Austria's Annexation Of Serbia: What Really Happened?

Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908 was a major catalyst for World War I. The annexation was a unilateral move, sparking outrage from neighbouring Serbia and other nations. This incident, known as the Bosnian Crisis, inflamed Serbian nationalists and permanently damaged relations between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, setting the stage for the outbreak of World War I in 1914.

The Bosnian Crisis

Background:

Austria-Hungary administered Bosnia and Herzegovina for three decades, investing heavily in their economic development and infrastructure. However, the provinces remained nominally under the control of the Ottoman Sultan. In 1908, a rebellion by the Young Turks toppled the Ottoman government, and the new Turkish regime established a constitutional government and initiated reforms. Fearing that the new rulers would reassert control over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Austrian foreign minister, Baron Aloys von Aerenthal (also known as Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal or Count Lexa von Aehrenthal) , seized the opportunity to assert his empire's dominance in the Balkans.

Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

In September 1908, Aerenthal met with the Russian foreign minister, Aleksandr P. Izvolsky, at Buchlau in Moravia. On September 16, they reached an agreement: Russia would not object to the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary in exchange for Austrian support for opening the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits to Russian warships, a privilege that had been denied since 1841.

On October 6, 1908, the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary officially announced its annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, declaring them fully incorporated into the territory of the Dual Monarchy. This unilateral action sparked outrage and protests from all the Great Powers of Europe and Austria-Hungary's Balkan neighbours, particularly Serbia and Montenegro, which shared geographic and ethnic connections with the annexed provinces.

Consequences and Resolution:

The annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina upset the fragile balance of power in the Balkans and severely damaged relations between Austria-Hungary and its neighbours, especially Serbia. Serbia, driven by nationalist ambitions and outraged by the loss of territory with a significant Serb population, demanded that Austria cede a portion of the annexed provinces to Serbia. Russia, reeling from its recent defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and internal revolution, was forced to submit to Austria's actions but resented its humiliation.

The crisis escalated further when Austria, backed by its ally Germany, threatened to invade Serbia if it persisted in its demands. Russia, unable to secure strong support from its ally France, could not risk a war against both Austria-Hungary and Germany. In March 1909, Izvolsky notified Germany that Russia accepted Austria's annexation, bringing an end to the immediate crisis without warfare. However, the embittered relations between Serbia and Austria-Hungary, along with Russia's resentment, contributed to the outbreak of World War I a few years later.

Austria-Hungary's motivations

• Preserving the Balance of Power: In 1908, the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary announced its annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, two provinces in the Balkan region that were formerly under the control of the Ottoman Empire. This move upset the fragile balance of power in the Balkans, angering Serbia and pan-Slavic nationalists throughout Europe. The largely Slavic population of these provinces also had their own nationalist ambitions, further complicating the situation.
• Countering Russian Influence: Austria-Hungary sought to counter the influence of its rival, Russia, in the Balkans. When the Ottoman government was taken over by the Committee of Union and Progress (the "Young Turks") in 1908, Austria-Hungary saw an opportunity to assert its dominance in the region. Additionally, Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and internal revolution in 1905 left it weakened, providing a window of opportunity for Austria-Hungary to act.
• Fear of Pan-Slavism: Austria-Hungary, a dynastic empire comprising many different races, feared the rise of pan-Slavism—the nationalism that aspired to establish independent nation-states for the various Slav races of the Balkans. Serbia was seen as a leading example of this movement, and Austria-Hungary sought to curb its influence.
• Economic Dominance: Austria-Hungary dominated the Balkans economically, and Serbia's attempts to reduce its economic dependence by building trade links with France and Bulgaria further strained relations. The "Pig War," in which Austria-Hungary banned imports of Serbian pork, was a significant factor in worsening tensions between the two countries.
• Annexation as a Solution: Some Austrian politicians, like Conrad von Hötzendorf, saw annexation as a solution to the tensions with Serbia. They believed that by annexing Serbia, they could eliminate it as a threat and punish it for fuelling South Slav irredentism within the Monarchy.
• Assassination of Franz Ferdinand: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by a Bosnian Serb nationalist in 1914 was a pivotal event. This provided a pretext for Austria-Hungary to inflict a military blow on Serbia and demonstrate its strength while dampening Serbian support for Yugoslav nationalism, which it saw as a threat to its multi-national empire.

Serbian nationalism

The idea of a "Greater Serbia" or "Great Serbia" is a nationalist and irredentist ideology that seeks to incorporate all regions of traditional significance to Serbs, including areas outside modern-day Serbia that are partly populated by Serbs. This includes claims to various territories within the former Yugoslavia, as well as parts of Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania. The initial movement's main ideology was to unite all Serbs, and all territory historically ruled or perceived to be belonging to Serbs, into a single state.

The concept of "Greater Serbia" was influenced by Serbian minister Ilija Garašanin's "Načertanije", a secret political draft created in 1844. This document claimed lands inhabited by Bulgarians, Macedonians, Albanians, Montenegrins, Bosnians, Hungarians, and Croats as part of Greater Serbia. Garašanin's plan also included methods of spreading Serbian influence in the claimed lands, proposing ways to influence Croats and Slavic Muslims, regarding them as "Serbs of Catholic faith" and "Serbs of Islamic faith".

Following the Congress of Berlin in 1878, when Serbia was declared an independent state, both South Slavs and the Serbian government considered their peoples in Habsburg-ruled Austria-Hungary to be under occupation. This led to increasing antagonism between Serbia and Austria-Hungary from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.

In 1908, the Austro-Hungarian Empire annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, enraging Serbia and pan-Slavic nationalists throughout Europe. This event, known as the Bosnian Crisis, further fuelled Serbian nationalism and contributed to the outbreak of World War I. Serbia's appeal to Russia for support was denied, and Serbia was forced to recognize Austria's right to Bosnia.

During World War I, Serbian nationalism contributed to the clash of alliances and the eruption of conflict. The assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Bosnian Serb revolutionary Gavrilo Princip in 1914 led to Austria-Hungary accusing Serbia of involvement and subsequently declaring war. Following the war, Serbia benefited from the Allies' victory, joining with territories claimed by Yugoslav nationalists to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, informally known as Yugoslavia, in 1918.

The Treaty of Berlin

The most important task of the Congress was to decide the fate of Bulgaria, but Bulgaria itself was excluded from participation in the talks, at Russian insistence. At the time, Bulgaria was not a sovereign state and was not a subject of international law. The most notable result of the conference was the official recognition of the newly independent states of Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro, which had been acting independently for decades.

The role of Russia

Russia played a significant role in the events leading up to World War I, which began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, on June 28, 1914. Here is a detailed overview of Russia's involvement:

Background

Russia had long-standing rivalries with Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire over influence in the Balkans. In the 1870s, Russia supported rebellions against Ottoman rule in the Balkans and went to war with the Ottoman Empire. As a result of the Congress of Berlin in 1878, Austria-Hungary was given the right to occupy the provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were formally part of the Ottoman Empire. This decision preserved the balance of power in Europe but left Russia disappointed as it wanted to expand its influence in the region.

The Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

In 1908, Austria-Hungary took advantage of the weakened position of the Ottoman Empire and announced its intention to annex Bosnia and Herzegovina formally. This unilateral action angered Serbia, which had its own ambitions in the region and considered the provinces ethnically and geographically linked to its territory. Serbia's outrage was shared by Russia, which still harboured ambitions in the Balkans and viewed Austria-Hungary's move as a threat to its interests.

The Bosnian Crisis

The Bosnian Crisis of 1908 refers to the international tension caused by Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Russia, already humiliated by its defeat in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, was forced to submit to Austria-Hungary's actions but remained resentful. Russia's foreign office encouraged pro-Russian, anti-Austrian sentiment in Serbia and other Balkan provinces, provoking fears in Austria of Slavic expansionism in the region.

The July Crisis and World War I

In 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Bosnian Serb nationalist provided Austria-Hungary with a pretext to inflict a military blow on Serbia and curb its support for Yugoslav nationalism. However, Austria-Hungary was wary of Russia's reaction and sought assurances from its ally, Germany. Germany provided its support, urging Austria-Hungary to act quickly to localise the conflict and avoid drawing in Russia.

On July 23, 1914, Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to Serbia, demanding harsh concessions. Before Serbia could respond, Russia ordered a secret partial mobilisation of its armed forces, believing that Austria-Hungary's grievance against Serbia was orchestrated by Germany. Russia's partial mobilisation emboldened Serbia to defy Austria-Hungary's ultimatum and increased tensions with Germany, which had not anticipated the possibility of facing Russia before France.

As diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis failed, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, marking the beginning of World War I. Russia's partial mobilisation against Austria-Hungary and Germany's subsequent mobilisation further escalated the conflict, leading to a general European war.

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