Home > Dual Alliance, 1879

The Alliance's existence was the reason for Russia's military mobilisation ( July 30, 1914) against both allies (despite the absence of an immediate Russo-German dispute), rather than against Austria-Hungary alone following the latter's declaration of war against Serbia, whose independence Russia had pledged to uphold.

Russia found it impossible to comply with Germany's subsequent demand that she stand down her forces, since her war plan had been drawn up with both allies in mind, and mobilisation against Germany could not be countermanded without jeopardising preparations against Austria-Hungary also.

Germany's resulting declaration of war against Russia ( August 1) and France ( August 3) signalled the general outbreak of World War I among Europe's Great Powers, though by August 4August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. Events 1500-1899 1578 Battle of Al Kasr al Kebir Moroccans defeat Portuguese. King Sebastian of Portugal is defeated and killed in North Africa, with all engaged in hostilities apart from neutral ItalyThe Italian Republic or Italy ( Italian: Italia is a country in the south of Europe, consisting mainly of a boot-shaped peninsula together with two large islands in the Mediterranean Sea: Sicily and Sardinia. To the north, where it borders France, Switzer (nominally joined with Germany and Austria-Hungary in the Triple AllianceThe Triple Alliance was the treaty by which Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy pledged ( May 20, 1882) to support each other militarily in the event of an attack against any of them by two or more great powers. Germany and Italy additionally undertook to), none had actually declared war in fulfillment of an alliance obligation.