Midnight: Pourtalès calls on Sazonov to deliver the German ultimatum.
Unless within twelve hours Russia begins to demobilise against Germany and Austria-Hungary, the German government will be compelled to give the order to mobilise.
Sazonov says this is a “technical impossibility” and Germany is “overestimating the significance of a Russian mobilisation”. He asks Pourtalès if German mobilisation is equivalent to war and Pourtalès replies “…. we should find ourselves on the brink of war”.
Sazonov gives the Tsar’s assurance on his “word of honour” that the Russian army will not move, though it will continue to mobilise. This assurance is worthless to Germany. [More]