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On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, marking the beginning of World War I. This declaration was made one month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife by a Serbian nationalist. Austria-Hungary, with the encouragement and support of Germany, sought to suppress Serbian ambition in the Balkans region and respond to the assassinations. The complex web of alliances and rivalries among the major powers of Europe quickly escalated the conflict, drawing in Russia, France, and eventually, Britain, as they each mobilised their forces and declared war on one another.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 28 July 1914 |
| Reason | Austria-Hungary accused Serbia of plotting and backing the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife |
| Support | Germany |
| Outcome | The First World War |
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What You'll Learn
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was an advocate of increased federalism and was widely believed to support trialism, under which the Slavic lands within the Austro-Hungarian Empire would be reorganized into a third crown. This made him a target for Serb nationalists, who saw him as a threat to Serbian independence. The Black Hand, a secret society dedicated to creating a Greater Serbia, decided to assassinate the Archduke when they learned of his planned visit to Sarajevo in June 1914.
The assassination was carried out by a group of six Bosnian assassins, including Gavrilo Princip, who was part of a student revolutionary group that later became known as Young Bosnia. On the day of the assassination, the Archduke and his wife were riding in an open carriage through the streets of Sarajevo when they were shot at close range by Princip.
The assassination sparked a series of diplomatic and military escalations among the major powers of Europe, known as the July Crisis. Austria-Hungary sought to inflict a military blow on Serbia and presented the country with an ultimatum, demanding, 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 accepted all of Austria's demands except for one, leading Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, effectively beginning World War I.
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Serbian nationalism
This antagonism came to a head in 1914 when Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by the Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip. Austria-Hungary accused Serbia of involvement and subsequently declared war, resulting in a clash of alliances and the eruption of World War I. Serbian nationalism was an important factor during the Balkan Wars, contributing to the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I.
During the interwar period, Serbian nationalism developed in opposition to the state-sponsored policies of Yugoslavism and "Brotherhood and Unity" promoted by Josip Broz Tito's communist Yugoslavia. Serbian nationalist intellectuals, such as Dobrica Ćosić, challenged these policies and viewed Yugoslavia as a detrimental experience for the Serb nation. Serbian nationalism escalated following Tito's death in 1980, with intellectuals breaking taboos and glorifying figures from the Chetnik movement, a highly violent sectarian variant of Serbian nationalism that emerged during World War II.
In the late 1980s, Slobodan Milošević allowed Serb nationalist organisations, such as the Chetniks, to mobilise and embraced the Serbian Orthodox Church, promoting the idea that Orthodoxy was the spiritual basis for and the most essential component of Serbian national identity. This led to the republishing of pseudoscientific works claiming historical inaccuracies about the history of Croatia and Croats, as well as the history of Serbs and Serb Orthodoxy, which were used to justify the wars in Croatia and Bosnia.
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German encouragement
On 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, which marked the beginning of World War I. This declaration was encouraged by Germany, which had been pushing for a swift war with Serbia. Germany had assured Austria-Hungary of its unconditional support and pressured it to act quickly against Serbia.
The German Army wanted Austria-Hungary to attack Serbia as soon as possible, believing that the time was right for a general war, as Germany was better prepared than Russia or France. The German General Staff supported the idea of an Austro-Hungarian attack on Serbia as the best way to start a general war. Kaiser Wilhelm II initially believed that an armed conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia would be localised, but he eventually came to share the views of the German General Staff, declaring his support for settling accounts with Serbia.
The German Ambassador to Austria-Hungary, Heinrich von Tschirschky, conveyed Germany's expectations to the Austro-Hungarian government, stating that Germany would not understand if they did not take advantage of the opportunity to strike against Serbia. He also warned that any compromise or bargain with Serbia would be seen as a sign of weakness. Germany's policy was to support a swift war against Serbia to present a fait accompli to the world.
Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia was a decisive action, despite knowing that it risked war with Russia, Serbia's supporter. They felt emboldened to take this risk due to the guarantee of German support. This decision was influenced by the growing nationalism, increased militarism, imperial rivalry, and competition for power and influence among the European powers at the time.
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Russian mobilisation
On June 28, 1914, the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated by a Bosnian Serb nationalist, Gavrilo Princip. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for plotting and supporting the assassination and threatened invasion. In response, Russia, an ally of Serbia, rapidly mobilized its forces along the common front with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, resulting in huge losses and contributing to revolutions within Russia. This mobilization was viewed as a threat by Germany and Austria-Hungary, forcing them to mobilize as well.
Russia's mobilization was a significant factor in escalating the July Crisis, a series of interconnected diplomatic and military escalations among the major powers of Europe, into a full-scale war. The complex web of alliances and defense treaties between European nations further entangled other countries in the conflict. Russia's mobilization, coupled with the mobilization of Germany and Austria-Hungary, made a diplomatic solution increasingly difficult.
On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary, with the support of Germany, declared war on Serbia. This declaration of war prompted Russia to formally order mobilization and threaten to attack Austria-Hungary if they invaded Serbia. Germany, in response to Russia's mobilization, declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914. Russia's mobilization, therefore, played a crucial role in triggering the First World War and ensuring the involvement of other European powers.
The German military and government leadership favored an armed conflict with Austria-Hungary as they believed it would present a fait accompli to the world and demonstrate their strength. They also wanted to take advantage of Russia's perceived inability to mobilize effectively and the sympathy of other European powers due to the recent assassinations. Germany's support for Austria-Hungary's actions and their own mobilization further intensified the crisis and made a peaceful resolution less likely.
The mobilization of troops was particularly significant in the early 20th century due to the nature of conscript armies, which required time to assemble and deploy. This lengthy process meant that mobilization was often interpreted as a threat and could force an adversary to mobilize in response, as was the case with Germany and Austria-Hungary.
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Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife in June 1914 by Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip, set off a chain of events that led to World War I. The Austro-Hungarian foreign office decided to use the opportunity to confront Serbia, which it saw as a threat to the unity of its multi-national empire. Austria-Hungary sought and received Germany's support, and drafted an ultimatum addressed to Serbia.
The ultimatum was handed to the Serbian government on July 23, 1914, with an immediate response demanded. The main terms of the ultimatum included:
- Preventing the spread of information that speaks negatively of Austria-Hungary or its Emperor.
- Dissolving Serbian nationalist organisations, including the "Narodna Odbrana".
- Suppressing publications that incite hatred and contempt for the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
- Removing from military and administrative services, Serbian officers and functionaries guilty of propaganda against the Monarchy.
- Allowing Austro-Hungarian representatives to enter Serbia to investigate the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and participate in judicial proceedings.
Serbia's response, delivered within the 48-hour deadline on July 25, accepted most demands but rejected the participation of Austrian officials in investigations on Serbian territory, citing this as a violation of its sovereignty. This rejection, along with Austria-Hungary's refusal to negotiate further, made it clear that a diplomatic solution was unlikely, and the July Crisis reached its height on July 24. Serbia began preparing for war, and Russia, its key ally, ordered a partial mobilisation of its armed forces.
The ultimatum was designed to be harsh and deliberately provocative, with the expectation that Serbia would be unable to accept all the demands. This provided Austria-Hungary with a justification for war and demonstrated its resolve, while also giving the impression of offering Serbia an alternative to conflict. However, it also risked escalating tensions and drawing in other European powers, which is what ultimately occurred, leading to the outbreak of World War I on July 28, 1914, when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, a month after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo. Austria-Hungary accused Serbia of plotting and backing the assassination and threatened invasion.
Russia, which supported Serbia, rapidly mobilized its forces, resulting in huge losses and contributing to revolutions at home. Germany, an ally of Austria-Hungary, declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914. Russia's ally, France, ordered its own general mobilization, and on August 3, France and Germany declared war on each other.
The declarations of war and subsequent mobilizations led to the outbreak of World War I, also known as the Great War. By the end of the war, four empires, including the Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires, had collapsed, and a new world order emerged.
Germany encouraged Austria-Hungary to take swift and decisive action against Serbia and provided unconditional support. Germany's war plans included beating France before Russia could fully mobilize its army, and they viewed Russia's mobilization as an act of war.
