Reaction—July 24

Austrian troops—slow to get mobilized, so there's time to say goodbye.

Within hours of the ultimatum becoming known, the Russian Council of Ministers secretly agreed to mobilize thirteen Army Corps for possible use against Austria—so much for the belief that Russia would do nothing.

In London, Prime Minister Asquith told King George V that Europe was "within measurable distance of Armageddon." He happily added that he thought Britain would be a spectator.

In Berlin, the Charge d'Affaires, Sir Horace Rumbold, wrote a letter to his wife. "The Austrians will probably be in Belgrade by Monday. The Lord knows what will happen then and I tell you—between ourselves—that we will be lucky if we get out of this without the long-dreaded European war, a general bust-up in fact." Rumbold was right, although elaborating on the "long-dreaded European war" as a "general bust-up" seems wildly out of place.

The same day, Franz Joseph ordered partial Austrian mobilization, but being in Belgrade by Monday was out of the question—the mobilization was delayed for three days and would take sixteen days to complete.