July 28, 1914: The First World War begins as Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. Within the next week, Germany declares war on Russia and France and invades Belgium, and Great Britain declares war on Germany. On the first day of the war, British agents cut Germany's transatlantic telegraph cable, leaving a cable originating in London as the only operational telegraph link between Europe and America. This ensures that all German news reaching America will be subject to British censorship.