Serbia's Response To Austria's Ultimatum: What Happened?

On the 23rd of July, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian government issued an ultimatum to Serbia, demanding a response within 48 hours. The ultimatum, which was formulated in six points, included the suppression of anti-Austrian propaganda in the Serbian press and the participation of Austrian officials in the investigation of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. While Serbia accepted most of the demands, it rejected the final point concerning the participation of Austrian officials on Serbian sovereign territory, which would have been a violation of the Serbian Constitution. As a result, the Austro-Hungarian ambassador left Belgrade, severing diplomatic relations and ultimately leading to the declaration of war on the 28th of July, marking the beginning of World War I.

The ultimatum was issued three weeks after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, on June 28, 1914, was a pivotal moment in history that set off a series of events leading to World War I. Three weeks after the assassination, on July 23, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian government issued an ultimatum to Serbia, which played a significant role in escalating tensions and ultimately triggering the war.

The ultimatum was presented to the Serbian government by Baron Giesl von Gieslingen, the ambassador of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Serbia. It consisted of a set of demands aimed at punishing Serbia and asserting Austro-Hungarian dominance in the region. The specific terms of the ultimatum included:

• A requirement for the Serbian government to officially distance itself from the political campaign to unite the southern Slav peoples under Serbian leadership, which challenged the territorial integrity of Austria-Hungary.
• Purging the Serbian army and civil service of anti-Austrian agitators and suppressing anti-Austrian propaganda in the Serbian press.
• Taking legal proceedings against extremist secret organizations operating against Austria, particularly those believed to have aided the assassins.
• Allowing Austrian officials to participate in the investigation and prosecution of the ringleaders on Serbian territory, which would infringe upon Serbia's state sovereignty.
• Suppressing publications that incite hatred and contempt towards the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
• Dissolving specific nationalist organizations and confiscating their propaganda materials.
• Eliminating propaganda from public instruction in Serbia.
• Removing officers and functionaries implicated in propaganda against the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy from the military and civil service.
• Accepting the collaboration of Austro-Hungarian representatives in suppressing the subversive movement within Serbia.
• Taking judicial proceedings against accessories to the assassination plot and allowing Austro-Hungarian delegates to participate in the investigations.

The ultimatum demanded a response from Serbia within 48 hours, by 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, 1914. The consequences of non-compliance were not explicitly stated, but it was understood that diplomatic relations would be severed, leading to further escalation.

While Serbia's response to the ultimatum was generally compliant, accepting most of the demands, it rejected the crucial sixth point, refusing to allow Austro-Hungarian officials to operate on Serbian sovereign territory. This rejection was a significant factor in the subsequent declaration of war by Austria-Hungary on July 28, 1914, marking the beginning of World War I.

Austria-Hungary's response was influenced by Germany

Austria-Hungary's response to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was influenced by Germany in several ways. Firstly, Germany assured Austria-Hungary of its support in the event of a conflict with Serbia, giving it what became known as a "blank cheque" or "blank check". This assurance was given by Kaiser Wilhelm II, who was outraged by the assassination and felt a personal loss due to his friendship with the Archduke. The "blank cheque" was a decisive moment in the lead-up to World War I, as it meant that the conflict in the Balkans could escalate into a general European war.

Secondly, Germany urged Austria-Hungary to act quickly and decisively against Serbia. Germany wanted to localise the war and avoid drawing in Russia, which was a major supporter of Serbia. Germany's military leaders, in particular, were keen to attack Serbia before Russia was ready for war. They saw the conflict as an opportunity to start a preventive war against Russia, which they believed was inevitable and would be more likely to succeed if it happened soon.

Thirdly, Germany played a role in shaping the specific demands made by Austria-Hungary in its ultimatum to Serbia. The German Foreign Office was involved in drafting the ultimatum, which was designed to be unacceptable to Serbia. Germany also pressured Austria-Hungary to deliver the ultimatum quickly, before the assassination of the Archduke lost its impact on European public opinion.

Finally, Germany worked to ensure that other European powers did not intervene to prevent the conflict from escalating. For example, Germany made various promises to try to ensure British neutrality, and it attempted to sabotage British mediation efforts.

Serbia was given 48 hours to respond

On the evening of July 23, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian government issued an ultimatum to Serbia, giving them 48 hours to respond. This was nearly a month after the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife by a young Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia. The ultimatum was delivered by Baron Giesl von Gieslingen, ambassador of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Serbia, to the Serbian foreign ministry.

Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia comprised a lengthy list of demands. It was based on the assumption that the Serbian government was implicated in the events at Sarajevo. The ultimatum included six points:

• The Serbian government was required to officially distance itself from the political campaign to unite the southern Slav peoples under Serbian leadership, which challenged the territorial integrity of Austria-Hungary.
• The purging of the Serbian army and civil service of anti-Austrian agitators and the suppression of anti-Austrian propaganda in the Serbian press.
• The Serbian government was called upon to track down and take legal proceedings against extremist secret organizations operating against Austria.
• The suppression of publications that "incite hatred and contempt" of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
• The dissolution of the Serbian nationalist organisation Narodna Odbrana and all other such societies in Serbia.
• The participation of Austrian officials in the investigation into the assassination and in the hunting down and prosecution of the ringleaders on Serbian territory.

Serbia was required to respond within 48 hours, by 6 pm on Saturday, July 25. While there was no explicit threat of war in the ultimatum, it was clear that this would be the next step if Serbia did not comply.

On July 24, the day before the deadline, Russia, Serbia's most important ally, ordered a partial mobilisation, making it clear that any further steps would lead to an escalation with catastrophic results.

Serbia's answer arrived within the 48-hour deadline on July 25. They accepted the majority of the demands but rejected the final point concerning the participation of Austrian officials in investigations on Serbian sovereign territory. The Austro-Hungarian foreign minister refused to consider the idea of further negotiations, making it clear that Vienna was not interested in a diplomatic solution. Three days later, on July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, marking the beginning of World War I.

Serbia accepted most of the demands

On the 23rd of July 1914, the Austro-Hungarian government issued an ultimatum to Serbia, giving them 48 hours to respond. This ultimatum was a response to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, a month prior. The Austro-Hungarian government's ultimatum was designed to be unacceptable to Serbia, and it included six demands:

• The Serbian government was required to distance itself from the political campaign to unite the southern Slav peoples under Serbian leadership, which was seen as a threat to the Austro-Hungarian empire.
• The purging of the Serbian army and civil service of anti-Austrian agitators.
• The suppression of anti-Austrian propaganda in the Serbian press.
• The tracking and prosecution of extremist secret organisations operating against Austria, in relation to the assassination.
• The acceptance of Austrian officials' participation in the investigation and prosecution of the ringleaders on Serbian territory, which would infringe on Serbia's sovereignty.
• The dismissal of certain unnamed Serbian officials at Austria-Hungary's discretion.

Serbia's response, delivered by Prime Minister Nicola Pasic before the deadline on the 25th of July, accepted most of the demands but rejected the final two points. The final two points were seen as infringing on Serbia's sovereignty and as unconstitutional. Despite Serbia's acceptance of most of the demands, the Austro-Hungarian foreign minister refused to consider further negotiations, making it clear that Vienna was not interested in a diplomatic solution. Three days later, on the 28th of July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, marking the beginning of World War I.

Austria-Hungary declared war shortly after

Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, just three days after Serbia's response to the ultimatum. This marked the beginning of World War I.

The ultimatum was delivered to the Serbian foreign ministry on July 23, 1914, by the ambassador of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Serbia, Baron Giesl von Gieslingen. Serbia was given 48 hours to respond. The ultimatum demanded that Serbia:

• Accept an Austro-Hungarian inquiry into the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, despite Serbia's claim that it was already conducting its own internal investigation.
• Suppress all anti-Austrian propaganda.
• Take steps to root out and eliminate terrorist organizations within its borders.

Serbia's response, delivered by Serbian Prime Minister Nicola Pasic just before the deadline, accepted all terms of the ultimatum except one: it would not accept Austria-Hungary's participation in any internal inquiry, stating that this would violate the Constitution and criminal procedure law.

Despite Serbia's acquiescence to most of the ultimatum's demands, Austria-Hungary was not placated. Baron von Gieslingen broke off diplomatic relations and left Belgrade, and three days later, Austria-Hungary declared war.

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