Emperor Franz Joseph: “To my peoples”, special edition of the Official Gazette of the Imperial-Royal Capital and Residence City Vienna, No. 61, 23rd year (29 July 1914)

On 27 July 1914 the Austrian foreign minister Berchtold requested Emperor Franz Joseph to sign the declaration of war, on the express grounds that the situation called for swift action, in order to achieve a fait accompli that would forestall any possible peace initiative on the part of the Triple Entente.