On July 29, 1914, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia sent a telegram to his cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, seeking his aid:
In this serious moment, I appeal to you to help me. An ignoble war has been declared to a weak country. The indignation in Russia, shared fully by me, is enormous. I foresee that very soon I shall be overwhelmed by the pressure forced upon me and be forced to take extreme measures which will lead to war. To try and avoid such a calamity as a European war I beg you in the name of our old friendship to do what you can to stop your allies from going too far.

在这个危急的时刻，我恳求你帮助我。一场令人不齿的战争被强加在一个弱小的国家头上。我承担着全俄罗斯巨大的怒火。我预计我很快会被强加给我的压力淹没，而被迫采取极端的措施导致战争。我求你看在我们老朋友的份上在一切都太迟之前做些什么阻止你的盟友来避免欧战这个灾难。