Neither
Ima nor her friends nor anyone else could believe that the great powers of
Europe, bound by networks of civility and diplomacy, would suddenly declare war
on each other. Besides, that, George V of England, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia,
and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany were first cousins: they were the grandsons of
Queen Victoria.
No
one imagined that a single assassination would topple the elaborate house of
diplomatic cards that had kept Europe stable since the Franco-Prussian War in
1870. But Austria’s declaration of war against Serbia offended Russia, a
defender of Serbia. On July 30 Russia prepared for war against Austria-Hungary
and Germany. On August 1 Germany declared war on Russia.
That
was the day that the Chemnitz docked
in Bremerhaven. Ima and other passengers who had looked forward to a
late-summer holiday in Germany were quickly re-routed. On August 3 Germany
declared war on France, and on that day Ima Hogg and many others sailed on the St. Petersburgh, bound for England. As
soon as she arrived in London, Ima sent another cablegram home:
The situation on the Continent is already is
frightful, even if nothing more happens, and I am sure more is to come of it.
However, none of us are sorry we came. We were among the last of two ships to
be allowed in the North Sea and to land in Germany. The voyage from Germany
to England was a terrible trip, yet still
without discourtesies. . . . A great many things happened--lack of food,
crushes of people, no place to sleep. . . .
Ima arrived in London on August 4, 1914.
That day England declared war on Germany.
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