In view of this latter danger, national opinion was again divided into two camps:  the first against war, the second determined to support Austria and pursue the path chosen by the Berlin Government, no matter what the consequences might be.  The latter party included the vast bulk of the nation; and Chauvinism dominated in the Press, theatres, concert-halls, churches and music-halls.  “Patriotic” demonstrations were held before Austrian consulates, in restaurants and coffee-houses.  The Berlin Government was overwhelmed with telegrams from all kinds of bodies—­especially those with a military colouring, such as veterans’ clubs, societies of one-year volunteers, university societies, etc.—­calling upon it to defend Germany’s honour against Slavonic murder and intrigue.  In short, all Germany gave itself up to a veritable Kriegsrausch (war intoxication) which found expression in the wildest attacks on Russia and a perfervid determination to see the matter through, should Russia venture to intervene in any way to protect Serbia from whatever measures Austria thought proper to take.

It is little to be wondered at that Russia in face of this spontaneous outbreak did take military precautions, for all Germany made it perfectly clear that no kind of intervention on Russia’s part in the Austro-Serbian dispute would be tolerated by Germany.  It is true that, late in the day, Austria avowed that she had no intention of annexing Serbian territory, a declaration which Germans did not believe, and certainly one which Russia had no reason to accept after Austria’s annexion of Bosnia and Herzegowina in 1908.

Furthermore, Austria gave Russia every reason to cherish suspicion as to her intentions.  On July 25th Austria issued official orders for the mobilization of eight of her sixteen army corps, in addition to which a part of the Landsturm was called up.  The corps mobilized were:  one each in Upper and Lower Austria, Dalmatia, Buda-Pest, Croatia and Bosnia and two Bohemian corps.  Three-eighths of the forces called up were thus placed very near to the Russian frontier.

Vienna was wild with war-enthusiasm which found expression in demonstrations lasting all through the night, July 25-26th.  Austrian officers, who have always been hated by the populace, were cheered, embraced and carried shoulder-high wherever they were met.  The effect which this had in Berlin may be seen from the Berliner Tageblatt of July 26th:  “An enormous mass of people gathered before the Russian Embassy last night between the hours of twelve and one.  The crowd howled and hissed, and cries were raised:  ’Down with Russia!  Long live Austria!  Down with Serbia!’ Gradually the police cleared the masses away.”

Russia ignored the incident, but when about a hundred Frenchmen demonstrated before the Austrian Embassy in Paris at exactly the same time, the Ambassador at once protested at the Quai d’Orsay and the Director of the French Foreign Office immediately apologized.