Outbreak of the Great War
The Great War and the Revolution
Russia 1914.0803
Outbreak of the Great War
World War I in eastern Europe and the Russian Revolution (3 August 1914)
Historical Map of Russia & the former Soviet Union
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a Bosnian Serb in June 1914 triggered a series of political crises across Europe. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, a country protected by Russian guarantees. Russia responded by mobilizing its armies, which in turn led to war with Austria-Hungary's ally Germany. A few days later, France and then Britain joined the war on the side of Russia.