Lights out to Mark on 4th August

People across the country will be asked to turn off their lights to mark the 100th anniversary of the moment war was declared in 1914.

The project, called Lights Out, is inspired by Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey's remark at the outbreak of the First World War that: "The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our life-time."

It is part of a nationwide series of works commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of the conflict.

On August 4th 2014 we will remember more than a million Commonwealth Service personnel who lost their lives in the First World War. The Royal British Legion are hoping to light one million candles across the UK to remember each and every one of those Service men and women who gave their lives in the war to end all wars. Westminster Abbey will be leading the nation with a First World War vigil liturgy and have prepared guidance for the wider Church, community groups and other faith communities wanting to hold their own commemorative services, you can find out more about this by going directly to their web page: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/worship/first-world-war-vigil-liturgy

Lights Out where people will be invited to turn off their lights and replace them with a single light including specially-commissioned digital light works which will be available to download for free. For more information on the 14-18 NOW cultural programme go to: 

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/news/arts-council-news/14-18-now-programme-launches-today/

37 Day Countdown to War - Day 6

Day 6 - July 3rd 1914

On this day in history 100 years ago, there are moving scenes in Vienna at the funeral of Franz Ferdinand and his wife. The aged Emperor Franz Joseph looks forlorn and there is sobbing from other mourners. Foreign royalty has not been invited, with the exception of the Kaiser, who has pulled out, fearing for his security, according to reports the previous day – but the chapel is thronged with ambassadors and foreign military deputation.

The bodies were transported to Trieste by the battleship SMS Viribus Unitis and then to Vienna by special train. Even though most foreign royalty had planned to attend, they were pointedly disinvited and the funeral was just the immediate imperial family, with the dead couple's three children excluded from the few public ceremonies. The officer corps was forbidden to salute the funeral train, and this led to a minor revolt led by Arch Duke Karl, the new heir to the throne. The public viewing of the coffins was curtailed severely and even more scandalously, Montenuovo tried unsuccessfully to make the children foot the bill. The Archduke and Duchess were interred at Artstetten Castle because his wife could not be buried at the Imperial Crypt.

Kaiser Willhelm 11 wished to use the funeral as an informal peace conference and thus prevent the inevitable disaster. This plan was foiled, and a last chance at peace was wasted

You can watch a short vintage video clip of the procession by clicking the following link: http://www.firstworldwar.com/video/ferdinandfuneral.htm

On the streets of Vienna tempers are running high. More than 50,000 people are taking part in demonstrations at the Serbian legation and the Russian Embassy 

And a month before war, a scheme that might assist international peace is being discussed – a plan for a Channel tunnel

Information resourced from the following sites:

http://www.firstworldwar.com/video/ferdinandfuneral.htm

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/richardpreston/100278616/ww1-32-days-to-go-moving-scenes-at-franz-ferdinands-funeral-anti-serb-demonstrations-in-vienna/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Archduke_Franz_Ferdinand_of_Austria

37 Day Countdown to War - Day 5

Day 5 July 2nd 1914

The details of the assassinations of Franz Ferdinand and his wife were pieced together remarkably quickly – the narrative established by journalists in the two days after the killings is still pretty much the story we tell now – but each day brings fresh detail. Lifting its material from a Hungarian journal, The Daily Telegraph quotes Princip talking to his defence lawyer. He says he does not fear death, that the plot was hatched in Serbia and that he was given money and bombs in Belgrade.

There is an announcement that the Kaiser will not attend the Archduke's funeral.

Elsewhere, Shackleton is preparing for his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, which would go ahead despite the start of war in August

At Henley, foreign crews are winning – here is Harvard beating Leander

In today's news - Check out this lovely video of Joanne Lumley reading a letter that she was asked to write to an unknown solider as part of the 14-18 NOW project.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/10941438/Joanna-Lumley-reads-letter-to-unknown-soldier.html

Information resourced from the following sites:

http://www.firstworldwar.com/onthisday/1914_07_02.htm

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/richardpreston/100278434/ww1-33-days-to-go-the-bodies-of-the-archduke-and-duchess-arrive-in-vienna-shackleton-prepares-for-his-next-antarctic-expedition/

http://www.theatlantic.com/static/infocus/wwi/century/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Germany_during_World_War_I

37 Day Countdown to War - Day 4

July 1st - Day 4

It was the start of the last month of peace Europe would know for over four and a quarter years, although you would not have know this be reading the papers. In Britain the papers were full of the Henley Regatta. 
The reporting of Franz Ferdinand’s assassination continued with “a painful scene” as his children were informed and Herbert Asquith moving in the Commons an address “to express the indignation and deep concern with which this House has learned of the assassination” and “their abhorrence of the crime and profound sympathy with the Imperial and Royal family and with the Governments and peoples of the dual Monarchy”
The proclamation of Martial Law in Sarajevo and district, "which was brought to tranquillity", was made known to the people by a town crier.

There are anti-Serb demonstrations in Vienna. It is revealed that Franz Ferdinand was insured for $12 million, Sophie for $6 million. Princip and Čabrinović will be tried in civilian rather than military courts, meaning that the maximum sentence Čabrinović can receive is 5-10 years for attempted murder, and Princip could get as little as 10 because he’s under-aged (19).

37 Day Countdown to War - Day 3

June 30th 1914 - Day 3. Martial law has been declared in Sarajevo, and Croats and Muslims are reported to be turning on Serbs in the city – houses, shops, hotels and a school have been attacked and in some cases demolished

The Daily Telegraph prints a first picture of the new heir to the throne and his young family. Karl Franz (1887-1922) would become the last emperor of Austria and king of Hungary on his succession in 1916

Meanwhile, the Kaiser has sent a telegram to Franz Ferdinand's daughter Princess Sophia, expressing his 'immeasurable grief' at her parents' death

At the German naval base of Kiel it was the last day of the Royal Navy’s visit.

Over the last few days German and British navies had carried out joint manoeuvres. The German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, a cousin of the British King, George V, was proud to be an admiral of the British fleet. Although there were some suspicions between the two nations they parted ways on good terms.

The German Imperial Navy at Kiel 1914

Meanwhile in Britain, Wimbledon was on. It was the last championship before a four year hiatus due to World War 1. Norman Brookes would go on to win the men's singles title, beating fellow Australian Anthony Wilding 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. 

Henley starts tomorrow and London is experiencing a heatwave to compare with the summer of 1911!

Information resourced from the following sites:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/10931621/Daily-Telegraph-June-30-1914.html

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/richardpreston/100278142/ww1-35-days-to-go-martial-law-and-rioting-in-sarajevo-the-kaiser-feels-immeasurable-grief-at-the-loss-of-franz-ferdinand/

37 Day Countdown to War - Day 2

JUNE 1914 29th June

Although what happened in Sarajevo obviously filled "the first place in the public mind," acknowledged the Times, and the outcome of the investigation into the killing would no doubt "occupy the attention of all students of European politics," it was imperative that Britons keep their priorities straight, because "our own affairs must be addressed." At the time, the United Kingdom was threatened by the possible outbreak of civil war over the future status of Ireland; this presumably was the principal "affair" to which the Times was referring.

In Britain, as in many of the European capitals, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was at first viewed in a less alarmist light than might be assumed given the enormity of the war that the event would later precipitate. The archduke had not been widely liked, within his own country or without, and as the British ambassador to Italy reported to his government in London: "It is obvious that people have generally regarded the elimination of the Archduke as almost providential." The attention of the French public, meanwhile, was riveted on the scandalous case of Madame Caillaux, a politician's wife who had murdered the editor of a right-wing newspaper after he threatened to publish damaging material about her husband.

Even in Vienna, the archduke's own capital city, Franz Ferdinand's death seemed to arouse little strong feeling from the public. As the Austrian government and military leadership hurried to obtain assurances of German support if the Austrian pressure on Serbia over the assassinations led to war with Serbia and its powerful ally, Russia, the reaction among the Austrian population was mild, almost indifferent. As historian Z.A.B. Zeman later wrote, "the event almost failed to make any impression whatsoever. On Sunday and Monday [June 28 and 29], the crowds in Vienna listened to music and drank wine?as if nothing had happened."

However more aggressive demonstrations began at around 8 o'clock in the morning in Sarajevo and quickly assumed the characteristics of a pogrom. Large groups of Muslims and Croats gathered on the streets shouting and singing while carrying black-draped Austrian flags and pictures of the Austrian emperor and late archduke. Local political leaders held speeches to these crowds. Josip Vancaš was amongst those who gave a speech before violence erupted. While his exact role in the events is unknown, some of the political leaders certainly played important role in bringing crowds together and directing them against shops and houses belonging to Serbs. They first attacked one Serb school and then shops and other institutions. A bank owned by a Serb was sacked while goods taken from shops and houses of Serbs were spread on the sidewalks and streets.

Josip Vancaš addressing a crowd in Sarajevo.

That evening, governor Potiorek declared a state of siege in Sarajevo, and later in the rest of the province. Although these measures authorised law enforcement to deal with irregular activities they were not completely successful because mobs continued to attack Serbs and their property. Official reports stated that the Serb Orthodox Cathedral and Metropolitan seat in the city were spared due to the intervention of Austro-Hungarian security forces. After the corpses of Franz Ferdinand and his wife were transported to Sarajevo's railway station, order in the city was restored. Further, the Austro-Hungarian government issued a decree which established a special court for Sarajevo authorised to impose the death penalty for acts of murder and violence committed during the riots.

 Photo of a crowd that gathered around destroyed property of Serbs in Sarajevo.

Resourced from the following websites:
http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/people/sir-edward-grey/1914
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Serb_riots_in_Sarajevo
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/european-powers-maintain-focus-despite-killings-in-sarajevo

37 day countdown to War - Day 1

Over the next 37 days, The Great War Project-"Forget Never, Oublier Jamias, Vergessen Niemals" will bring you a count down to The Road to World War 1. Working alongside Basildon Twinning and Basildon Borough Heritage Group, The Great War project is hosting a series of events to commemorate the Centenary. If you would like to find out more please email project manager Lisa Smith at forgetnever1418@outlook.com you can also follow us on twitter @_Forget_Never

JUNE 1914 28th June

A shot rang at Sarajevo killing the Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife. The shot that rang out at Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 plunged Europe into one of the most devastating wars in its history, but the assignation so very nearly didn't happen...

Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. Image from the Mary Evans Picture Gallery

  On the morning of 28 June 1914, Franz Ferdinand and his party proceeded by train from Ilidža Spa to Sarajevo.Governor Oskar Potiorek met the party at Sarajevo station. Six automobiles were waiting. By mistake, three local police officers got into the first car with the chief officer of special security; the special security officers who were supposed to accompany their chief got left behind. The second car carried the Mayor and the Chief of Police of Sarajevo. The third car in the motorcade was a Gräf & Stift 28/32 PS open sports car with its top folded down. Franz Ferdinand, Sophie, Governor Potiorek, and Lieutenant Colonel Count Franz von Harrach rode in this third car.The motorcade's first stop on the preannounced program was for a brief inspection of a military barracks. According to the program, at 10:00 a.m., the motorcade was to leave the barracks for the town hall by way of the Appel Quay.

Security arrangements within Sarajevo were limited. The local military commander, General Michael von Appel, proposed that troops line the intended route but was told that this would offend the loyal citizenry. Protection for the visiting party was accordingly left to the Sarajevo police, of whom only 60 were on duty on the day of the visit.

A map annotated with the events of 28th June 1914 from an official report

The motorcade passed the first assassin, Mehmedbašić. Danilo Ilić had placed him in front of the garden of the Mostar Cafe and armed him with a bomb. Mehmedbašić failed to act. Ilić placed Vaso Čubrilović next to Mehmedbašić, arming him with a pistol and a bomb. He too failed to act. Further along the route, Ilić placed Nedeljko Čabrinović on the opposite side of the street near the Miljacka River arming him with a bomb.

At 10:10 am, Franz Ferdinand's car approached and Čabrinović threw his bomb. The bomb bounced off the folded back convertible cover into the street.The bomb's timed detonator caused it to explode under the next car, putting that car out of action, leaving a 1-foot-diameter (0.30 m), 6.5-inch-deep (170 mm) crater, and wounding 16–20 people.

Čabrinović swallowed his cyanide pill and jumped into the Miljacka river. Čabrinović's suicide attempt failed, as the cyanide only induced vomiting, and the Miljacka was only 13 cm deep due to the hot, dry summer. Police dragged Čabrinović out of the river, and he was severely beaten by the crowd before being taken into custody.

The procession sped away towards the Town Hall leaving the disabled car behind. Cvjetko Popović, Gavrilo Princip, and Trifun Grabež failed to act as the motorcade passed them at high speed.

Arriving at the Town Hall for a scheduled reception, Franz Ferdinand showed understandable signs of stress, interrupting a prepared speech of welcome by Mayor Curčić to protest: "Mr. Mayor, I came here on a visit and I get bombs thrown at me. It is outrageous. Duchess Sophie then whispered into Franz Ferdinand's ear, and after a pause, Franz Ferdinand said to the mayor: "Now you may speak."He then became calm and the mayor gave his speech. Franz Ferdinand had to wait as his own speech, still wet with blood from being in the damaged car, was brought to him. To the prepared text he added a few remarks about the day's events thanking the people of Sarajevo for their ovations "as I see in them an expression of their joy at the failure of the attempt at assassination."

Officials and members of the Archduke's party discussed what to do next. Baron Rumerskirch proposed that the couple remain at the Town Hall until troops could be brought into the city to line the streets. Governor-General Oskar Potiorek vetoed this suggestion on the grounds that soldiers coming straight from manoeuvres would not have the dress uniforms appropriate for such duties. Franz Ferdinand and Sophie gave up their planned program in favour of visiting the wounded from the bombing, at the hospital. Count Harrach took up a protective position on the left-hand running board of Franz Ferdinand’s car. This is confirmed by photographs of the scene outside the Town Hall. At 10:45 a.m., Franz Ferdinand and Sophie got back into the motorcade, once again in the third car. In order to avoid the city centre, General Oskar Potiorek decided that the royal car should travel straight along the Appel Quay to the Sarajevo Hospital. However, the driver, Leopold Lojka,took a right turn into Franz Josef Street. The reason for this is that Potiorek's aide Eric(h) von Merrizzi was in the hospital, and was therefore unable to give Lojka the information about the change in plans and the driving route.The Sarajevo Chief of Police Edmund Gerde (who had earlier repeatedly protested the lack of security precautions for the visit) was asked to tell the drivers of the new route but in the confusion and tensions of the moment neglected to do so.

Gavrilo Princip

After learning that the first assassination attempt had been unsuccessful, Princip thought about a position to assassinate the Archduke on his return journey, and decided to move to a position in front of a nearby food shop (Schiller's delicatessen), near the Latin Bridge. At this point the Archdukes' motorcade turned off the Appel Quay, mistakenly following the original route which would have taken them to the National Museum. Governor Potiorek, who was sharing the second vehicle with the Imperial couple, called out to the driver to reverse and take the Quay to the hospital. Driver Lojka stopped the car close to where Princip was standing, prior to backing up. The latter stepped forward and fired two shots from a distance of about one and a half metres (5 feet) using a Belgian-made 9×17mm (.380 ACP) Fabrique Nationale model 1910 semi-automatic pistol. Pistol serial numbers 19074, 19075, 19120 and 19126 were supplied to the assassins; Princip used #19074. According to Albertini, "the first bullet wounded the Archduke in the jugular vein, the second inflicted an abdominal wound on the Duchess." Princip was immediately arrested. At his sentencing, Princip stated that his intention had been to kill Governor Potiorek, rather than Sophie.

Princip being arrested. Image from The Times Newspaper

Both victims remained seated upright, but died while being driven to the Governor's residence for medical treatment. As reported by Count Harrach, Franz Ferdinand's last words were "Sophie, Sophie! Don't die! Live for our children!" followed by six or seven utterances of "It is nothing." in response to Harrach's inquiry as to Franz Ferdinand's injury. These utterances were followed by a long death rattle. Sophie was dead on arrival at the Governor's residence. Franz Ferdinand died 10 minutes later.

The bodies were laid in state before being interred at the Castle of Artstetten in Austria - image from the Times newspaper

The assassination led directly to the First World War when Austria-Hungary subsequently issued an ultimatum against Serbia, which was partially rejected. Austria-Hungary then declared war, marking the outbreak of the war. The political objective of the assassination was to break off Austria-Hungary's south-Slavprovinces so they could be combined into a Yugoslavia. The assassins' motives were consistent with the movement that later became known as Young Bosnia. 

The Times newspaper today published a replica news paper from this day 100 years ago

Sourced from The Times Newspaper supplement 28th June 2014, and the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Archduke_Franz_Ferdinand_of_Austria

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/ir1/assassinationrev1.shtml

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/duke.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28062876