Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/822

 612 General History of Europe Southern Slavs in the neighboring provinces of Austria-Hungary Bosnia, Croatia, and Slavonia. Germany was in hearty sympathy with the plans of Austria, while Russia was supposed to be ready to support Serbia and the Southern Slavs, their distant kinsmen. 1110. German Ambitions. Germany now expressed grave fears that 'Russia would dominate the Balkan regions and perhaps seize Constantinople. This would put an end to a cherished plan of Germany a railroad from Berlin to Bagdad and the Persian Gulf, which would control a vast trade with the Orient. The political aspects of such a controlling line through Middle Europe were revealed strikingly after the outbreak of the World War. Germany had already arranged a "concession" from Turkey to construct this road, which was well under way when Serbia, through whose territory the trains from Germany must pass, became a danger. 1111. Feverish Military Preparations in 1913. The year 1913, therefore, brought renewed activity in military " prepared- ness." Germany took the lead by increasing its standing army, and the Reichstag voted about a billion marks for unusual mili- tary expenses (June, 1913). France replied by increasing the term of active service in the army from two to three years. Russia made heavy appropriations, and General Joffre, the French com- mander in chief, was called in to make suggestions in regard to reorganizing the Russian army. Austria-Hungary strengthened herself with improved artillery ; England devoted heavy sums to her navy ; and even Belgium introduced universal military service on the ground that Germany had been constructing railroad tracks up to her borders, which could be explained only by her purpose to pass through Belgium when the fight began. V. THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR 1112. The Murder of the Austrian Archduke. On June 28, 1914, occurred the event which served as a pretext for war. Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria- Hungary, and his wife were assassinated while upon a visit to