Europe 301
MID#257
Dispute Number: 257
Date(s): July 23, 1914 to November 11, 1918
Participants: 255 Germany, 300 Austria-Hungary, 355 Bulgaria, 640 Turkey/2
United States of America, 200 United Kingdom, 211 Belgium, 220 France, 235 Por-
tugal, 325 Italy, 345 Yugoslavia, 350 Greece, 360 Romania, 365 Russia, 740 Japan
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side B (Imposed)
Fatalities: >999 deaths
Narrative: The obvious casus belli of World War I was the assassination of Austrian
archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. Ferdinand was not a popular
figure among Austrian elites, but his assassination afforded the Austrians the oppor-
tunity to further maximize control over Bosnia and eliminate Serbia from contention.
Assured that the Germans would support them no matter how heavy-handed the
Austrians were with Serbia, the Austrians issued a very severe set of demands to the
Serbian government on July 23. Serbia, staring down the barrel of an Austrian gun
and unaware of any outside help it may get, was genuinely conciliatory in its response.
However, it did not unconditionally accept the terms as the Austrians demanded.
Serbia prayed for outside help and ultimately got that aid when Russia began mobilizing.
Austria declared war on Serbia, unhappy with Serbia’s reply to the ultimatum. Russia
responded in kind and declared war on Austria. Germany declared war on Russia. France
declared war on Germany. Aware that a war between France and Germany would result
in a German violation of Belgian neutrality, the British later declared war on Germany.
The assassination of a domestically unpopular archduke by a rebel group, combined with
the constellation of alliance commitments, gave way to “the war to end all wars.”
The Entente Powers were victorious over the Central Powers, and an armistice was
signed on November 11, 1918, ending the war. The Paris Peace Conference, which
culminated in the June 28, 1919, Versailles Treaty, resulted in severe punishments for
the Central Powers. Germany, in particularly, was saddled with paying an exorbitant
war debt to the Allies. France regained Alsace and Lorraine from Germany, which
also lost its colonies in Africa and Oceania and its concessions in China. Austria-
Hungary was eliminated from the interstate system. The Ottoman Empire dissolved
for good, prompting the creation of the successor state of Turkey. The ill-fated League
of Nations was also formed.
MID#3348
Started in January 1916. See the narrative in the 300 Austria-Hungary/339 Albania
dyad dispute list.
300 Austria-Hungary/350 Greece
MID#96
Started in May 1886. See the narrative in the 200 United Kingdom/350 Greece dyad
dispute list.