The Czar’s telegram came on the heels of a message from London which had rocked, not only the Kaiser, but even Bethmann-Hollweg and the Wilhelmstrasse. “So long as the conflict remains confined to Austria and Russia we can stand aside,” Grey had told the German Ambassador. “But if Germany and France should be involved, then the British government would be forced to make up its mind quickly.” If the Czax had stuck to his refusal not to let Russian mobilization go beyond the limited call-up in the south, peace might have been saved
