 |
 |
Navigation :: WarChron |
Today's
Date is
|
|
| |
|
WarChron - January - June 1914 - Murder at Sarajevo |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
The Year 1913
Between 1894 and 1913, the Russian State's income rose from 1.2 to 3.5 billion rubles. During the same period, deposits in State savings banks rose from 500 million to two billion rubles. Between 1894 and 1914, the Russian gold reserves rose from 648 billion to 1.60 billion rubles. From 1911 through 1914, the capital value of the Russian machine-tool industry increased from 120 to 220 million rubles.
Russia's exports to Germany amounted to 69% of the total, while German imports stood at 47%. Between early 1911 and the end of 1913, vodka consumption rose by about five million gallons, up 17% over a three year period. Public drunkenness was rising rather dramatically. In November 1914, the Tsar made the ill-advised decision to prohibit the sale of alcohol (largely ignored by the people), as it cut off a major source of funding for the war. The ruble was strong in 1913, but after the war began, it was gradually devalued by rising inflation.
At the end of 1913, Russia ranked next to last of eighteen European countries in the kilometers of track per square kilometer of territory, lagging behind such countries as Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Romania.
The Year 1914
During January, there were over one million workers on strike in Russia, which rose in July to 1.5 million. This resulted in factories being hard pressed to turn out military orders on schedule.
Early in the year, Russia began receiving additional funds from France as part of a loan to upgrade their inadequate railway system. The French General Staff collaborated with the Russians in planning reconstruction of vitally needed strategic rail lines, but as will be seen their efforts were not enough.
In early February, Russian Foreign Minister S.D. Sazonov chaired a secret meeting of army and navy chiefs to discuss preparations necessary for possible conquest of the Dardanelles Straits. The plans were dropped after deciding that Russia did not have adequate naval transport to attempt such an operation.
On 10 February, at the urging of the Empress, the Tsar appointed Count I.L. Goremykin to replace V.N. Kokovtsov as Prime Minister, while P.L. Bark replaced Kokovtsov as the Minister of Finance. Over time the Empress became responsible for the removal of numbers of ministers seen by her as too liberal and threatening autocratic rule.
|
|
|
The Year 1914
On 14 February, an historic flight by Russian aircraft designer Igor I. Sikorsky's four-engine aircraft Il'ya Muromets (IM) reached an altitude of 2,187 meters carrying 16 passengers. The flight lasted five hours. During the war the IM's flew many valuable long range bombing and reconnaissance missions.
On 11 March, German Kaiser Wilhelm II stated that he felt that Russia was systematically preparing for a war against Germany.
On 14 March, Russian General N.N. Yanushkevich, former Director of the Imperial Military Academy, was appointed as Chief of the General Staff.
On 27 March, Romanian Crown Prince Ferdinand paid a state visit with the Tsar and his family at St. Petersburg.
On 21 April, the King and Queen of Great Britain arrived in St. Petersburg for a brief state visit with the Tsar and his family.
On 12 May, German Chief of Staff, von Moltke, told the Austro-Hungarian Chief of Staff, Conrad von Hoetzendorf, that the Turkish forces were “absolutely worthless,” and that any delay in war with Russia “meant a lessening of our chances.” During May, the British Cabinet noted with approval the planned increase in the strength of the Russian Baltic See Fleet.
On 19 May, France and Italy signed a treaty establishing the frontier between Tunisie and Tripolitania.
On 29 May, U.S. Colonel House, President Wilson's personal emissary in Berlin, wrote Wilson that “the situation in (Germany) is extraordinary. It is militarism run stark mad.”
During May, Turkish Sultan Mohammed V sent Interior Minister Talat Bey and General Izzet Pasha on a courtesy visit to the Russian Imperial family at Yalta in the Crimea.
On 12 June, German Kaiser Wilhelm visited Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand near Prague, informing him of his liking for hard-liner Hungarian Prime Minister Count Tisza.
|
|
|
The Year 1914
On 13 June, the Tsar and his family sailed from Yalta for a brief formal visit to Constanza on the Romanian Black Sea coast. They returned to Tsarskoe Selo on the 18th. The Tsar celebrated his 56th birthday on the 19th. The next day he received a courtesy visit from King Frederick of Saxony.
On 24 June, The Tsar received British Ambassador George Buchanan and discussed King George's letter regarding tensions over administering the “neutral” sphere of influence in Persia and related issues. That afternoon they attended a garden party where they discussed on-going naval communications between the two countries.
On 27 June, the Imperial Family moved to the summer residence at Petergof on the coast west of St, Petersburg.
On 28 June, Serbians celebrated their National Day, which commemorated their defeat by the Turks at the Battle of Kosovo in 1349. On the 28th, while attending military maneuvers, the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to the Habsburg throne) and his wife, the Duchess of Hohenburg, were assassinated at Sarajevo, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, by members of the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist secret society. The event sent shock waves around the world. The German Kaiser was appalled at the news and hurried back to Potsdam from a naval review at Kiel.
On 29 June, the Austro-Hungarian Secretary in Belgrade sent an urgent dispatch to Vienna suggesting there had been Serbian complicity in the assassination. In fact senior Serbian officials had been cognizant of the plot, had done little to block it and had not informed properly informed Vienna. The Russian Tsar sent a telegram of condolences to Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef.
On 30 June, the German Kaiser signified that he favored an Austro-Hungarian punitive strike against Serbia. Austrian Chancellor Berchtold resolved to take firm action against Serbia. He had the support of Chief of the General Staff Conrad, who demanded immediate mobilization.
On 1 July 1914, the German Kaiser announced he would not attend the funeral of the assassinated Archduke. He received letters from Emperor Franz Josef and Count Leopold von Berchtold seeking German support “on the Serbian matter.”
On 2 July, U.S. President Wilson nominated G.T. Marye to fill the vacant post of American Ambassador to Russia. He was confirmed by Senate on the 9th. As a political appointee, Marye had little or no knowledge of Russia or its people.
|
|
|
|
|
© WARCHRON 2007
|
|
|
