Question by Rosie posie: How did Russia contribute to the start of WWI?
In History, we are doing a debate on the causes of WWI. Each person is given a country and they have to debate on why they did not help spark WWI. I was given Russia and want to find any reason you may have as to how Russia helped start it. or any dirt you may have on the other countries as to why you would blame them. Also did Serbia and Russia have an alliance and that is why Russia was dragged into the war? Sources would help as well.
Answers and Views:
Answer by Critical_rationalist
Russia was allied with Serbia. When Austria invaded Serbia, Russia mobilized for war with Austria, so Germany had to go to their ally Austria’s aid and attack France too because Germany knew France would come to Russia’s aid.
So, if Russia had not mobilized for war, WWI may have just been Austria v Serbia.
Give your answer to this question below!
MatrixForever says
The war was started by Austria that invaded Serbia. Russia moved to protect Serbia (its ally), Germany moved to protect Austria (its ally). France and UK joined the war on Russian side. Ottoman empire joined the war on German side. Neither Germany or Russia really wanted the war when it came to it, but Germany acted too bold in making Austria feel that it will protect it against Russia if Austria attacks Serbia. Austria gave an ultimatum to Serbia, which agreed to all paragraphs of the ultimatum but one. Austria wanted the complete surrender, so it found that the terms of the ultimatum were not met and moved to occupy Serbia. German strategists later acknowledged that they did not see Serbia's disagreement to follow the paragraph of the ultimatum as a big deal and would not have started a war over it. However, Austria misinterpreted German intentions and began the war that led to WW1.
s_cllin says
Russia was responsible for the war because she was the first to explicitly inform both Serbia and Austria-Hungary that in the case of war, she would back Serbia. Austria-Hungary might not have been so quick to declare war if she didn't want it to be localized to avoid Russian involvement, but it didn't work because the minute Serbia declined the Ultimatum given by Austria, Russia mobilized her army. With Russia mobilizing her army, it gave Germany, who had been waiting and allowing Russia to start the hostilities, a reason to mobilize as well, and it served as the first public declaration of anything other then a local war between Serbia and Austria. And Germany issued and Ultimatum to Russia basically saying that Russia should keep France and England out of it and should negotiate with Austria before beginning a war, if they wouldn't comply then Germany would mobilize as well and Russia was basically like F that we'll mobilize anyways. So they did and then Germany did the next day.
If you need more info type Russian mobilization into Google BOOKs not anything else and the first and third books I think are helpful…