History of Valkyria Chronicles the Great War

WW1 (1914)

Also known as the first Europan war, World War one was the catalyst for a seismic shift in global geopolitics and the dawn of modern warfare. It pitted the great powers of Europe against each other in a devastating conflict that would reshape the continent and the world for generations to come. But everything seemed so well, what happened to cause such a war? Well, our story begins on June 28th, 1914, in the city of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria. Kaiser Franz Joseph, the esteemed ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was visiting the region on an official state visit as his heir, Franz Ferdinand had stayed behind due to his wife, archduchess Sofie, going into Labor. As the Kaiser's motorcade made its way through the streets of Sarajevo, a group of Serbian nationalists, members of the secret organization known as the Black Hand, had conspired to assassinate the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. However, since the Archduke had remained in Vienna, the group had inadvertently targeted the Kaiser and since the papers didn't say the Archduke stayed at home to be with his wife, The assassins mistakenly believed that the Kaiser was the intended target. As the motorcade passed by, the first assassin, Muhamed Mehmedbašić, saw the car but hesitated and failed to act. The second assassin, Vaso Čubrilović, also failed to seize the opportunity, overwhelmed by the presence of the Kaiser's security detail. However, the third assassin, Vaso's older brother, Nedeljko Čabrinović, seized the moment and threw a grenade at the Kaiser's motorcade. However, his aim was off, and the grenade missed its target, bouncing off the side of the car and detonating behind them, injuring several bystanders and members of the Kaiser's entourage.

Enraged by the attempted assassination, Kaiser Franz Joseph demanded retribution and justice for the attack on his life. However, it was during this tirade that one of the failed assassins, Gavrilo Princip, who had been positioned further down the route, spotted an opportunity. Seeing the Kaiser's motorcade reversing course after the failed bombing attempt, Princip seized his chance and fired two shots at the car, fatally striking Kaiser Franz Joseph in the chest.

The assassination of Kaiser Franz Joseph sent shockwaves throughout Europe, triggering a complex web of alliances and rivalries that had been building for years. Austria-Hungary, seeking retribution for the assassination of its ruler, issued an ultimatum to Serbia, blaming the Serbian government for supporting the Black Hand and demanding harsh concessions. Serbia, feeling unfairly targeted and unwilling to capitulate completely to Austrian demands, sought support from its ally, Russia.

Russia, eager to assert its influence in the Balkans and protect its Slavic brethren in Serbia, mobilized its forces in response to Austria-Hungary's ultimatum. This mobilization, in turn, alarmed Germany, Austria-Hungary's ally, who feared Russian expansionism and sought to support its ally against any potential Russian aggression.

However, not everyone wanted war. Kaiser Wilhelm II, Tsar Nicholas II and the new Kaiser of Austria, Franz Ferdinand, were all initially hesitant to escalate the situation into full-blown conflict. They recognized the catastrophic consequences that a war between the great powers of Europe could entail and sought diplomatic solutions to defuse the crisis. However, just as peace seemed to be reached, the French Prime Minister, René Viviani, basically threw a huge temper tantrum amongst the presence of all 3 emperors, declaring that no peace would be made with Germany or Austria, ruining the imperial peace conference at Oslo. Viviani's outburst at the Oslo peace conference exacerbated tensions further as it showed that France refused to even think of peace and that all it wanted was war, specifically War with Germany. Franz Ferdinand then reduced Austria's harsh demands down to 10 of the most reasonable ones and Serbia managed to agree to all but one of them, the demand that Austrian officials be allowed to participate in the investigation within Serbia. While the Kaiser accepted the deal, the I mperial Council of Austria and the Royal Diet of Hungary, influenced by hardline factions within their respective governments, refused to accept it and overrode the Kaiser's decision. This rejection of the compromise by Austria-Hungary further escalated tensions, pushing Europe closer to the brink of war.