Russia's support of Serbia brought France into the conflict. Germany declared war on Russia on 1 August and France on 3 August. Germany's violation of Belgian neutrality and British fears of German domination in Europe brought Britain and its empire into the war on 4 August.
If Russia had won that battle, the Russian army could have headed straight for Berlin, forcing Germany to transfer troops from the West for a battle royal with the Russians near Berlin. A Russian victory near Berlin may have forced Germany to seek peace with Russia but not necessarily with France and Britain.
Four days after Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Germany and Russia declare war against each other, France orders a general mobilization, and the first German army units cross into Luxembourg in preparation for the German invasion of France.
Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary. Germany declared war on Russia. Russia didn't enter WWI because at the time it was a local dispute. If Russia reneged on its treaty with Serbia, Austria would have won the local war and absorbed Serbia into its Empire, and the Tsar may have remained in power another decade .
Many Russians supported the war as an act of solidarity with fellow Slavs in the Balkans, but these would have been military officers and politicians. People were often supportive of war against Austria-Hungary, but they feared war with Germany (with good reason).
The immediate cause of World War I that made the aforementioned items come into play (alliances, imperialism, militarism, nationalism) was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. In June 1914, a Serbian-nationalist terrorist group called the Black Hand sent groups to assassinate the Archduke.
However, the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand led Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia during the July Crisis. Russia mobilised her armed forces in late July ostensibly to defend Serbia, but also to maintain her status as a Great Power, gain influence in the Balkans and deter Austria-Hungary and Germany.
World War 1 casualties
| Entente Powers | Population (million) | Dead soldiers |
|---|
| Russia | 164 | 1,811,000 to 2,254,369 |
| Serbia | 3.1 | 275,000 |
| United States of America | 98.8 | 117,000 |
| Australia | 4.5 | 61,966 |
The mistakes of the tsarist regime, the Bolshevik party and Soviet Russia caused countless deaths during the war. Forced to react to the civil war, Soviet Russia turned into the most ambitious welfare state of the immediate post-war years.
Russia simply was not ready for war against a nation as powerful as Germany. No plans had been drawn up to put Russia's economy on a war footing. Her industrial growth had been in heavy industries but not in producing modern weapons. Russia also ran out of ammunition for its infantrymen in December 1914.
Industrial equipment disintegrated more rapidly in Russia than any other European country. By 1916, railway lines began to break down and all able-bodied men were called up to the war. As a result, there were labour shortages and small workshops producing essential goods were shut down.
The leaders of the German army told the German government to end the fighting. The government asked the US for an armistice - an agreement to stop the fighting - and Germany's leader, Kaiser Wilhelm, left his job on 9 November 1918. Two days later, Germany signed the Armistice and the guns fell silent.
On 11 November 1918, the guns fell silent and the war came to an end, but its impact was felt for many, many years after. World War One changed the world in ways that nobody could have imagined. New weapons and technologies were developed and used that led to more destruction than any war had seen in the past.
During the conflict, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers) fought against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United States (the Allied Powers).
The First World War left nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded, with Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, France and Great Britain each losing nearly a million or more lives.
The causes of World War One are complicated and unlike the causes of World War Two, where the guilty party was plain to all, there is no such clarity. Germany has been blamed because she invaded Belgium in August 1914 when Britain had promised to protect Belgium. By 1914, Europe had divided into two camps.
