Ruqayyah Snyder
On 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, marking the beginning of World War I. This declaration came exactly one month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the murder and aimed to crush the Serbian threat to its empire. The attack on Serbia was not without warning, as tensions between the two countries had been escalating for years, with Austria-Hungary delivering an ultimatum to Serbia just days before declaring war.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia | 28 July 1914 |
| Date of the start of World War I | 28 July 1914 |
| Assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand | Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student and member of an organisation of national revolutionaries called Young Bosnia |
| Date of assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand | 28 June 1914 |
| Austria-Hungary's occupation of Serbia | From late 1915 until the end of World War I |
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What You'll Learn
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914
On 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, marking the beginning of World War I. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, on 28 June 1914, was the immediate spark that set off a chain of events leading to the war. Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student and member of a Serbian nationalist organisation called Young Bosnia, carried out the assassination in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
Austria-Hungary had long viewed Serbia as a threat to the stability of its multi-ethnic empire, especially after Serbia's emergence as a more powerful force in southeast Europe following the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913. The assassination of the Archduke provided Austria-Hungary with a pretext to address what they perceived as a Serbian threat. They suspected Serbian involvement in the assassination and sought to crush any potential independence movements among the South Slavs within their empire.
In the lead-up to the war, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia, known as the July Ultimatum, consisting of ten demands designed to be intentionally unacceptable to provoke a war. Serbia acceded to eight of the ten demands, but Austria-Hungary was not satisfied and proceeded to declare war. This declaration of war initiated a series of military expeditions known as the Serbian campaign, led by Austrian General Oskar Potiorek.
The Serbian campaign faced early setbacks for Austria-Hungary, with the well-equipped Habsburg forces being outnumbered and facing fierce resistance from the Serbs. Despite multiple invasion attempts, including a combined Austro-Hungarian and German offensive, it wasn't until October 1915 that they successfully breached the Serbian front. By January 1916, all of Serbia had been occupied, and it remained under the control of the Central Powers until its liberation in November 1918.
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The Bosnian Crisis of 1908-09
The crisis began when the Young Turks overthrew the Ottoman government in Constantinople (now Istanbul) in July 1908. In response, the Austrian foreign minister, Graf (Count) Lexa von Aehrenthal, resolved to annex Bosnia and Herzegovina before the new Turkish regime could regain control. On September 16, 1908, Aehrenthal met with the Russian foreign minister, Aleksandr P. Izvolsky, and secured Russia's agreement not to oppose the annexation. In return, Austria-Hungary pledged not to object to the opening of the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits to Russian warships, which had been denied to Russia since 1841.
On October 7, 1908, Austria-Hungary formally annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina. This outraged Serbia, which demanded that Austria cede a portion of the annexed territory. Izvolsky, facing strong opposition to the annexation in Russia, was forced to support Serbia's claims. Austria-Hungary, backed by Germany, threatened to invade Serbia if it persisted in its demands.
Russia, unable to secure France's support and facing the prospect of war with both Austria-Hungary and Germany, ultimately backed down. In March 1909, Izvolsky notified Germany that Russia accepted the annexation. While the crisis was resolved without immediate warfare, it severely damaged relations between Serbia and Austria-Hungary and contributed to the outbreak of World War I a few years later.
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The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia. The assassination was carried out by a group of seven Bosnian assassins, including Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old Bosnian Serb student and member of an organisation of national revolutionaries called Young Bosnia. The group was coordinated by Danilo Ilić, and all but one of its members were Bosnian Serbs.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was an advocate of increased federalism and was believed to favour trialism, under which the Slavic lands within the Austro-Hungarian Empire would be reorganised into a third crown. This would have created a Slavic kingdom that could have served as a bulwark against Serb irredentism. As a result, Franz Ferdinand was perceived as a threat by Serbian nationalists and irredentists, who sought to unify all South Slavic people under Serbian rule. The political objective of the assassination was to free Bosnia and Herzegovina from Austrian-Hungarian rule and establish an independent South Slav ("Yugoslav") state.
On the day of the assassination, Franz Ferdinand and his wife were riding in an open carriage through the streets of Sarajevo. Earlier that day, the Archduke had shown signs of stress, interrupting a prepared speech of welcome by the Mayor, Fehim Čurčić, to protest against the bombs that had been thrown at him during his visit. Despite the security risks, the couple chose to continue with their planned itinerary, which included a reception at the Town Hall. As their car drove through a street corner in the centre of the city, two shots were fired at close range, mortally wounding the Archduke and his wife.
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Serbian independence
The Principality of Serbia was granted de facto independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1867, with the enactment of a new constitution in 1869. However, it was not until the Congress of Berlin in 1878, which ended the Russo-Turkish War, that Serbia's formal independence was internationally recognised. This treaty, however, prohibited Serbia from uniting with other Serbian regions, placing Bosnia and Herzegovina under Austro-Hungarian occupation.
Despite gaining independence, Serbia continued to face threats to its sovereignty. In 1908, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, which it had occupied since 1878, angering Serbia and its patron, the Russian Empire. This annexation precipitated the Bosnian Crisis of 1908-09 and further strained relations between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by a Bosnian Serb student in 1914, provided the catalyst for Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia. This declaration of war marked the beginning of World War I, as Russia came to Serbia's defence, drawing in other European powers.
During World War I, Serbia faced multiple invasions by Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Germany, resulting in the occupation of the country by the Central Powers. Despite putting up fierce resistance, Serbia was eventually conquered and divided into occupation zones. It was only in 1918, with the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, that Serbia regained its independence and expanded its territory. Serbia joined the pan-Slavic State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs, becoming a federal unit within the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia after World War II.
In more recent times, Serbia has continued to assert its independence. In 2008, Kosovo, a disputed territory claimed by Serbia, unilaterally declared independence, causing mixed responses from the international community. Serbia continues to negotiate its EU accession, with the possibility of joining the European Union by 2030. Serbia also formally adheres to a policy of military neutrality, demonstrating its commitment to maintaining its independence and sovereignty.
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The occupation of Serbia
On 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, marking the beginning of World War I. This came exactly one month after Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife were assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student and member of an organisation of national revolutionaries called Young Bosnia. Austria-Hungary had long seen Serbia as a threat to the stability of its multi-ethnic empire, and the assassination provided the perfect opportunity to quash Serbia's independence.
The Serbian campaign was a series of military expeditions launched in 1914 and 1915 by the Central Powers (Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Germany) against the Kingdom of Serbia. The first campaign, dubbed a "punitive expedition" by the Austro-Hungarian leadership, was commanded by Austrian General Oskar Potiorek and consisted of three unsuccessful invasion attempts between August and December 1914. Despite Austria-Hungary amassing over 500,000 soldiers on the Serbian frontiers, they were defeated by the Serbians and their Montenegrin allies. The victory of the Royal Serbian Army at the Battle of Cer is considered the first Allied victory of World War I.
The second campaign was launched under German command on 6 October 1915, with Bulgarian, Austro-Hungarian, and German forces led by Field Marshal August von Mackensen. This time, the Central Powers succeeded in conquering Serbia. By January 1916, all of Serbia had been occupied and was divided into two separate occupation zones: an Austro-Hungarian zone covering the northern three-quarters of the country, and a Bulgarian zone to the south. Germany declined to directly annex any Serbian territory but took control of railways, mines, and agricultural resources in both zones.
The Austro-Hungarian occupation of Serbia was marked by martial law, hostage-taking, punitive raids, and public hangings. During the occupation, between 150,000 and 200,000 civilians were deported to internment and concentration camps in Austria-Hungary, and 30,000 were executed in the first year alone. The occupation lasted until the end of World War I, with all of pre-war Serbia liberated by 1 November 1918.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914, marking the beginning of World War I.
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife on 28 June 1914 was the immediate trigger. The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, was a Bosnian Serb student and member of a Serbian nationalist group called Young Bosnia. Austria-Hungary suspected Serbian backing for the assassination and used it as a pretext to crush the perceived Serbian threat to its empire.
The attack on Serbia led to a series of diplomatic and military manoeuvres that escalated the conflict. Russia supported Serbia, bringing France into the conflict. Germany then declared war on Russia and France, while Italy remained neutral despite its alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary. Britain's fears of German domination in Europe and Germany's violation of Belgian neutrality eventually led to their entry into the war.
Austria-Hungary's initial invasion attempts were repelled by the Serbian and Montenegrin forces, with the Battle of Cer in August 1914 marking the first Austro-Hungarian defeat. However, by late 1915, a combined Austro-Hungarian and German offensive breached the Serbian front, and by January 1916, all of Serbia had been occupied by the Central Powers. Serbia was divided into two occupation zones, with Austria-Hungary controlling the northern three-quarters. Serbian resistance continued, and by November 1918, all of pre-war Serbia had been liberated.
