Page:Paul Samuel Reinsch - Secret Diplomacy, How Far Can It Be Eliminated? - 1922.djvu/128

 the war by first ordering mobilization and making that mobi- lization general almost immediately. The facts concerning this matter have become known. On July 29, 1914, General Janushkevich, the Russian Minister of War, under directions from the For- eign Minister Sazonov, gave the German military attache his word of honor as a soldier, to the ef- fect that ' i no general mobilization had taken place, or was desired." At the very time, he had with him the Czar's mobilization order. During the night of July 29th, the Czar gave directions to suspend the execution of the order for general mobilization. Generals Janushkevich and Sukh- omlinoff, with the approval of M. Sazonov, made the momentous decision to go on with the execu- tion of the order, in disregard of the Czar's com- mand. It is quite evident that this action made the peaceful settlement of the crisis far more dif- ficult, and gave full control into the hands of the military party in Berlin. As late as July 31, M. Viviani told the German Ambassador at Paris that he was in no way informed of a general mobi- lization in Russia. The Russian militarists had got away.