Lex Anteinternet: Sunday, August 2, 1914. First French and German casualties of the Great War.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Sunday, August 2, 1914. First French and German casualties of the Great War.

Germany invaded Luxembourg and demanded passage through Belgium.

German cavalry crossed into France in a local action resulting in at least two deaths in a clash with French militia, those being Jules-André Peugeot, the first French military casualty of the war, and Albert Mayer, the first German casualty.

The countries were not yet at war.

Mayer was in command of the cavalry patrol and opened hostilities by first charging a sentry and then firing at Corporal Peugeot, who ordered him to stop and indicated the illegally present patrol was under arrest.

Mayer fire upon and killed Peugeot and the died when the French troops opened up on him. The illegal border crossers then retreated.

The patrol should not have been in France.

Germany signed a secret alliance with the Ottoman Empire. It stated:

Constantinople, August 2, 1914
1. The two contracting parties agree to observe strict neutrality in regard to the present conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia.
2. In case Russia should intervene with active military measures, and should thus bring about a casus foederis for Germany with relation to Austria-Hungary, this casus foederis would also come into existence for Turkey.
3. In case of war, Germany will leave her military mission at the disposal of Turkey. The latter, for her part, assures the said military mission an effective influence on the general conduct of the army, in accordance with the understanding arrived at directly between His Excellency the Minister of War and His Excellency the Chief of the Military Mission.
4. Germany obligates herself, if necessary by force of arms ... [ cipher group lacking] Ottoman territory in case it should be threatened.
5. This agreement which has been concluded for the purpose of protecting both Empires from international complications which may result from the present conflict goes into force as soon as it is signed by the above-mentioned plenipotentiaries, and shall remain valid, together with any similar mutual agreements, until December 31, 1918.
6. In case it shall not be denounced by one of the high contracting parties six months before the expiration of the term named above, this treaty shall remain in force for a further period of five years.
7. This present document shall be ratified by His Majesty the German Emperor, King of Prussia, and by His Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans, and the ratifications shall be exchanged within a period of one month from the date of its signing.
8. The present treaty shall remain secret and can only be made public as a result of an agreement arrived at between the two high contracting parties. In testimony whereof, etc.
BARON v. WANGENHEIM
SAID HALIM
WANGENHEIM

The German Navy bombarded Liepaja, Lativa, part of the Russian Empire.

St. Pope Pius X issued what would be his last public pronouncement, which stated:

EXHORTATION
DUM EUROPA
OF POPE PIUS X
TO CATHOLICS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD
While nearly all Europe is being dragged into the storm of an extremely gruesome war, of which no one can foresee the dangers, the massacres, and the consequences without feeling oppressed by the sorrow and by the horror, also We could not but be concerned and could not but feel Our soul torn by the most poignant pain for the safety and for the lives of so many individuals and peoples for whose welfare We are supremely solicitous.
Amidst these upheavals and dangers, We absolutely feel and realize that Our fatherly charity and Our apostolic ministry demand of Us to direct the minds of all the Christian faithful to Him from Whom alone help can come, towards Christ, we say, the Prince of Peace and the all-powerful Mediator between God and men.
Therefore, We exhort the Catholics of the entire world to turn to His throne of grace and mercy, first of all the clergy; that they, under their Bishops, institute special public supplications in their respective parishes so that God, touched by piety of these prayers, may take away as soon as possible the disastrous scourge of war and inspire those who preside over the commonwealths to think thoughts of peace, and not of affliction.
From the Vatican, August 2, 1914

The Scandinavian Monetary Union between Sweden, Norway, and Denmark ended due to the outbreak of war.

Last edition:

Saturday, August 1, 1914. Germany declares war on Russia.

Labels: 1910s, 1914, Austro Hungaria, Economics, France, German Kriegsmarine, Germany, Italy, Poland, Royal Navy, Russia, Switzerland, Triple Alliance, World War One

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Lex Anteinternet?

This blog has been around since 2009. In the very first post, we asked the question: "What the heck is this blog about?"

Our answer to the question was: "The intent of this blog is to try to explore and learn a few things about the practice of law prior to the current era. That is, prior to the internet, prior to easy roads, and the like. How did it work, how regional was it, how did lawyers perceive their roles, and how were they perceived?"

We also noted: "Part of the reason for this, quite frankly, has something to do with minor research for a very slow moving book."

All of this is still true, but the focus of the blog has changed somewhat. It now focuses on the era from 1890 to 1920 in general, rather than on the law and lawyers specifically, although that may be far from obvious. It's also become the location where we comment on anything we feel moved to comment on.

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