Empires at War

100 years ago today, the bête noire of this weblog proclaimed neutrality in the Great War.

Also on the same day, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland declared war. Sir Edward Grey had given a speech in the House of Commons about the lamps the night before:

The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our life-time.

It was only a week after Bad Ischl.