Serbia's Response To Austria-Hungary: Defiant And Determined

The Serbian reply to Austria-Hungary's demands was a careful diplomatic response to a harsh and provocative ultimatum. The reply was sent on July 25, 1914, two days after the ultimatum was presented to the Serbian government. While Serbia's answer conceded to most of the demands, it refused to accept two conditions that infringed upon its sovereignty. These two conditions were offered for arbitration instead. The Serbian government also requested proofs of guilt for some of the accused. The Austro-Hungarian Foreign Office denounced the reply, and a formal declaration of war was issued on July 28, 1914. This was the catalyst for World War I, as attempts at mediation failed, and Germany, France, Russia, and Great Britain were eventually drawn into the conflict.

Serbia's reply conceded to most of Austria-Hungary's demands

On 23 July 1914, three weeks after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary presented an ultimatum to Serbia, demanding a response within 48 hours. The ultimatum was a harsh list of 10 demands, including:

• Serbia must condemn the "dangerous propaganda" against Austria-Hungary, which aimed to detach territories from the Monarchy.
• Serbia must suppress all publications that "incite hatred and contempt" of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and threaten its territorial integrity.
• Serbia must dissolve the "Narodna Odbrana" and other societies engaging in propaganda against Austria-Hungary.
• Serbia must remove from its military and civil administration, all officers and functionaries implicated in the assassination.
• Serbia must accept Austro-Hungarian delegates to assist in the investigations and suppression of subversive movements.
• Serbia must arrest Major Vojislav Tankosić and civil servant Milan Ciganović, who were named as participants in the assassination plot.
• Serbia must prevent the smuggling of arms and explosives across the frontier and punish those who facilitated the assassins' passage.
• Serbia must provide explanations for the hostile statements made by Serbian officials towards Austria-Hungary.

Serbia's reply to the ultimatum was sent on 25 July 1914. While it conceded to most of the demands, it refused to allow Austro-Hungarian delegates to operate within its territory, considering it a violation of its constitution. Additionally, Serbia requested that Austria-Hungary provide proof of guilt for the individuals implicated in the assassination. Despite Serbia's willingness to comply with most demands, Austria-Hungary was not satisfied and declared war shortly afterward.

Serbia's reply was still deemed unsatisfactory by Austria-Hungary

The Austro-Hungarian government waited three weeks following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand before issuing its formal response. The assassination was carried out by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist, and five Bosnian Serbs and one Bosnian Muslim. The assassins were coordinated by Danilo Ilić, who sought to free Bosnia of Austria-Hungarian rule and unite all Southern Slavs.

Austria-Hungary's response, following a Ministerial Council Meeting on 7 July, comprised a lengthy list of demands made upon the Serbian government. The ultimatum was presented by the Austrian government to Belgrade on Thursday 23 July 1914 at 6 p.m. A response was demanded within two days, by Saturday 25 July at 6 p.m.

The Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to Serbia (July 1914) stated that:

> The history of recent years, and in particular the painful events of the 28th of June last, have shown the existence of a subversive movement with the object of detaching a part of the territories of Austria-Hungary from the Monarchy.

The ultimatum went on to accuse the Serbian government of having done nothing to suppress this movement, and of tolerating the criminal activities of various unions and associations directed against the Monarchy. It further accused Serbia of tolerating an unhealthy propaganda in its public instruction and every manifestation that could betray the people of Serbia into hatred of the Monarchy and contempt for its institutions.

Serbia's reply to the ultimatum was sent on July 25, 1914. It conceded to all the demands except two, which infringed upon its rights as a sovereign State, and these two it offered to submit to arbitration. However, Serbia's reply was still deemed unsatisfactory by Austria-Hungary, which denounced Serbia's response on July 27 and issued a formal declaration of war the next day.

The text of the declaration of war stated:

> The Royal Government of Serbia not having replied in a satisfactory manner to the note remitted to it by the Austro-Hungarian Minister in Belgrade on July 23, 1914, the Imperial and Royal Government finds itself compelled to proceed to safeguard its rights and interests and to have recourse for this purpose to force of arms.

Austria-Hungary's declaration of war was followed by attempts at mediation by France and England, which proved fruitless. Austria persisted, and Germany refused to curb its ally. This ultimately led to Germany invading Belgium, Great Britain declaring war on Germany, and the outbreak of World War I.

Austria-Hungary's ultimatum was based on the assumption that the Serbian government was complicit in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia on July 23, 1914, was a response to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the thrones of Austria and Hungary, and his wife, Sophie Chotek, on June 28 of the same year. The ultimatum was issued nearly a month after the assassination and was delivered by Baron Giesl von Gieslingen, ambassador of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Serbia, to the Serbian foreign ministry.

The ultimatum was the culmination of a carefully orchestrated plan by Austria-Hungary, in collaboration with its principal ally, the German Empire, to force a military conflict with Serbia. The plan aimed for a quick and decisive Austrian victory before Serbia's powerful ally, Russia, could react. The ultimatum demanded that Serbia accept an Austro-Hungarian inquiry into the assassination, suppress anti-Austrian propaganda, and eliminate terrorist organizations within its borders. One such organization, the Black Hand, was believed to have aided the assassins by providing weapons and safe passage from Belgrade to Sarajevo.

Austria-Hungary's suspicions of Serbian involvement in the assassination were fueled by preliminary findings of their investigation, which indicated a complex scheme with connections in both Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia. Additionally, the involvement of a clandestine Serbian organization, the Black Hand, further implicated Serbian officials. The investigation also brought to light the support provided by Serbian military personnel and border guards to the terrorists during the preparation of the attack and the exfiltration of accomplices.

The ultimatum was deliberately crafted to appear untenable, ensuring its rejection by the Serbian government. It included demands such as the suppression of anti-Austrian propaganda, the dissolution of subversive organizations, the removal of anti-Austro-Hungarian content from school curricula, the dismissal of military and civil officials implicated in anti-monarchy propaganda, and the arrest of individuals named as participants in the assassination plot. The ultimatum also demanded that Serbia allow Austro-Hungarian representatives to operate within its territory during the investigations and take steps to prevent the illegal trafficking of arms and explosives across the border.

While the ultimatum did not directly accuse the Serbian government of complicity in the assassination, it implied that Serbia had "tolerated" the activities of the conspirators and failed to suppress the subversive movement within its borders. The text of the ultimatum reflected Austria-Hungary's intention to exert increasing control over Serbia and revert to the situation before 1903, effectively transforming Serbia into a satellite state.

The ultimatum carried significant implications for Europe, as it set in motion a series of diplomatic and military escalations that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War I. The complex web of alliances and miscalculations by political and military leaders resulted in an outbreak of hostilities among most European states by early August 1914.

Serbia's reply was delivered on July 25, 1914

The Austro-Hungarian government waited three weeks following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand before issuing its formal response. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was carried out by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist, on 28 June 1914. Serbia's reply to the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum was delivered on 25 July 1914.

The Austro-Hungarian government, seizing the opportunity presented by the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, decided to settle a long-standing score with its near-neighbour Serbia. The assassination was carried out by a Bosnian Serb nationalist, and Austria-Hungary sought to demonstrate its strength and dampen Serbian support for Yugoslav nationalism, viewing it as a threat to the unity of its multi-national empire.

Austria-Hungary's response, following a Ministerial Council Meeting on 7 July, was an ultimatum comprising a lengthy list of demands made upon the Serbian government. The ultimatum was presented by the Austrian government to Belgrade on 23 July 1914 at 6 p.m. A response was demanded within two days, by 6 p.m. on 25 July.

Serbia's reply to the ultimatum was delivered on 25 July 1914. It conceded to all the demands except two, which infringed upon its rights as a sovereign state. These two demands were offered to be submitted to arbitration. The Austro-Hungarian Foreign Office denounced Serbia's reply on 27 July and issued a formal declaration of war the next day.

The Serbian reply was delivered by the secretary-general of the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slavko Grujić, and the acting prime minister, finance minister Lazar Paču. This was due to the absence of the Serbian Prime Minister, Nikola Pašić.

The reply was as follows:

> [Serbia is] prepared to hand over for trial any Serbian subject . .of whose complicity in the crime of Sarajevo proofs are forthcoming [as well as officially condemn all propaganda against A-H].

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> [Serbia will] introduce ... a provision into the press law providing for the most severe punishment of incitement to hatred and contempt of the [A-H] Monarchy...

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> The Serbian govt.] possesses no proof ... that the Narodna Odbrana and other similar societies have committed up to the present any criminal act of this nature ... Nevertheless, [Serbia] will ... dissolve the Narodna Obrana and every other society which...

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> [Serbia will] eliminate without delay from public instruction ... everything that serves or might serve to foment the propaganda against [A-H], whenever [Austria] furnish them with facts and proofs...

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> [Serbia] also agree to remove from the military service all such persons as the judicial inquiry may have proved to be guilty of acts directed against the integrity of the territory of [A-H], and they expect [Austria] to communicate ... the names and acts of these officers for the purpose of the proceedings which are to be taken against them.

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> [The Serbian govt. does] not clearly grasp the meaning or the scope of the demand ... that Serbia shall undertake to accept the collaboration of the representatives of [A-H], but they declare that they will admit such collaboration as agrees with the principle of international law, with criminal procedure, and with good neighbourly relations.

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> ...As regards the participation in this inquiry [which Serbia intends to hold] of Austro-Hungarian agents... [Serbia] cannot accept such an arrangement, as it would be a violation of the Constitution...

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> [States it has not yet been possible to arrest one of the persons named; request proofs of guilt from Austria]

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> [agrees to reinforce measures against illegal trafficking of arms and explosives across the frontier with Bosnia-Herzegovina]

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> [offers explanations of anti-Austrian comments by Serb officials if Austria sends examples of their actually having been made]

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> [Serbia will duly notify the measures taken, but if Austria is not satisfied with the reply] the Serbian government . . are ready . . to accept a pacific understanding, either by referring this question to the decision of the International Tribunal of the Hague [i.e., the World Court], or to the Great Powers...

Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia shortly after receiving Serbia's reply

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, on 28 June 1914, set off a series of events that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War I. Austria-Hungary, believing that Serbia was complicit in the assassination, sought to weaken Serbia and demonstrate its strength. On 23 July 1914, Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with an ultimatum, a list of harsh demands, which had to be met within 48 hours. The demands included:

• A formal condemnation of anti-Austro-Hungarian propaganda and efforts to separate territories from the Monarchy.
• Suppression of all societies and publications that promoted hatred or contempt towards the Monarchy.
• Removal of Serbian officials and officers implicated in the assassination from their positions.
• Collaboration with Austro-Hungarian representatives to suppress subversive movements and investigate the assassination.
• Arrest of individuals implicated in the assassination.
• Prevention of arms trafficking across the Serbian border.
• Explanation and condemnation of anti-Austro-Hungarian statements made by Serbian officials.

The Serbian government's response to the ultimatum was delivered on 25 July 1914. While Serbia accepted most of the demands, it refused to allow Austro-Hungarian representatives to operate within its territory, considering it a violation of its sovereignty. This refusal, along with other minor points of contention, led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia shortly after receiving Serbia's reply.

Austria-Hungary's decision to go to war was influenced by its desire to punish Serbia, assert its dominance in the Balkans, and prevent further threats to the unity of its multi-national empire. Additionally, the support of its ally Germany, which provided a "blank cheque" backing any military action, emboldened Austria-Hungary's aggressive stance.

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