19131914

1913–1914 refers to the two-year interval that bridged the late Belle Époque and the outbreak of World War I. The period featured significant political reforms, regional conflicts, and rising military tensions that shaped the path to global conflict.

In 1913, several political and institutional changes occurred in the United States, while Europe continued to grapple with nationalist movements and militarization. Notable domestic reforms included the ratification of the 16th and 17th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the establishment of the Federal Reserve System, reflecting a shift toward modern governance and economic policy. In Southeast Europe, the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 concluded in 1913, redrawing borders and altering regional alliances in the Balkans and adding to the volatility that would influence the wider continent.

The year 1914 brought a crisis that escalated into war. On June 28, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated in Sarajevo, triggering the July Crisis. By early August, the major European powers were mobilizing and declaring war: Germany declared war on Russia and France, Britain declared war on Germany, and the invasion of Belgium brought additional nations into the conflict. The Western Front soon stabilized into trench warfare, with the First Battle of the Marne in September halting the German advance. The events of 1913–1914 thus marked a transition from regional disputes to a full-scale global war that would endure until 1918.