On This Day

Belgian government receives German ultimatum

The ultimatum of July 23, 1914, was a diplomatic note delivered by the Austro-Hungarian ambassador in Belgrade to the Serbian Minister of Finance.

The ultimatum of July 23, 1914, was a diplomatic note delivered by the Austro-Hungarian ambassador in Belgrade to the Serbian Minister of Finance. The issuance of the ultimatum is widely seen as an immediate precursor to the outbreak of World War I in August 1914. The note was Austria-Hungary's response to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Serbia-aligned perpetrators the previous month, following weeks of deliberation. The text was meticulously constructed to be unacceptable to the Serbian government, thereby ensuring its rejection and thus adding to Austria-Hungary's casus belli.

Historical Significance

The ultimatum of July 23, 1914, was a diplomatic note delivered by the Austro-Hungarian ambassador in Belgrade to the Serbian Minister of Finance.

Events Before

  1. The US Post Office begins parcel post delivery

    The Bronx General Post Office (also known as the Bronx Central Post Office or Bronx Central Annex) is a historic post office building at 558 Grand Concourse in the South Bronx in New York City, New…

  2. British House of Commons accepts Home Rule for Ireland (but the Great War gets in the way of it happening)

    British House of Commons accepts Home Rule for Ireland (but the Great War gets in the way of it happening)

  3. China's National Assembly opens in Peking, the first free democratic parliament in Chinese history

    The National Assembly was the legislative branch of the Beiyang government during the Republican era of Chinese history.

  4. US Admiral Chester Nimitz (28) weds Catherine Freeman (21) in Wollaston, Massachusetts

    US Admiral Chester Nimitz (28) weds Catherine Freeman (21) in Wollaston, Massachusetts

  5. US Actors' Equity Association forms (NYC)

    The 1919 Actors' Equity Association strike officially spanned from August 7, 1919, to September 6, 1919.

Events After

  1. "The Birth of a Nation" the first 12-reel film in America, directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Lillian Gish and Mae Mar

    "The Birth of a Nation" the first 12-reel film in America, directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Lillian Gish and Mae Marsh, premieres at Clune's Auditorium in Los Angeles

  2. French forces attempt to drive the Germans back into the Champagne region during World War I, gaining a few hundred yard

    French forces attempt to drive the Germans back into the Champagne region during World War I, gaining a few hundred yards at the cost of 50,000 casualties

  3. First military use of poison gas occurs when Germany uses chlorine gas against the Allies along the Western Front at Ypr

    First military use of poison gas occurs when Germany uses chlorine gas against the Allies along the Western Front at Ypres, France in World War I [1]

  4. First landings at Gaba Tepe and Cape Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula by ANZAC forces during World War I

    The landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday, 25 April 1915, also known as the landing at Gaba Tepe and, to the Turks, as the Arıburnu Battle, was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by...

  5. RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland, with 1,198 lives lost

    RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland, with 1,198 lives lost

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 2, 1914?
The ultimatum of July 23, 1914, was a diplomatic note delivered by the Austro-Hungarian ambassador in Belgrade to the Serbian Minister of Finance. The issuance of the ultimatum is widely seen as an immediate precursor to the outbreak of World War I in August 1914. The note was Austria-Hungary's response to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Serbia-aligned perpetrators the previous month, following weeks of deliberation.
Why is Belgian government receives German ultimatum significant?
The ultimatum of July 23, 1914, was a diplomatic note delivered by the Austro-Hungarian ambassador in Belgrade to the Serbian Minister of Finance.

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