What was the first move in the start of WW1 and why? Please, I'm not talking about Sarajevo?

Question

I 'm asking what was the first move, not what was the "triggering moment" or causes

Answer 1

The Germans went through Belgium because it was the shortest route from Berlin to Paris.  As part of that operation, they also went through Luxembourg (the people there did not complain about it).  If you check Mapquest (Europe), you will see that the recommended automobile route from Berlin to Paris is very close to the route followed by the German Army and it will take you through Belgium.

The German offensive operation was known as the Schlieffen Plan.

Answer 2

The assassination occurred on June 28th. On July 28th, after a month of negotiations and threats, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Austrian gunboats bombarded Belgrade on the night of the 29th. Russia mobilised it's army across all fronts, including Germany. By August 4th, France and Britain had mobilised against Germany, which had mobilised against Russia. On August 4th German troops crossed the Belgian border and came under fire from Belgian troops.

Answer 3

If I know what you are trying to ask, the reason Belgium was targeted first was that the Germans were on the way to defeat the French, who had been mobilising to fight the Germans.

Why this was so could be traced back to the last major war in Europe, the 1871 Franco-Prussian (France v Prussia-Germany) in which the Prussians and there German allies defeated the French (under Napoleon III) and the French ever since had felt their pride had been trampled and wanted to beat the Germans to show them "who's boss".  This really goes back to the defeat of Napoleon & France in 1814, after which they never really regained the supremacy they once held on the continent.  They had some success against the Austrian Hapsburg's in the Italian Wars of Independence in 1859-60 but other than that, it was a century of defeats at the hands ofthe Germans

(This is a very brief & rough)

Answer 4

Russian units crossed into East Prussia at the start of August.

German units penetrated Belgium at the same time.  This was part of the Schlieffen plan to crush France before Russia could get into motion.  The growth in armies and firepower meant the Germans had to use Belgium (just as their further growth meant in 1940 that they also had to use Holland).

Austria-Hungary dithered between two plans - one against Serbia, which they adopted first, before switching to one against Serbia and Russia.

France put into motion its plan XVII for an all-out assault in Alsace-Lorraine.

The Tsar in his first message to the Russian people repeated Alexander I's 1812 message that he would fight till all the foreign invaders were cleared.  This was a bit absurd, as there were no invaders on Russian soil at the time.  He also shot the war economy in the foot by with drawing from state participation in vodka production, thus, losing all the revenues the state had gained.

George V of England 'took the pledge' to abstain from alcohol for the duration, when his advisers told him his subjects would follow his example.  his Majesty was considerably put out when they didn't!