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Wilhelm Eduard Freiherr von Schoen was born in Worms on June 3, 1851. For two years beginning in 1905, he was the German Ambassador to Tsarist Russia. From October 7, 1907 to June 28, 1910, Schoen was the Imperial German Minister of Foreign Affairs under the chancellorship of Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg.

Schoen could speak several languages as well the German diplomatic corps, including French, which earned him the title of German Ambassador to France in 1910. He was awarded the Legion of Honour, the highest French order for military and civil merits. In the summer of 1914, Schoen was in Paris when chaos threatened the continent.

LOCAL CONFLICT TURNED EUROPEAN WAR

When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914 (exactly one month after the Sarajevo murders), it was a question over whether the conflict would be local or general. Five days earlier, Tsarist Russia got word of the Austrian ultimatum, and a partial mobilization took place in the districts bordering the Dual Monarchy. In addition, Mother Russia got assurance of support from republican France.

The Franco-Russian alliance, which dated back to 1894, was a concern to Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, who had just returned to Berlin from a North Sea cruise. In the famous “Willy and Nicky” telegrams, the Kaiser accused his cousin Tsar Nicholas II of mobilizing and mediating at the same time.

Schoen, ensconced in the sophisticated French capital, sent a telegram to Berlin on July 26th announcing that France was ready to negotiate. He also recommended for any ultimatum to Serbia to be supported in Vienna by the “localization” of any possible conflict in the Balkans. Germany was determined to maintain the Teutonic alliance of the Central Powers at all costs… but did not want an all-out war!

However, the assurance that Great Britain would stand by Russia and France lent real fear to German foreign policy… that Russian policy in the Balkans would immediately force aid to tiny Serbia.

But would the Russians do so via general mobilization?

On July 29th, Austrian Ambassador Frigyes Szapáry spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Sazonov, urging the Cossacks to halt preparations that could lead to a general war. But during the meeting, Sazonov received word that the Serbian capital of Belgrade was being shelled by Austrian gunboats on the Danube! The meeting came to an abrupt end, and the Tsar signed the order to commence general mobilization on July 30th… and the hopes of a local conflict evaporated!

Imperial Germany responded with ultimatums to both Tsarist Russia and republican France. The latter was delivered by Baron Wilhelm von Schoen to Premier Rene Viviani at 7 P.M. on July 31st. Schoen made his eleventh visit to the French Foreign Office in one week.

In the ultimatum, the French had until 1 P.M. on August 1st to declare neutrality if the Germans fought the Russians. Schoen had also received a coded message from Berlin… stating if France declared neutrality, Germany should demand the fortresses of Verdun and Toul as hostages of the French pledge for neutrality. The second part of the message was soon discovered after the French broke the code!

During those eighteen hours, a crazed young man cracked under the suspenseful agony and shot dead international socialist and pacifist Jean Jaures in a Paris cafe. War fever was gripping the French capital!

At 11 A.M. on August 1, 1914, Premier Viviani met Schoen at the Foreign Office. Knowing that he arrived two hours before the deadline, Schoen unhappily stated:

“My question is rather naive, for we know you have a treaty of alliance.”

Viviani responded, “Evidemment”… and told the German ambassador:

“France would act in accordance with her interests.”

Later that day, Viviani wired Saint Petersburg that France would begin mobilizing her army.

Meanwhile in Berlin, Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg made a last ditch effort for peace with the Russians… which ended in failure! Imperial Germany promptly declared war on the Cossacks. But the German mobilization commenced only a half hour after the French!

In London, Secretary of State Sir Edward Grey informed German Ambassador Karl Max Lichnowsky that if Germany held off, he promised to keep France neutral. But the ambassador misunderstood what Grey meant… and when Lichnowsky messaged Berlin, he said in case Germany does not attack France, England would stay neutral and guarantee French neutrality.

Nevertheless, the Kaiser felt that this was carte blanche for a single-fronted war with Tsarist Russia. He informed Chief of the Great German General Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger to call off the planned assault in the West.

But Moltke felt that Germany’s sole war plan could not be altered so quickly. The Schlieffen Plan was to begin with an advance via neutral Belgium, a move that could bring Great Britain into the fray due to an 1839 agreement with the Belgians with respect to its non-belligerence. As a result, Moltke disdained the order, and tiny Luxembourg fell to German troops by nightfall.

The intent to attack west was now in the open!

Grey then sent notes to Paris and Berlin, questioning if Belgian neutrality would be respected. He got a firm yes from the French. But Berlin remain silent…

The order for British mobilization was signed on August 2nd. Later that evening, Germany sent an twelve-hour ultimatum to Belgium, demanding free passage. In addition, the Germans informed the little kingdom of an upcoming French invasion (which was not true)… and unless Belgium remained neutral, Germany would also regard the Belgians as enemies.

But King Albert made the assurance that Belgium would stand and defend itself. He also asked King George V of England for help.

At 6:15 P.M. that evening, Baron von Schoen made another visit to the French Foreign Office in the Quai d’ Orsay, visibly in distress. When he met Viviani, Schoen began by complaining that a woman had thrust her head into the window of his carriage and insulted “me and my Emperor”.

Then he revealed his main reason for the meeting. Schoen promptly unfolded a document. In it, there were allegations of “organized hostility” among the French, including air attacks over Nuremberg and Karlsruhe… as well as violations of Belgian neutrality by French planes. These claims were false… possibly to cover for Moltke’s ignorance of the Kaiser’s request not to attack France.

To further complicate matters, Schoen’s wife was Belgian. This put him in an embarrassing situation… and at odds with the purpose of his visit: the formal declaration of war on France by the German Empire.

The German Embassy was formally taken over by the incoming American ambassador Myron Herrick. Both Schoen and his wife departed for Berlin.

On the morning of August 4th, German troops breached Belgian soil. The British responded with an ultimatum, which astonished Bethmann-Hollweg. With the Schlieffen Plan in full motion, Great Britain (as well as most of Europe) was at war.

LATER YEARS AND DEATH

After the war, Baron Wilhelm von Schoen wrote The Memoirs of an Ambassador: A Contribution to the Political History of Modern Times (published in 1922).

Surviving long enough to see the rise of Adolf Hitler, Schoen died in Berchtesgaden on April 24, 1933 at the age of eighty-one.