The spell of fear and hate—August 1

The Odeonsplatz, Munich, August 1

"Three hundred million people today lie under the spell of fear and hate. Is there no one to break the spell, no gleam of light on this cold dark scene?" asked a London evening newspaper on August 1. The simple answer was no.

The scene was not everywhere cold and dark. Crowds threw flowers at cavalry in Paris and in Munich's Odeonsplatz similar crowds, including a young struggling painter, Adolf Hitler, cheered the coming war.

In the evening, the German Ambassador to Russia went to the Foreign Ministry in St. Petersburg and handed over the German declaration of war on Russia. The Russian minister said, "This is a criminal act of yours. The curses of the nations will be upon you."

"We are defending our honor," the Ambassador retorted.

"Your honor was not involved," the minister said. "You could have prevented the war by one word; you didn't want to." Apparently, the Ambassador burst into tears and had to be helped from the room.

That night, German troops entered Luxembourg to secure rail and telegraph resources.