Austria-Hungary's Aggression: Serbia's Freedom At Stake

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist in June 1914 was the catalyst for Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia. This event, however, was just one of many factors that led to the outbreak of World War I. The complex relationship between Austria-Hungary and Serbia was fraught with tension, shaped by historical conflicts, economic dependencies, and competing nationalistic aspirations. Austria-Hungary, a diverse empire, feared Serbian ambitions in the Balkans and sought to curb Serbian nationalism, which it saw as a threat to its dominance in the region. The assassination provided the pretext for Austria-Hungary, with the support of its ally Germany, to take aggressive action against Serbia, ultimately leading to the First World War.

Austria-Hungary's fear of Serbian nationalism

Historical Context

The roots of Austria-Hungary's apprehension can be traced back to the 19th century. Serbia gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878, but its path toward autonomy was tumultuous and influenced by foreign powers. Serbia's first king, Milan Obrenovic, favoured Austria, leading to economic dependence on the empire. This dynamic fostered resentment among Serbian intellectuals, who viewed their king as a puppet ruler obedient to Vienna. This sentiment pushed Serbian nationalists towards Russia as a potential counterweight to Austrian influence.

Economic Competition

In the early 20th century, Serbia took steps to diversify its economic relationships by cultivating trade links with France, Russia, and Bulgaria. This shift represented a significant blow to Austria-Hungary, as Serbia was a crucial market for its agricultural exports and a hub for its railways and banks. The Pig War of 1906 highlighted the economic rivalry between the two nations, with Austria-Hungary banning Serbian pork imports. Serbia responded by selling its pork to France, bypassing Austria-Hungary.

Geopolitical Ambitions

Austria-Hungary was alarmed by Serbia's growing nationalism and the rise of pan-Slavism, a movement advocating for the unification of all Slavic peoples. Serbia's aspirations for a Greater Serbia included territories within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, particularly Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbian nationalism was perceived as a direct threat to the stability of the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire, which had a significant South Slavic population of its own. The annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary in 1908 further inflamed tensions, as Serbia viewed this as an expansion of Austrian power and a challenge to its ambitions in the Balkans.

Rise of Nationalist Groups

The escalating tensions between Serbia and Austria-Hungary fuelled the emergence of Serbian nationalist groups, such as the People's Defence, the Black Hand, and Young Bosna. These organisations sought to protect the rights of Slavic people in the region and expel Austria-Hungary from the Balkans. Their propaganda, agitation, and violent tactics heightened fears in Vienna that Serbian nationalism could destabilise the empire.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by the Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip in June 1914, served as a flashpoint. Austria-Hungary held Serbia responsible and sought to punish and suppress Serbian independence, which it viewed as a threat to its empire. This ultimately led to Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia in July 1914, marking the beginning of World War I.

Serbian independence from Austria-Hungary

The history of modern Serbia began with the fight for liberation from the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century. Serbia's first constitution was adopted in 1835 and replaced in 1838. During the Revolutions of 1848, the Serbs in the Austrian Empire proclaimed a Serbian autonomous province known as Serbian Vojvodina. However, against the will of the Serbs, the province was abolished in 1860.

Serbia gained its autonomy in 1829, making it semi-independent from Turkey. In 1876, Serbia and Montenegro declared war on Turkey and were badly defeated. Russia, inspired by Pan-Slavism, intervened, and the war alongside Russia achieved victory and brought full independence for Serbia.

However, some of the gains from the preliminary Treaty of San Stefano were lost by the intervention of Germany, Britain, and other powers at the Treaty of Berlin (1878). This treaty gave Austria-Hungary the right to occupy and administer the Ottoman province of Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 1908, after growing fears of Serbia and Russia becoming stronger, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina, angering the Serbs, who wanted the territory for themselves. This was a significant factor in the hostility between the two sides, as Serbia felt that whenever they gained land in the Balkans, the Austrians thwarted their efforts.

In 1914, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, by a Serbian nationalist. Austria-Hungary, with the support of Germany, demanded that Serbia suppress all anti-Austrian propaganda and allow Austria-Hungary to conduct its own investigation into the archduke's killing. Although Serbia accepted nearly all of Austria's demands, Austria-Hungary broke diplomatic relations and declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, marking the start of World War I.

Serbia successfully repulsed three Austro-Hungarian invasions in 1914, but an epidemic of typhus in 1915 decimated the Serbian army. A renewed invasion in October 1915, involving German and Bulgarian forces, resulted in the occupation of the entire country. The remnants of Serbia's armed forces retreated into Albania and Macedonia, where they joined British and French forces.

Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, in June 1914 was the catalyst for a series of events that ultimately led to World War I. The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, was a Serbian nationalist and a member of the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist organisation. This provided the motive for Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia.

On July 23, 1914, Austria-Hungary, with the support of Germany, presented Serbia with a list of demands, which, if not met, would result in war. The ultimatum was delivered by the Austro-Hungarian ambassador, Baron Giesl von Gieslingen, to the Serbian foreign ministry. The demands were intentionally made extremely challenging for Serbia to accept, and included:

• Preventing information that speaks negatively of Austria-Hungary or its Emperor.
• Removing all Serbian nationalist organisations, specifically the Black Hand, which was believed to have aided the assassin.
• Allowing Austro-Hungarian representatives to enter Serbia to investigate the assassination and track down those responsible.
• Removing individuals in the Serbian government deemed responsible for anti-Austria actions.

Serbia was given just 48 hours to respond to the ultimatum, which was designed to provoke a military conflict. Austria-Hungary hoped for a swift and decisive victory over Serbia before its powerful ally, Russia, could react. However, Serbia's response, delivered by Prime Minister Nicola Pasic just before the deadline, accepted all terms except one: it refused to allow Austro-Hungarian officials to participate in any internal inquiry, citing the violation of its sovereignty.

On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, marking the start of World War I, as the conflict quickly escalated and drew in other major European powers.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the nephew of Emperor Franz Joseph and heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Despite opposition from his uncle, Franz Ferdinand chose to marry Sophie Chotek in 1900. Sophie came from a family of obscure Czech nobles, not from a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty in Europe. As a result, their children were declared ineligible for the throne, and Sophie became the victim of countless petty slights at imperial functions.

In 1913, Emperor Franz Joseph commanded Archduke Franz Ferdinand to observe military maneuvers in Bosnia in June 1914. Following the maneuvers, Ferdinand and his wife planned to visit Sarajevo to open the state museum in its new premises. Duchess Sophie, who feared for her husband's safety, accompanied him on the trip.

Bosnia and Herzegovina had been annexed by Austria-Hungary in 1908, against the wishes of neighboring Serbia, which also coveted the provinces. The population of Bosnia and Herzegovina was roughly 40% Serb, 30% Muslim, and 20% Croat, with various other ethnicities making up the remainder. A secret revolutionary society of peasant students called the Young Bosnians, who wanted to free Bosnia and Herzegovina from Austria-Hungarian rule and establish a common South Slav state, began plotting to assassinate the Archduke.

In May 1914, Gavrilo Princip, Trifko Grabez, and Nedeljko Cabrinovic, members of the Young Bosnians, traveled to Belgrade, the Serbian capital, where they received six handheld bombs, four semi-automatic pistols, and cyanide suicide capsules from members of the Black Hand, a terrorist group with close ties to the Serbian army. After practicing with their pistols in a Belgrade park, the three men journeyed back to Bosnia and Herzegovina, receiving help from Black Hand associates to smuggle their weapons across the border.

On June 23, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife departed their estate and headed to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite receiving multiple warnings to cancel the trip, the Archduke and his wife proceeded with their plans. On June 28, the couple boarded a train for the short ride into Sarajevo. For once, Sophie was permitted to walk alongside Ferdinand during a brief troop inspection, after which the couple got into an open-topped car for a motorcade ride to the city hall.

Meanwhile, seven Young Bosnians had positioned themselves along the Appel Quay, a main avenue in Sarajevo. When the motorcade passed by, Cabrinovic threw his bomb at the car, but it bounced off and rolled underneath the wrong vehicle. The explosion wounded two army officers and several bystanders but left the Archduke and his wife unharmed. Cabrinovic attempted to kill himself but was apprehended by the police.

The Archduke and his wife continued on to the city hall, and after that, the Archduke insisted on visiting the wounded officers in the hospital. To dissuade any other bomb throwers, the motorcade sped down the Appel Quay. However, the first three cars turned onto a side street, and in the confusion, the car carrying the Archduke and his wife stalled. Gavrilo Princip took the opportunity to step up to the car and shoot the couple at point-blank range. Within minutes, both had passed away.

The Balkan Wars

The Second Balkan War began on June 16, 1913, when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with the Treaty of London, attacked its former allies. Bulgaria faced opposition from the combined forces of Serbia and Greece, as well as an invasion from Romania. The Ottoman Empire also took the opportunity to advance in Thrace, regaining Adrianople. The Treaty of Bucharest was signed on August 10, 1913, bringing the conflict to an end. While Bulgaria managed to retain some territories gained in the First Balkan War, it was forced to cede southern Dobruja to Romania.

Austria-Hungary, in particular, wished for the continuation of the Ottoman Empire, as both were troubled multinational entities. A strong Ottoman presence was also seen as a counterweight to Serbian nationalism and its calls to Austria-Hungary's Serb subjects. During the Balkan Wars, Austria-Hungary twice threatened Serbia with an ultimatum, aiming to curb its territorial gains. However, it ultimately had to acquiesce to Serbia's expansion, which contributed to rising tensions in the region and set the stage for the July Crisis of 1914, leading to World War I.

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