Russia, Thursday, 30th July

Morning Sazonov is still in favour of general mobilisation. He asks Krivoshein to put pressure on the Tsar to change his mind.

Morning Sazonov then sees Yanushkevich and Sukhomlinov. They are worried that partial mobilisation will wreck the plans for general mobilisation. Yanushkevich phones the Tsar who refuses to reverse his decision. However, he agrees to see Sazonov at 3.00 P.M. [More]

Morning Sazonov tells Paléologue and Buchanan about the solution he discussed earlier with Pourtalès. He also says for strategic reasons Russia cannot postpone converting partial mobilisation into general mobilisation as she knows Germany is preparing.

3.10 P.M., Peterhof Sazonov sees the Tsar. Despite the proposal he has made to Pourtalès in the early hours that morning he tells the Tsar there is no hope of peace.
Germany is determined on war and is well advanced in its military preparations (this is not true).
Sazonov talks at length, and finally, the Tsar gives way and agrees to general mobilisation. Sazonov asks permission to telephone the news to Yanushkevich immediately. He doesn’t want to give the Tsar time to change his mind again. [More]

4.31 P.M. Paléologue has a wire from Viviani asking him to urge Russia to do nothing to give Germany a pretext for mobilisation. Paléologue responds "this very morning I have recommended to M. Sazonov to avoid all military measures that might furnish Germany with a pretext for general mobilisation". He adds in the course of the past night Russia deferred secret precautions that might have alarmed the German general staff. This is an indirect reference to the cancelled Russian general mobilisation.

5.00 P.M. Dobrorolski is again at the Central Telegraph Office. He waits until 7.00 P.M. until all military districts confirm receipt of the mobilisation order. Russian general mobilisation begins.

9.15 P.M. Paléologue has confirmation from Sazonov. He wires Paris that Russia has intelligence that German war preparations are far advanced (this is not true, they are not) and has decided to proceed secretly to the first measures of general mobilisation.

Brief Russian mobilisation [More]