Sir Henry Wilson - Diary entry for 30th July

Diaries of the Director of Military Operations for the British Army

On the 30th WIlson wrote:

"The news is all bad to-day and war seems inevitable. Sazonov  and the German Ambassador fell out last night, and the German went to Sazonov's house at 2 a.m. this morning in tears and said all was over. The German's asked us to guarantee neutrality. Grey  answered: "Wait and see." Nicholson, who I saw several times, expects German mobilisation to-morrow. I confess it looks like it. Panouse to-night brought me a paper which Cambon gave Grey this afternoon showing German preparations."