Austria-Hungary's Demands: Serbia's Compliance

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo. Austria-Hungary, threatened by Serbian ambition in the Balkans, decided to prepare for a possible military invasion of Serbia. After securing the support of its powerful ally, Germany, Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with a rigid ultimatum on July 23, 1914. The ultimatum demanded, among other things, that all anti-Austrian propaganda within Serbia be suppressed, and that Austria-Hungary be allowed to conduct its own investigation into the archduke's killing. Serbia effectively accepted all of Austria's demands except for one, but the Austrian government broke diplomatic relations with Serbia on July 25 and went ahead with military preparedness measures. On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, effectively beginning World War I.

Suppress anti-Austrian propaganda

On the 23rd of July 1914, Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with a harsh ultimatum, demanding that anti-Austrian propaganda within Serbia be suppressed. The ultimatum was formulated in such a way that it was unlikely to be accepted, and indeed, Serbia refused to meet all of the demands.

Austria-Hungary's demands regarding the suppression of anti-Austrian propaganda in Serbia were:

• Serbia should "suppress all publications that 'incite hatred and contempt of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy' and are 'directed against its territorial integrity'".
• Serbia should "dissolve the Serbian nationalist organisation Narodna Odbrana and all other such societies in Serbia".
• Serbia should "eliminate without delay from schoolbooks and public documents all 'propaganda against Austria-Hungary'".
• Serbia should "accept in Serbia 'representatives of the Austro-Hungarian Government' for the 'suppression of subversive movements'".

Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia was designed to provoke a war, which it believed would be swift and victorious. However, the result was a cataclysmic fight that devastated Europe and ended the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Allow Austrian officials to participate in the suppression of anti-Austrian organisations

On the evening of July 23, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Minister in Belgrade presented the Serbian government with a note containing demands regarding the suppression of the Pan-Serbian movement and the punishment of Serbians allegedly involved in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The document was harsh, peremptory, and provocative, and sought to make Serbia a vassal of Austria-Hungary.

One of the demands that Serbia refused to concede to was that Austro-Hungarian officials be allowed to participate in the suppression of organisations hostile to Austria-Hungary and in the judicial proceedings against their members. In its reply, the Serbian government pointed out that such demands were unprecedented in relations between sovereign states.

Austria-Hungary's insistence on this demand, among others, led to its declaration of war against Serbia on July 28, 1914, which marked the beginning of World War I.

Suppression of anti-Austrian organisations

Austria-Hungary's demand to participate in the suppression of anti-Austrian organisations in Serbia was driven by its desire to quash Serbia's independence and the Pan-Serbian movement, which it viewed as a threat to the future of the empire. The empire had a sizeable South Slavic population, and Serbia's fuelling of South Slav irredentism in the Monarchy was seen as a danger to its integrity.

Participation in judicial proceedings

Austria-Hungary also wanted to be involved in the judicial proceedings against members of organisations hostile to the empire. This demand was particularly concerning for Serbia as it would have allowed Austro-Hungarian officials to interfere in Serbia's judicial system and potentially influence the outcomes of legal cases involving Serbian citizens.

Impact of the conflict

The conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia had far-reaching consequences. After three unsuccessful Austro-Hungarian offensives between August and December 1914, a combined Austro-Hungarian and German offensive breached the Serbian front from the north and west in October 1915, with Bulgaria attacking from the east. By January 1916, all of Serbia had been occupied by the Central Powers.

Serbia was divided into occupation zones, and the Austro-Hungarian Army imposed martial law, practised hostage-taking, and responded to uprisings with public hangings and summary executions. During the occupation, between 150,000 and 200,000 men, women, and children were deported to purpose-built internment and concentration camps in Austria-Hungary.

The conflict also marked the beginning of World War I, as attempts at mediation by France and England failed, and Germany refused to curb its ally, Austria-Hungary. The war would go on to shake the world for more than four years, with devastating loss of life and widespread destruction.

Allow Austrian officials to participate in the investigation into the assassination

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in June 1914, was a pivotal moment in history that led to a series of events culminating in World War I. The Austrian-Hungarian authorities suspected Serbian involvement in the plot and sought to hold them accountable. One of the demands made by Austria-Hungary in its ultimatum to Serbia was to allow Austrian officials to participate in the investigation of the assassination. This demand was part of a broader effort to suppress anti-Austrian sentiment and activities within Serbia.

Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia, delivered on July 23, 1914, included ten stringent demands, two of which were particularly contentious and infringed upon Serbia's sovereignty. The fifth demand stated that Serbia must accept 'representatives of the Austro-Hungarian government for the suppression of subversive movements.' This was a direct attempt to exert control over Serbia's internal affairs and crack down on any opposition to Austrian rule. The sixth demand further reinforced this by requesting that Serbia "bring to trial all accessories to the Archduke's assassination and allow Austro-Hungarian delegates (law enforcement officers) to take part in the investigation."

By making these demands, Austria-Hungary intended to not only influence the investigation but also assert its authority over Serbia. The participation of Austrian officials in the investigation would have likely resulted in a biased inquiry that favoured Austrian interests. Serbia's refusal to comply with this particular demand, among others, led to the breakdown of diplomatic relations and ultimately, Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on July 28, 1914.

The investigation into the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was a critical aspect of the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. By demanding participation in the inquiry, Austria-Hungary sought to exert influence and pressure on Serbia. This demand, along with others in the ultimatum, contributed to the escalation of tensions and ultimately played a role in the outbreak of World War I.

Arrest two named suspects

The ultimatum issued by Austria-Hungary to Serbia on July 23, 1914, contained ten demands, two of which were of particular significance. The fifth demand required Serbia to accept “'representatives of the Austro-Hungarian government for the suppression of subversive movements”. The sixth demand was for Serbia to "bring to trial all accessories to the Archduke’s assassination and allow Austro-Hungarian delegates (law enforcement officers) to take part in the investigation".

The sixth demand specifically named two suspects: Major Vojislav Tankosić and civil servant Milan Ciganović, who were accused of participating in the plot to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Austria-Hungary demanded that Serbia arrest these two individuals and allow Austro-Hungarian officials to participate in the investigation and judicial proceedings against them.

Serbia's response to the ultimatum was delivered on July 25, 1914. While Serbia accepted most of the demands, it rejected the fifth and sixth demands, which infringed upon its sovereignty. Serbia proposed submitting these two points to international arbitration, but this offer was rejected by Austria-Hungary. As a result, diplomatic relations between the two countries were broken off, and Austria-Hungary proceeded to declare war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, marking the beginning of World War I.

Cease the cooperation of Serbian authorities in the arms trade

On July 23, 1914, Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with a list of demands regarding the suppression of the Pan-Serbian movement and the punishment of Serbians allegedly involved in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The document, which sought to make Serbia a vassal of Austria-Hungary, was harsh and provocative. While Serbia conceded to most of the demands, it refused to allow Austro-Hungarian officials to participate in the suppression of anti-Austria-Hungary organisations on Serbian soil and in judicial proceedings against their members. This was because such demands were unprecedented in relations between sovereign states.

Austria-Hungary's aim was to quash Serbia's independence, which it viewed as an unacceptable threat to the future of the empire given its sizeable South Slavic population. The Austro-Hungarian military leadership was determined to punish Serbia for fuelling South Slav irredentism in the Monarchy.

Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia on July 28, 1914, marked the beginning of World War I. The Austro-Hungarian offensive turned into a war of annihilation, accompanied by massacres of civilians and the taking of hostages. Austro-Hungarian troops committed a number of war crimes against the Serbian population, especially in the area of Mačva. During the short occupation between 3,500 and 4,000 Serb civilians were killed in executions and acts of random violence by marauding troops. Mass killings took place in numerous towns in northern Serbia.

The occupational authorities considered Serbian national consciousness an existential threat to Austria-Hungary and so the policies of the Military Governorate were aimed at depoliticising and denationalising the Serbian population. Public gatherings and political parties were banned, and the Cyrillic script was termed "dangerous to the state" and banned from schools and public spaces. Serbian students had to be educated in the German language, according to Austrian academic standards and through teachers imported from Austria. Significant cultural institutions such as the Royal Serbian Academy, the National Museum, and the National Library were closed down and looted of their historical artifacts and art collections.

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