Austria-Hungary's Role In Wwi: Who's To Blame?

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife, Sophie, by a Serbian nationalist group on 28 June 1914, set off a chain of events that ultimately led to World War I. While there is debate among historians regarding the extent of responsibility, Austria-Hungary's subsequent declaration of war on Serbia is widely recognised as a pivotal moment in the escalation of the conflict.

Austria-Hungary's decision to go to war with Serbia was influenced by several factors. Firstly, they sought to punish Serbia for the assassination and curb Serbian ambitions in the region. Additionally, they wanted to preserve their dominance in the Balkans and maintain their status as a Great Power. Austria-Hungary also believed that a successful war against Serbia would help resolve internal disputes and strengthen their position within the empire. This decision was encouraged and supported by their ally, Germany, who issued a blank cheque of military support.

However, the declaration of war had far-reaching consequences. Russia, supporting Serbia, mobilised its forces, leading Germany to declare war on Russia and its ally, France. The invasion of neutral Belgium by German troops brought Britain and its empire into the conflict. Thus, what began as a localised conflict in Southeast Europe quickly escalated into a global war, with nations around the world being drawn into the fighting.

Austria-Hungary's alliance with Germany

The alliance between Austria-Hungary and Germany was known as the Dual Alliance or the Austro-German Alliance. It was formed on 7 October 1879 as part of Germany's Otto von Bismarck's system of alliances to prevent or limit war. The two powers promised each other support in the case of an attack by Russia and neutrality if either was attacked by another European power (generally taken to be France).

Otto von Bismarck, the Chancellor of Germany, saw the alliance as a way to prevent the isolation of the German Empire and to preserve peace, as Russia would not wage war against both empires. The addition of Italy in 1882 turned the alliance into the Triple Alliance, the first formal alliance in Europe.

The alliance was one of the more surprising of its time, as Austria-Hungary and Germany were often driven apart, most notably during the Austro-Prussian War. However, their common distrust of Russia united the two empires for a common cause.

The alliance was an important element of German and Austro-Hungarian foreign policy until 1918. During World War I, Italy did not immediately go to war with its allies, instead remaining neutral and eventually joining the Entente powers in 1915. The Dual Alliance persisted throughout the war as part of the Central Powers and ended with their defeat in 1918.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was deeply in love with Sophie Chotek, whom he married in 1900 despite the opposition of his uncle, the sitting Emperor Franz Joseph, who refused to attend their wedding. Sophie was not from a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty in Europe, and as a result, their children were declared ineligible for the throne. Sophie also became the victim of countless petty slights. For instance, at imperial banquets, she entered each room last, without an escort, and was then seated far away from her husband at the dinner table.

The political objective of the assassination was to free Bosnia and Herzegovina of Austria-Hungarian rule and establish a common South Slav ("Yugoslav") state. The assassination team was helped by the Black Hand, a Serbian secret nationalist group. The assassins were given access to the same clandestine network of safe houses and agents that Malobabić used for the infiltration of weapons and operatives into Austria-Hungary.

The initial reaction among the Austrian people was mild, almost indifferent; since the Archduke was not particularly popular. However, public opinion took a different turn when the Archduke's last words to his Czech wife, Sophie, were widely reported in the press.

The assassination was not necessarily a great event, but the reaction of multiple nations turned it into one. The crisis which developed in the summer of 1914 was one of several that had erupted in Europe in the early 20th century. International tensions had been mounting, but in every previous crisis, a continental war had been avoided. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand stoked old tensions beyond the Balkans. The crisis spread as other powers pledged support for either Austria or Serbia. Austria knew that conflict with Serbia would likely involve Russia, which saw itself as Serbia's protector. Austria-Hungary turned to its ally, Germany, which promised full support for a severe response against Serbia. Austria-Hungary's aggression towards Serbia and Russian support for Serbia in the aftermath of the assassination stemmed from fears that, if either backed down, they would lose credibility and prestige as great powers.

Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia

On the 23rd of July 1914, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia, nearly a month after the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife by a young Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, Bosnia. The ultimatum was delivered by the ambassador of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Serbia, Baron Giesl von Gieslingen, to the Serbian foreign ministry.

The ultimatum was issued with the full support of Austria-Hungary's allies in Berlin, and intended to force a military conflict that would end quickly and decisively with an Austrian victory before the rest of Europe, particularly Serbia's powerful ally Russia, had time to react. The ultimatum contained six concrete demands:

• The Serbian government was required to officially distance itself from the political campaign to unite the southern Slav peoples under Serbian leadership, which was a challenge to the territorial integrity of Austria-Hungary.
• 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 down and taking of legal proceedings against extremist secret organisations operating against Austria.
• The arrest and extradition to Austria of Serbian government officials deemed responsible for anti-Austrian activities.
• The participation of Austrian officials in the investigation of the assassination on Serbian territory.

The sixth point was specifically formulated to make Serbian acceptance unlikely, as it infringed upon Serbia's state sovereignty. Serbia was required to react within 48 hours, and the initial consequence of non-compliance was to be the breaking off of diplomatic relations, although it was clear that war would be the next step.

Serbia's response, delivered by Prime Minister Nicola Pasic just before the deadline, accepted all terms of the ultimatum except the sixth point concerning the participation of Austrian officials in investigations on Serbian sovereign territory, which would violate the Constitution and the law of criminal procedure. This response appealed to international observers, but Austria remained unmoved. Gieslingen broke off diplomatic relations and left Serbia, and on the 28th of July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, marking the beginning of World War I.

Austria-Hungary's invasion of Serbia

On 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, citing the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand as the reason. This declaration of war was the culmination of a series of events that began with the assassination of the Archduke and his wife on 28 June 1914. The assassin, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip, was a Bosnian Serb and a member of Young Bosnia, an organisation of national revolutionaries.

Austria-Hungary, with encouragement and support from Germany, its powerful ally, was determined to use the assassination as a pretext to crush the Serbian threat once and for all. On 23 July, Austria-Hungary, presented Serbia with an ultimatum containing demands that were designed to be rejected. Serbia's sovereignty would be destroyed if it accepted the terms in full, but any reply other than unconditional acceptance would give Austria-Hungary its excuse for war. Serbia conceded to all the demands except one, which stated that Austria-Hungary be allowed to conduct its investigation into the assassination on Serbian soil. On 25 July, Austria-Hungary broke off diplomatic relations with Serbia and began military preparedness.

On 28 July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Austria-Hungary was prepared to risk war because it had the guarantee of German support. However, its invasion of Serbia was not successful. The first campaign, led by Austrian General Oskar Potiorek, ended after three unsuccessful invasion attempts were repelled by the Serbians and their Montenegrin allies. The Serbian victory at the Battle of Cer is considered the first Allied victory of World War I, and the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Army by Serbia has been called one of the great upsets of modern military history.

The second campaign was launched under German command almost a year later, on 6 October 1915. Bulgarian, Austro-Hungarian, and German forces successfully invaded Serbia from three sides, and Serbia was then occupied and divided between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Bulgaria.

Austria-Hungary's military dictatorship

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, which was a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states. This compromise ended the 18-year-long military dictatorship and absolutist rule over Hungary, which Emperor Franz Joseph had instituted after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. The compromise put an end to the military dictatorship and restored the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Hungary.

In 1914, the outbreak of World War I brought a harsh military dictatorship to Austria-Hungary, along with innovations in the economy, labour deployment, gender conventions, and the creation of camps for POWs, refugees, and deportees. This military dictatorship was characterised by strict censorship, the suspension of civil rights, and the implementation of martial law.

In 1917, a new ruler, Emperor Charles I, took steps to curb the military dictatorship. He removed the chief of the general staff, amnestied political prisoners, and added programs for public welfare. However, ongoing catastrophic shortages, the abandonment of the rule of law, and harsh military discipline ultimately led to the gradual disintegration of the empire in October 1918.

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