On learning of the delivery of the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to Serbia on July 24, 1914, Sazonov appealed unsuccessfully to Austria to extend the time limit, and advised Serbia to accept all demands except those concerning the sovereign rights of Serbia. Meanwhile, Russia adopted the military measures known as "pre mobilisation" (July 25), the Tsar and Sazonov planning a partial mobilisation to follow in case Serbia should be attacked. But the General Staff objected that it had no plan ready for a transition from partial to general mobilisation, and that as war seemed unavoidable the latter was imperative. Sazonov still insisted on waiting; meanwhile Berchtold declared war against Serbia (July 28), whereupon Sazonov (in the night of July 28-29) advised the Tsar to sign the order.
A belated telegram, however, from the Kaiser adjuring him to preserve peace for the sake of the monarchic principle moved the Tsar to withdraw the order for general, and substitute that for partial, mobilisation. This command was obeyed in words but the military experts having convinced Sazonov that it would be suicidal, the Minister next morning (July 3o) presented himself to the Tsar and obtained his consent to the radical measure ad vocated by the General Staff. On the following morning this order was posted up in St. Petersburg and the catastrophe, already inevitable, broke loose.
During the War Sazonov countered all influences tending to the abandonment of the struggle by Russia, but he followed the Tsar's lead in demanding first the opening of the Straits and the internationalisation of Constantinople and later on the annexa tion of the Turkish capital. The hostility of Turkey and Bul garia impeded assistance from the Allies, whereupon Sazonov made a bid for the help of the Poles in the shape of a Home Rule scheme, but the proposal was scouted in Court circles and he was dismissed from his post. Thus ended his career. His fall was gently broken by his appointment as Ambassador to Great Britain, but before he reached his destination the revolution of March 1917 had deposed the Tsar. Sazonov, however, was willing to represent the Government that had thrust aside his imperial master but it too was suddenly swept away. He was next ap pointed Minister for Foreign Affairs by Admiral Kolchak; but after 192o he retired into private life, settling at Versailles, where he occupied himself in writing his memoirs. These appeared in English in 1928 under the title "Fateful Years." They were at tacked, especially in Germany, on the ground of insincerity. (See the work Rings urn Sazonov: 1928.) Sazonov died at Nice, Dec. 23, 1927.