.
Austria-Hungary was multinational empire and his sovereign nations Austrians and Hungarians (Germans - Magyars) are less than half of the population. There were two parliaments and so dual monarchy which led internal and foreign policy making hard. It is hard to hold tight the empire against nationalist movements.
28 June 2014 - Assasination
The Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Duchess Sophie Chotek of Austria were killed by Gavrilo Princip. Although Black Hand tried to kill them in the morning by granede, they could escape thanks to unexploded granede however before the end of the tour they were shot by pistol.
Any intervention to Serbia could be raightful for Austrians from nowon though they were in aggreement with Russia on Balkans. But any answer from Russia could be disaster for Austrians so Austria sent a letter to Germans and asked the situation.
Otto van Bismarck, the first chancellor of Germany, had united the Germany and formed a nation state. However she was a young state even did not have any flag in 1914. There were lots of federate kingdoms constitutes the Germany but both of them were German. Prussia was the major one and the king of Prussia was the the Emperor of Germany at the same time. Also Prussians had majority in both Reichstag (Commoners) and Bundestag (Statesman) so driven force inside Germany was Prussia. Wilhelm II became the Emperor of Germany in 1888 and dismissed Bismarck in 1890.
Germany was the second most growing country (the first was USA) in the world at the end of the 19th century. Germany had great production and military with well-educated, trained commanders and technology as both infantry and navy. However she had not enough colonies as Britan had. Germany as a growing power began to seek any new colonies and this was the threat for Britain also France. Those rival brothers agreed on terms against this threat. On the East of Germany, Russia was another great power and again the dispute between Britain and Russia on Asia issue had been resolved. Britain added Russia into his alliances and as a result Germant was surrounded by this alliance.
So German Emperor Wilhelm II and German Chancellor Bethmann gave blank cheque to Austria Hungary, furthermore advised an ultimatom which could not be accepted by Serbs.
And it went like that, an ultimatom given by Austria- Hungary in 23rd July 2014 was not accepted by Serbs though only one subject was rejected.
28.July.2014: Austria Hungary Declared war on Kingdom of Serbia
Russia declared his support to Serbia
01.August.2014: Germany declared war on Russia
03.August.2014: Germany declared war on Austria-Hungary
04.August.2014: Britain declared war on Germany
Although from Britain to Russia, Germany to France all of them did not want a war, they knew that if the war is coming than the one who won't participate would be fall behind.
War is a tool for negotiation. Unfortunately, nor diplomacy neither trade were useful in 1914 and there was only war tool available to solve conflicts.
The other countries would enter the war; Ottomans, Bulgaria on Central Powers side, Belgium, Montenegro, Japan, Italy, United States, Romania, Portugal, Greece, China, Brazil, Albania, Armenia.
Note: Ottomans would enter the war alongside Central Powers in 1915. Though Ottomans tried to be ally with Britain, France and Russia none of them accepted the offer. According to Russian intellectual Jabotinsky it is because the main aim of the war was partitition of Ottoman Lands.
