ssination of the Archduke in Bosnia. She sent an ultimatum to
Belgrade, making demands which the Servians could not admit. Thereupon
Austria declared war and moved across the Danube with her army.

THE FOUR GROUPS.

Austria's attack threatened to disturb the balance of power, because at
the time the continent was divided into four groups: The close alliance
of the central powers--Germany, Austria and Italy--referred to as the
Triple Alliance or Dreibund; the Triple Entente, or understanding
between Great Britain, France and Russia; the smaller group whose
neutrality and integrity had been guaranteed, or at least
recognized--Belgium, Denmark, Holland and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg,
sandwiched in between Germany, France and Belgium, together with
Switzerland. The fourth group included the Balkan nations: Bulgaria,
Servia, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey and Roumania, all drawn close to
Russia; Norway and Sweden, and the Iberian nations, Spain and Portugal.
The increase in the power of one of these groups would at any time have
been sufficient to precipitate a war, but in the movement of Austria
against Servia there entered a racial element. There was a threatened
drawing of another Slavonic peoples into the Teutonic system. Besides
this, the action let loose the flood of militarism which civilization
had been holding in check.

With this situation in mind, it is easy to understand how Germany could
precipitate a world conflict by attempting to keep open the way to the
near East, and controlling the markets as against Britain, France and
Russia. Back of all this was the question of commercial supremacy,
Germany showing her intention of keeping the way open to the near East
and dominating the markets as against Britain, France and Russia.

Russia could not stand by and see one of her Slavonic wards crushed, and
France, which held the Russian national debt, prepared to support her
debtor, whereupon Germany, threatened on both sides, struck. In doing so
the Kaiser ignored the rights of the small neutral states, invaded
Belgium and brought his armies within threatening distance of England.
France prepared to defend her country against Germany, and England,
alarmed by the move of Germany and sympathizing with Belgium, struck
back to avert the disaster which she felt must follow the German
movement, which had been threatening for years.

REGARDED EACH OTHER WITH SUSPICION.

All attempts to maintain a balance of power bet