[center][img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/Coat_of_Arms_of_the_July_Monarchy_%281831-48%29.svg/500px-Coat_of_Arms_of_the_July_Monarchy_%281831-48%29.svg.png[/img][/center]
[center]Kingdom of France[/center]
[center]Royaume de France[/center]

Several years ago the great powers of Europe gathered in Berlin to stabilize the volatile region that is the Balkans, an effort in which they succeeded by producing the Treaty of Berlin. This treaty succeeded in years of peace for the Balkans with the exception of a brief war between the Kingdom of Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, in which the rest of the Balkans denied to join Bulgaria in this war, instead choosing to maintain the peace that had been accomplished. Now the Austro-Hungarian Empire seeks to expand their influence in the region by bullying the sovereign Kingdom of Serbia to submit to their will. As the Russian Empire valiantly jumped to the aid of their Slavic brothers, the German Empire has sought fit to declare war under the pretense of halting Russian dominance over Europe. We must now continue to stand firm alongside our Russian allies in preventing the Austro-Hungarian Empire and their German allies from further destabilizing the Balkans once more. Although I fear there will only be further bloodshed before this war is brought to an end, we must press on until we are free of these acts of aggression.

~ King Philippe VIII of France