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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

The first shots


Tom Morgan

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One hundred years ago today, at about this time, just before 11.00, Gavrilo Princip fired 'the first shots' of the Great War.post-7-0-17866200-1403949475_thumb.jpgpost-7-0-25025200-1403949644_thumb.jpg

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He fired the shots that precipitated the events leading to the Great War. He did not fire the first shots of the Great War

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He fired the shots that precipitated the events leading to the Great War. He did not fire the first shots of the Great War

Quite so. That's why I put quotes around 'the first shots' - to indicate that I was speaking figuratively.

Tom

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They may as well have been "the first shots" as, had they never been fired, would there have been a Great War?

Anne

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For more reading on this subject see:

A Mad Catastrophe Geoffery Wawro

Assassination in Sarajero Alexander Wolff

The Assassination of the Archduke Greg King

I should point out that 28 June is a Serb holy of holy days commemorating the 1389 battle of Kossevo. Not a good day to stage a visit.

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For more reading on this subject see:

A Mad Catastrophe Geoffery Wawro

Assassination in Sarajero Alexander Wolff

The Assassination of the Archduke Greg King

I should point out that 28 June is a Serb holy of holy days commemorating the 1389 battle of Kossevo. Not a good day to stage a visit.

Weren't the Serbs still using the Julian calendar in 1914 ? Their "June 28th" would have occurred a couple of weeks before our Gregorian date wouldn't it ? (Or the revised Julian).

I know Bulgaria adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1916, and Russia of course only did so after the October Revolution (which is why the Red Square missile rattling parades took place in November. . . .)

Or am I talking through my @rse ?

Probably.

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They may as well have been "the first shots" as, had they never been fired, would there have been a Great War?

Anne

From my somewhat limited knowledge of the international political situation at the time, I doubt very much that there wouldn't have been; WW1 seems to have been an event looking for an excuse to happen & the assassination provided it. Doubtless another excuse would have been found.

A couple of articles from yesterday's Daily Telegraph (28th June), The lie that started the First World War by Tim Butcher & What sort of a man was Archduke Franz Ferdinand? by Adrian Bridge

NigelS

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Nigel, yes I agree the situation at that time was volatile and needed little to trigger a war. As you have already said, another excuse would probably have been found. Good articles from the DT.

Anne

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