Damon Mcknight
The hostility between Austria-Hungary and Serbia in the early 20th century was influenced by various factors, including imperialism, competition for resources, and complex alliances. The roots of their conflict can be traced back to the weakening of the Ottoman Empire, which led to a power struggle in the Balkans. Serbia's independence in 1878 and its subsequent growth caused resentment and fear in Austria-Hungary, which sought to curb Serbian expansion. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in 1914 by a Serbian nationalist became a pivotal event, providing Austria-Hungary with a pretext for an ultimatum and ultimately leading to the declaration of war. This chain of events had far-reaching consequences, igniting the Great War, also known as World War I, which reshaped the course of history.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Serbia's growth | Austria-Hungary resented and feared Serbia's sudden growth |
| Loss of land | Serbia lost control of the Adriatic coast and Albania |
| Inadequate treaty | Serbia felt that the Treaty of London was inadequate and blamed Austria-Hungary for their loss of land |
| Results of Balkan Wars | Austria-Hungary twice tried to force Serbia to withdraw from positions gained during the Balkan Wars |
| Nationalism | An aggressive and hysterical Serb nationalism |
| Bosnian Crisis | Austrian diplomats were convinced that war with Serbia was bound to come after the Bosnian crisis of 1908-09 |
| Ineffective diplomacy | Count Leopold von Berchtold, who directed Austro-Hungarian foreign policy from 1912, lacked the qualities required to navigate a critical period |
| Military action | Austria-Hungary contemplated military action against Serbia in February and October 1913, but lacked support from Italy and Germany |
| Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand | The assassination of the Archduke by a Bosnian Serb nationalist was used as an opportunity by Austria-Hungary to start a final reckoning with Serbia |
| Ultimatum | Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia, demanding the suppression of subversive movements and participation in the investigation of the Archduke's assassination |
| Rejection of ultimatum | Serbia rejected the ultimatum, leading to Austria declaring war on Serbia |
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What You'll Learn
Serbian nationalism
Serbian Independence and Growing Tensions:
Serbia gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878 and claimed several regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had significant Serb populations. However, the Congress of Berlin granted Austria-Hungary the right to occupy and administer Bosnia and Herzegovina, creating tensions with Serbia.
Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina:
In 1908, Austria-Hungary officially annexed all of Bosnia and Herzegovina, further fuelling Serbian nationalism. Serbs within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, who regarded Habsburg rule as oppressive, increasingly sought to be part of Serbia instead. This stoked fears in Austria-Hungary about the potential breakup of its empire and the growth of Serbian power.
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand:
On June 28, 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo by a Bosnian Serb nationalist, Gavrilo Princip. This assassination became a pivotal moment in the rise of Serbian nationalism and its impact on Austro-Hungarian relations.
Austrian Response and Ultimatum:
Austria-Hungary seized the opportunity to confront the "Serbian danger" and, with the support of Germany, drafted an ultimatum to Serbia. The ultimatum included demands such as allowing Austro-Hungarian representatives to suppress subversive movements in Serbia and participating in the investigation of the Archduke's assassination. Serbian nationalism likely influenced Serbia's refusal to meet all ten demands of the ultimatum, despite the risk of war.
Impact on Relations and World War I:
The assassination and subsequent events heightened tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, with Austria-Hungary blaming the Serbian government for the assassination. Serbian nationalism, coupled with territorial ambitions and alliances, contributed to a volatile situation in the Balkans. Ultimately, on July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, marking the beginning of World War I.
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Austria-Hungary's fear of Serbian growth
The results of the Balkan Wars further fuelled Austria-Hungary's fear of Serbian expansion. During the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, Serbia fought alongside other Balkan states over the remnants of the weakening Ottoman Empire. As a result of these wars, Serbia gained control of central and northern Macedonia, further increasing its territory and influence in the region. Austria-Hungary, fearing the impact of Serbian growth on its own power and influence, twice tried to force Serbia to withdraw from its gained positions through ultimatums and the threat of war.
The Bosnian crisis of 1908-09 also played a significant role in Austria-Hungary's fear of Serbian growth. During this time, Austria-Hungary officially annexed all of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were inhabited primarily by Serbs. This action angered the Serbs, who felt that these regions should rightfully be under their control. The annexation fuelled Serbian nationalism and further heightened tensions between the two nations.
Additionally, the results of the second Balkan War contributed to the hostility between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Serbia considered the loss of land in this conflict as a direct result of Austrian-Hungarian interference. They blamed Austria-Hungary for thwarting their attempts to gain land in the Balkans, further increasing Serbian resentment towards Austria-Hungary.
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June 28, 1914, by the Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip, provided Austria-Hungary with an opportunity to address what they perceived as a threat from Serbia. Austrian officials suspected that the Serbian government was complicit in the assassination, and this event ultimately led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, marking the start of World War I.
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Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina
The annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary took place in October 1908, though the origins of the crisis date back to the Congress of Berlin in 1878. At this time, the great powers of Europe awarded the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary the right to occupy and administer the two provinces, which were territories of the Ottoman Empire. This was a compromise solution to maintain the delicate balance of power in Europe. The decision was also influenced by the fact that both Austria and Hungary wanted Bosnia and Herzegovina for themselves.
The largely Slavic population of the two provinces had nationalist ambitions, and their fellow Slavs in nearby Serbia also wanted to annex the provinces to further their pan-Slavic ambitions. The Bosnian Crisis, or Annexation Crisis, thus erupted when Austria-Hungary announced its annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, enraging Serbia and pan-Slavic nationalists throughout Europe. Serbia, which was closely related to Bosnia and Herzegovina geographically and ethnically, was outraged by the annexation and demanded that Austria cede a portion of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia. This demand was supported by Russia, Serbia's traditional protector, which viewed Austria-Hungary's actions as overly aggressive and threatening.
In the run-up to the annexation, Austria-Hungary's ambassador to Russia, Leopold Graf Berchtold, arranged a personal meeting between the Austro-Hungarian minister of foreign affairs, Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal, and his Russian counterpart, Aleksandr Petrovich Izvolsky, at Buchlau on 2 and 3 September 1908. Izvolsky agreed that Russia would not object to the annexation, and in return, Austria-Hungary pledged not to object to the opening of the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits to Russian warships. However, the Russian government was unable to control the strong popular opposition to the annexation that developed in Russia.
The annexation caused an international crisis, which was only resolved in February 1909 when the Ottoman Empire recognised the annexation after receiving material compensation and the withdrawal of Austrian-Hungarian garrisons from the Sanjak of Novi Pazar. The crisis permanently damaged relations between Austria-Hungary and its neighbours, especially Serbia, Italy, and Russia. It also contributed to the outbreak of World War I by exacerbating tensions between the great powers and the emerging nations of south-eastern Europe.
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The Treaty of London
In the treaty, Italy was promised territorial expansion against Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and in Africa, where it was promised enlargements of its colonies. Specifically, Italy was promised possession of South Tyrol, Trentino, Istria, Gorizia, Gradisca, Trieste, and stretches along the Dalmatian coast. In return, Italy pledged to enter the war within a month, which it did on May 24, 1915, declaring war on Austria-Hungary. However, Italy delayed declaring war on Germany until August 27, 1916, leading to resentment from France and the UK.
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The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was an advocate of increased federalism and widely believed to favour trialism, which would reorganise the Austro-Hungarian empire by combining the Slavic lands within it into a third crown. This proposed Slavic kingdom was seen as a threat by Serb irredentists, who wanted to free Bosnia and Herzegovina from Austrian-Hungarian rule and establish a common South Slav ("Yugoslav") state. The Black Hand, a secret society dedicated to creating a Greater Serbia, decided to assassinate Franz Ferdinand due to his perceived threat to Serbian independence.
On the day of the assassination, the Archduke 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 the attempt on his life earlier that day. The couple's open carriage was provided by the Archduke's chamberlain, Baron Rumerskirch, who proposed that the couple remain at the Town Hall until troops could be brought into the city to line the streets. However, the driver got lost and went down the wrong road, where Princip was waiting. Gavrilo Princip was part of a group of six Bosnian assassins, five of whom were Bosnian Serbs and members of a student revolutionary group that later became known as Young Bosnia.
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Frequently asked questions
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, by the Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914.
Austrian officials suspected the Serbian government had orchestrated the assassination of the Archduke or, at the very least, knew who was responsible. They believed that attacking Serbia without warning would make Serbia look like a victim, so they issued an ultimatum to shift the burden of avoiding war onto Serbia.
There were ten demands in total, including that Serbia accept "representatives of the Austro-Hungarian government for the suppression of subversive movements" and that they "bring to trial all accessories to the Archduke's assassination" and allow Austro-Hungarian delegates to take part in the investigation.
Serbia refused to meet any of the ten demands, and on July 28, 1914, Austria declared war on Serbia.
The underlying causes were complex and included imperialist competition, Serbian nationalism, and the weakening of the Ottoman Empire, which allowed countries within it, like Serbia, to fight for independence. Austria-Hungary feared the growth of Serbia and wanted to prevent it from gaining more land in the Balkans.
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