Ruqayyah Snyder
Austria-Serbia relations have a long history, dating back to the Great Turkish War and the Habsburg-occupied Serbia of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The two countries have had complex relations, with Serbia being a province of the Habsburg monarchy and frequent changes in Serbian territory. The Bosnian crisis of 1908-1909, the annexation of Bosnia by Austria, and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist in 1914 all contributed to escalating tensions. This eventually led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia in July 1914, marking the start of World War I. Despite Serbia's near acceptance of Austria's ultimatum, Austria broke diplomatic ties and initiated military action. The conflict drew in other major powers, including Russia, Germany, France, and the British Empire, leading to a global conflict.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Relations between Austria and Serbia | Tense, with frequent conflict |
| Date of alliance | N/A |
| Historical context | Great Turkish War, Habsburg-occupied Serbia (1686-1691), Great Serb Migrations, Kingdom of Serbia (1718-1739), last Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791), proclamation of the Austrian Empire (1804), formation of the Principality of Serbia (1817), Hungarian suppression of Serbian revolts (1848), Austro-Hungarian Compromise (1867), pro-Austrian Serbian king Milan Obrenović (1880s), Bosnian crisis (1908-1909), Pig War (1906-1909), Austrian annexation of Bosnia, World War I |
| Causes of tension | Serbian nationalist sentiments, Austrian annexation of Bosnia, assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist, Serbian ambition in the Balkans, Russian support of Serbia |
| Military campaigns | Serbian campaign (1914-1915), three unsuccessful Austrian invasion attempts, second campaign under German command resulting in successful invasion of Serbia (1915) |
| Casualties | Serbia: 1,200,000+ inhabitants (including military and civilian losses); Austria-Hungary: unknown |
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What You'll Learn
The Bosnian crisis of 1908-09
The crisis began when the Young Turks staged a revolution in Constantinople (now Istanbul) in July 1908, establishing a constitutional government and a reform program. 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 over them. To this end, Aehrenthal met with the Russian foreign minister, Aleksandr P. Izvolsky, at Buchlau in Moravia on September 16, 1908. Izvolsky agreed that Russia would not object to the annexation in exchange for Austria's support for the ending of the 1841 convention that banned Russian warships from using the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits, effectively trapping the Russian Navy in the Black Sea.
On October 6, 1908, Austria-Hungary formally annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina. Izvolsky was unprepared for the immediate action and faced strong popular opposition to the annexation in Russia. Serbia, closely related to Bosnia and Herzegovina geographically and ethnically, was outraged and demanded that Austria cede a portion of the annexed territory to Serbia. Izvolsky, pressured by anti-Austrian sentiment in Russia, supported the Serbian claims. However, Austria, backed by its ally Germany, threatened to invade Serbia if it persisted in its demands.
Russia, having failed to secure strong support from its ally France, could not risk a war against both Austria-Hungary and Germany. In March 1909, Izvolsky notified Germany that Russia accepted the annexation. While the crisis was resolved without immediate warfare, it embittered relations between Serbia and Austria-Hungary and contributed to the outbreak of World War I. The crisis also pushed Russia and Serbia closer together, further isolating Russia in Europe.
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The Pig War (1906-1909)
The history of relations between Austria and Serbia dates back to the Great Turkish War, Habsburg-occupied Serbia (1686–91) and the Great Serb Migrations (which led to the formation of the Military Frontier and the building of the Petrovaradin Fortress). During the era of the Kingdom of Serbia (1718–1739), the region was a province of the Habsburg monarchy. Relations between the two nations have evolved over time, with periods of both cooperation and conflict.
One notable period of tension between the two countries was the Pig War, an economic conflict that lasted from March 1906 to June 1909. The conflict centred around a dispute over trade and efforts by Serbia to reduce its economic dependence on Austria-Hungary. At the time, Austria-Hungary was a significant trade partner for Serbia, accounting for a large portion of its exports and imports. However, Serbia sought to diversify its trade relationships and forge new alliances. This shift in Serbia's economic strategy led to the closure of the frontier to trade with Austria-Hungary, marking the start of the "Pig War". The conflict got its unique name from the prohibition on the export of live Serbian pigs to Austria-Hungary during this period. Despite the challenges, Serbia successfully expanded its trade with other partners, and foreign trade increased by 10 million dinars.
The Pig War was not an isolated incident, but rather part of a broader context of shifting alliances and increasing tensions in the region. In 1903, Serbia underwent a change in leadership with the accession of a new king. This new administration posed a potential threat to Austria-Hungary's influence in the Balkans. Serbia's decision to place a munitions order with a French firm in 1904, instead of their usual Austrian suppliers, further strained relations. Additionally, the formation of a Serbo-Bulgarian customs union in August 1905 undermined ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries.
The Pig War contributed to the deterioration of relations between Serbia and Austria-Hungary and inflamed pan-Serb sentiment. It is important to note that the Pig War was followed by a diplomatic and military crisis over the Austrian annexation of Bosnia, which further heightened tensions and laid the groundwork for World War I. The assassination of the Austrian Archduke by a young Bosnian Serb in 1914 provided an opportunity for the Austro-Hungarian government to address the issue of Slav nationalism. The July Crisis that followed led to Austro-Hungary's unsuccessful offensives against Serbia, which they blamed for supporting the assassins.
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The Sarajevo assassination
The political objective of the assassination was to liberate Bosnia and Herzegovina from Austria-Hungarian rule and forge an independent South Slav ("Yugoslav") state. This assassination was driven by deep-rooted socio-political discontent and revolutionary ideals, with Princip and his Young Bosnia cohorts seeking to dismantle the oppressive feudal system and foreign domination in Bosnia. They were influenced by radical literature and inspired by anti-imperialist and national movements.
The day of the assassination, June 28, holds significance as Vidovdan in Serbia, commemorating the 1389 Battle of Kosovo against the Ottomans, where Sultan Murad I was killed in his tent by a Serb. Princip and his accomplices were inspired by this heroism and reenacted the Kosovo Myth. The Young Bosnia group was predominantly Serb but also included a notable number of Bosnian Croats and some Muslims.
The assassination had far-reaching consequences. The Austro-Hungarian government used this incident to address the Serbian threat, enlisting the support of Germany. An ultimatum was drafted, holding the Serbian government responsible for the assassination and demanding concessions. While Serbia acceded to most demands, it resisted those that entailed constitutional changes, such as allowing Austro-Hungarian officials to operate on Serbian soil. The Serbian response was deemed insufficient, and Austro-Hungary, with German backing, launched unsuccessful offensives against Serbia, ultimately leading to the outbreak of World War I.
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Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia was the catalyst for World War I, which lasted from 1914 to 1918 and involved over twenty-one countries. The conflict began on 28 June 1914, when the Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg. This assassination was the culmination of rising tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, which had been inflamed by the Austrian annexation of Bosnia and the Serbian support for Yugoslav nationalism.
Austria-Hungary, encouraged by its ally Germany, sought to use the assassination as an opportunity to inflict a military blow on Serbia and quash Serbian nationalism. On 23 July, Austria-Hungary handed the Serbian government an ultimatum, which was deliberately provocative and designed to be unacceptable to Serbia. Serbia agreed to all demands except for two that entailed constitutional changes and the participation of Austro-Hungarian officials in judicial proceedings on Serbian soil. Austria-Hungary rejected Serbia's reply and declared war on 28 July 1914.
The declaration of war by Austria-Hungary set off a chain reaction of alliances and hostilities, with Russia supporting Serbia and Germany declaring war on Russia and then France. Germany's violation of Belgian neutrality brought Britain and its empire into the war, expanding the conflict beyond Europe. The complex web of alliances and the miscalculations of political and military leaders turned a localised conflict in Southeast Europe into a global war.
The war eventually led to the destruction of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Serbia annexed much of its former holdings in the Balkans, becoming the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, later known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The First Austrian Republic emerged as a rump state after the war, and Austria was eventually annexed by Germany in 1938.
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Serbian prisoners of war
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914, marking the beginning of the First World War. Serbian soldiers were taken as prisoners of war as Serbia was occupied by the Central Powers. Serbian prisoners of war were held in German POW camps and forced labour subcamps in German-annexed Austria, including Stalag XVII-A, Stalag XVII-B, Stalag XVIII-A, Stalag XVIII-B, Stalag 317/XVIII-C, and Stalag 398.
The Serbian government claimed that 39,000 Serbian citizens, both soldiers and civilians, died in Austro-Hungarian war camps, with thousands more civilian deaths. The deaths were largely due to poor living conditions, lack of hygiene, and inadequate medical care. Dysentery and pneumonia were common among the POWs and internees. Serbian prisoners of war also faced harsh treatment fuelled by nationalist animosity. The collective memory of Serbian prisoners of war during the First World War has been suppressed in Serbia, in accordance with imagined national traditions of heroism.
During the Bulgarian occupation of Serbia, which began in Autumn 1915, the civilian population was subjected to mass internment, forced labour, and a Bulgarisation policy. In the town of Surdulica alone, about 2,500 Serbian men were executed, and thousands of women and children were interned or sent to prison. Serbian guerrilla and military leaders continued to carry out guerilla actions against the occupiers throughout the war. The Serbian insurrection was the only armed uprising of an occupied population during World War One.
The Bulgarian occupation ended in late September 1918 after an Allied offensive at Dobro Polje, led by Serbian and French forces, liberated Serbia. Following the war, Bulgaria was forced to give up its conquered territory and reduce its army to 20,000 volunteers.
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Frequently asked questions
Serbia and Austria have never been allies. Serbia was part of the Habsburg Monarchy and later became a province of the Habsburg Empire. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in July 1914, which ultimately led to World War I.
The tensions between the two countries were inflamed by the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a young Bosnian Serb in June 1914. The Austro-Hungarian government used this as an opportunity to address the threat of Slav nationalism.
Austria-Hungary, with the support of Germany, invaded Serbia in July 1914. Despite initial victories, the Austro-Hungarian Army was ultimately defeated by the Serbians and their Montenegrin allies.
Serbia was conquered and divided into separate occupation zones in October 1915 with the help of German and Bulgarian forces. The northern three-quarters of the country were placed under a harsh Austro-Hungarian regime until 1918. Serbia lost a significant portion of its population during the war, with hundreds of thousands of civilians and military personnel dying.
Both countries currently have foreign relations and maintain embassies in each other's capital cities. Serbia has an embassy in Vienna and a general consulate in Salzburg, while Austria has an embassy in Belgrade.
