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pr nce in rbia until the terms were carried out
rbia was ger to provoke war th Austria u they lieved
that Ru ia would sup rt them ( rbia) cau of n lavism ey therefore drafted a nciliatory r n to the ultimatum to put them­ lv in a g light, a eeing to me of the le im rtant provisions of the ult atu but at the me time orde ng a mob tion of their army. After ago zing over his decision, Franz J f ordered a mob tion, but only a one, ected lely a inst rbia He had no intention of fighting anyone el nor did he want anyone el to awn into the war.
Meanwhile, just after the Austrian ultimatum had en delivered, Nicholas, under pre ure from his counc , ordered a partial mobil tion, lieving that this might deter Austria from war or if war me Ru ia would r dy, since it t k Ru ia much longer to mobilize than it did anyone el . Ru ia had limited it lf to partial mobili tion, it might still have n able to stay out of the war, but on July 30 the Ru ian general staff rsuaded Nicholas, a nst his tter jud ent, to order a complete mob tion e R ian neral staff ho d that Ru ia would make eat territorial gains as a result of the war. It was only after R ia had ordered its general mobili tion that A tria gave in and ordered its own general mobili tion
Meanwhile, Germany was in a difficult situation of its own makin General hlieffen, now dead, had develo d the Sc i n P n. Ger­ many lieved that in any ma r war, it would have to fight on two fronts-Ru ia and France- cau of the alliance tween the two countri e hlieffen Plan was designed to meet this difficulty. e Plan was d on the premi that Ru ia would take at least six weeks to mob Therefore as n as war broke out, Germany would nd a rapid inv ion into France the shortest and easiest way ible-through Bel­ um France would quickly defeated by the time Ru ia mobili Then Germany at its leisure could defeat Ru ia After the Ru ian general mob tion was announce Germany nt an ultimatum to R i sus­ nd "every war measure" within twelve hours. Of course, Ru ia would do no such thin Wilhelm i ued the orders n y to put the hlieffen Plan into effect Once the orders were i ued, it was almost im ible to recall them On August the French ordered a general mobili tion at 4 P , and the Germans declared war on Ru ia at 6 PM e hli­ effen Plan at first worked rfectly and the Germans invaded lgium England had promised to protect lgium's neutrality, on August 5 En and declared war on Germany.