The entry of Austrian troops into Serbian territory on July 26, 1914 caused great surprise and was the beginning of the anxiety that reigned everywhere. But no one wanted to believe in war, or at least they hoped it would be avoided once again.
However, on July 28, the on leave were recalled by dispatch to their corps. This measure is not made to reassure families. Then on July 31, the reservists bakers and marshals are called back to the flag. Following these events, anxiety reigns more and more in the village. Everyone wonders what will be tomorrow. And then the next day, August 1, there was a rumor in the country that « the Germans violating the neutrality of Belgium are moving by forced marches towards our northern border ».
An official telegram arrived at the Town Hall at 4 p.m. announcing « the general mobilization order ». The bells sound the tocsin. A gendarme brings the mobilization posters which are immediately put up. The population spreads in the streets and comes to consult the posters. The faces are dismayed, the women and children cry.
The next day, August 2, a state of siege was declared throughout France. And on August 3, Germany declared war on us.
Saint Quentin Lamotte, although in the zone of the armies, did not have to suffer the terrible effects of the battle. The village, however, experienced days of anguish, in September 1914 and April 1918, when the German rush forced the French troops and the English troops to retreat.
In 1914, the country saw the arrival of many emigrants from the North, Pas de Calais and Somme regions who had fled the invader.