Austria-Hungary's Documents: Sparking World War I

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenburg, in June 1914, set off a chain of events that led to World War I. The conflict began with Austria-Hungary's invasion of Serbia and its subsequent declaration of war on July 28, 1914. This invasion was preceded by a series of diplomatic exchanges, including an ultimatum presented to Serbia by the Austro-Hungarian Minister in Belgrade, which demanded the suppression of the Pan-Serbian movement and punishment for those involved in the assassination. Serbia's response, which conceded to most demands but refused to compromise its sovereignty, led to a breakdown in diplomatic relations and ultimately, Austria-Hungary's declaration of war. This triggered a series of military mobilizations and counter-mobilizations, drawing more nations into the conflict and marking the start of World War I.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was deeply in love with Sophie Chotek and chose to marry her in 1900 despite opposition from his uncle, the sitting Emperor Franz Joseph, who refused to attend their wedding. As Sophie was not from a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty in Europe, their children were declared ineligible for the throne, and Sophie became the victim of countless petty slights.

On learning of the Archduke's upcoming visit to Sarajevo, the Young Bosnians, a secret revolutionary society of peasant students, began plotting to assassinate him. In May 1914, Gavrilo Princip, Trifko Grabez, and Nedeljko Cabrinovic travelled to Belgrade, where they received six hand-held bombs, four semi-automatic pistols, and cyanide suicide capsules from members of the so-called Black Hand, a Serbian secret nationalist group with close ties to the Serbian army. After practising with their pistols in a Belgrade park, the three men journeyed back to Bosnia-Herzegovina, receiving help from Black Hand associates to smuggle their weapons across the border.

On 28 June 1914, the assassins positioned themselves along the motorcade route in Sarajevo. As the Archduke's car approached, Cabrinovic threw a bomb at the car, but it bounced off and exploded under the next car, wounding several people. The procession sped away, leaving the disabled car behind. Arriving at the Town Hall, the Archduke and his wife gave short speeches, and the Archduke added a few remarks about the day's events, thanking the people of Sarajevo for their ovations.

Officials and members of the Archduke's party then discussed what to do next. The Archduke's chamberlain proposed that the couple remain at the Town Hall until troops could be brought into the city to line the streets. However, Governor-General Oskar Potiorek vetoed this suggestion, arguing that soldiers coming straight from manoeuvres would not have the dress uniforms appropriate for such duties. Instead, it was decided that the imperial motorcade should travel straight along the Appel Quay to the Sarajevo Hospital to avoid the crowded city centre.

However, Potiorek failed to communicate his decision to the drivers. As a result, the Archduke's driver took a right turn at the Latin Bridge, and when he attempted to reverse, he accidentally stalled the engine close to where Princip was standing. The assassin stepped up to the footboard of the car and shot Franz Ferdinand and Sophie at point-blank range. After being shot, Sophie immediately fell unconscious and collapsed onto Franz Ferdinand's legs. The Archduke, too, lost consciousness while being driven to the Governor's residence for medical treatment. Franz Ferdinand's last words were: "Sophie, Sophie! Don't die! Live for our children!" The imperial couple were dead by 11:30 am on 28 June 1914.

Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia

On the 28th of June, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb and member of a Serbian-backed secret paramilitary organisation. This event followed several years of tensions between the governments of Austria-Hungary and Serbia after the former's annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908.

As a result of the shootings, the government of Austria-Hungary communicated a list of demands to the government of Serbia. The Serbian government agreed to comply wholly, or in part, with most of the ultimatum, but, after obtaining guarantees from the Russian government that it would receive support against Austria-Hungary, it rejected the last demand that would have resulted in a major infringement of its sovereignty. The government in Vienna broke diplomatic relations and announced a mobilisation of the army against Serbia. On the 28th of July, 1914, after a report of an unverified incident involving Habsburg and Serbian troops, the government of Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

The Austro-Hungarian Foreign Office issued a formal declaration of war:

> 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.

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> Austria-Hungary considers itself, therefore, from this moment in a state of war with Serbia. COUNT BERCHTOLD; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria-Hungary.

The July Ultimatum

On 5 July, Kaiser Wilhelm II issued his famous 'blank cheque' to the Austro-Hungarians: they could proceed as they saw fit, and Germany would back them if Russia intervened. Privately, Wilhelm and his military chief, von Moltke, wanted war with Russia and France sooner rather than later. The kaiser urged his Austrian allies to deal with Serbia promptly and ruthlessly.

On 23 July, almost one month after the assassination, the Serbian government received an ultimatum from Austria-Hungary. In it was a set of ten firmly worded demands, plus a requirement for the Serbs to respond in agreement within 48 hours. Winston Churchill, then in charge of Britain's Royal Navy, called the ultimatum "the most insolent document of its kind ever devised".

The ultimatum demanded that Serbia:

• Ban Serbian publications that had been responsible for anti-Austrian propaganda.
• Remove anti-Austrian individuals from the Serbian military, government and civil service.
• Remove Serbian teachers and curriculum that had promoted or incited anti-Austrian feeling.
• Outlaw and disband the Serbian nationalist group Narodna Odbrana ('People's Defence').
• Crack down on cross-border arms trading and remove corrupt border officials.
• Conduct a joint Serbian-Austrian investigation into the assassination plot, conducted within Serbia by Austrian officials, and involving the investigation and interrogation of Serbian civilians and military personnel.

Serbia immediately sought the counsel of the Russians. Tsar Nicholas II and his ministers offered to publicly condemn the ultimatum but refused to offer any military guarantees. The British foreign minister tried averting war by organising a mediation conference between all nations with a stake in the crisis, but this was rejected by both Berlin and Vienna.

Serbia responded to the Austrian ultimatum just before the expiration of the deadline. It submitted to most of the demands but rejected the Austrian-led inquiry demanded by point six, which it considered a breach of Serbian sovereignty. The Serbs again reiterated that their government gave no moral or material support to Princip and the other assassins. The Austrian ambassador, on receiving the Serbian response, read it once, then immediately left Belgrade and returned to Vienna. After some cajoling from his advisors, Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Josef declared war on Serbia on 28 July.

The US declares war on Austria-Hungary

On December 7, 1917, the United States Congress approved a resolution to declare war on Austria-Hungary. The Senate unanimously approved the resolution, with a vote of 74-0. This marked a significant escalation of American involvement in World War I, which had begun over three years earlier, in July 1914, with Austria-Hungary's invasion of Serbia.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, the Duchess of Hohenburg, on June 28, 1914, was the catalyst for the war. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the attack and presented an ultimatum on July 23, demanding the suppression of the Pan-Serbian movement and the punishment of those involved in the assassination. Serbia conceded to all demands except two, which infringed upon its sovereignty. In response, Austria-Hungary broke off diplomatic relations and declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, backed by its powerful ally, Germany.

The conflict quickly escalated as Russia mobilized its army to aid Serbia, leading to Germany's declaration of war on Russia, and France's subsequent mobilization. With Germany's planned invasion of neutral Belgium, Britain was also drawn into the war, as it had pledged to protect Belgian neutrality. Thus, within a matter of weeks, the major powers of Europe were embroiled in what became known as the First World War.

By the time the US entered the war in 1917, the conflict had already resulted in massive casualties and devastation across Europe. The US declaration of war on Austria-Hungary further solidified its commitment to the Allied cause and played a crucial role in the eventual outcome of the war. The US brought significant economic, military, and logistical resources to the fight, which helped tip the balance in favour of the Allies.

The US decision to declare war on Austria-Hungary was a pivotal moment in World War I, signalling its determination to actively engage in the conflict and shape the future of Europe.

The Armistice of Villa Giusti

In the lead-up to the armistice, the Austro-Hungarian forces had suffered severe casualties and the collapse of the Italian front. The empire had been struggling with economic conditions, food scarcity, and declining morale. Additionally, the diverse nationalities within the empire were seeking autonomy and independence, further contributing to its disintegration.

The Battle of Vittorio Veneto, which took place from October 24, 1918, was a decisive Italian victory. The Austro-Hungarian Army fought without adequate food and munitions supplies and was overwhelmed by the Italian forces. The battle resulted in the capture of 448,000 Austro-Hungarian soldiers, a significant loss that further weakened the empire.

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