Austeria-Hungary's Role In The Outbreak Of World War I

Serbia bore the greatest responsibility for the outbreak of WW1. Serbian nationalism and expansionism were profoundly disruptive forces and Serbian backing for the Black Hand terrorists was extraordinarily irresponsible. Austria-Hungary bore only slightly less responsibility for its panic over-reaction to the assassination of the heir to the Habsburg throne. France encouraged Russia's aggressiveness towards Austria-Hungary and Germany encouraged Austrian intransigence. Britain failed to mediate as it had done in the previous Balkan crisis out of fear of Germany's European and global ambitions - a fear that was not entirely rational since Britain had clearly won the naval arms race by 1910.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

On 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia because of the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Within days, long-standing mobilization plans went into effect to initiate invasions or guard against them and Russia, France and Britain stood arrayed against Austria and Germany in what at the time was called the "Great War", and was later named "World War I" or the "First World War". Austria thought in terms of one small limited war involving just the two countries. It did not plan a wider war such as exploded in a matter of days.

Serbia bore the greatest responsibility for the outbreak of WW1. Serbian nationalism and expansionism were profoundly disruptive forces and Serbian backing for the Black Hand terrorists was extraordinarily irresponsible. Austria-Hungary bore only slightly less responsibility for its panic over-reaction to the assassination of the heir to the Habsburg throne. France encouraged Russia's aggressiveness towards Austria-Hungary and Germany encouraged Austrian intransigence. Britain failed to mediate as it had done in the previous Balkan crisis out of fear of Germany's European and global ambitions - a fear that was not entirely rational since Britain had clearly won the naval arms race by 1910.

Civilian leaders in both Berlin and Vienna tried to "localise" conflict in the Balkans. It was Russia's decision - after Petersburg received its own "blank cheque" from Paris - to Europeanise the Austro-Serbian showdown which produced first a European and then - following Britain's entry - world conflagration.

The British historian John Zametica argued that Austria-Hungary was primarily responsible for starting the war, as its leaders believed that a successful war against Serbia was the only way it could remain a Great Power, solve deep internal disputes caused by Hungarian demands and regain influence in the Balkan states.

Even those who emphasize Vienna's strategic dilemma, facing activity that would be intolerable to any sovereign state now or then ("Before World War I, Serbia financed and armed Serbs within the Austrian Empire", also point to Berlin's infamous "blank check" in early July that finally licensed "Austria-Hungary's mad determination to destroy Serbia in 1914" as central to the ensuing catastrophe. Still other studies maintain that Russian and French eagerness for war has been overly discounted, along with errors made by all the principal decision-makers: "The war was a tragedy, not a crime." (Clark's "The Sleepwalkers").

Serbia's financing of Serbs in the Austrian Empire

The Serbs in Austria-Hungary were mostly peasants, but there were also well-to-do landowners, including the Serbian Church, and a handful of Serbs who had titles. A number of Serbs became distinguished as high-ranking officers in the emperor's army and as scholars and professional men.

The Serbs relied quite a bit on the Habsburg Empire for cultural relationships. Due to the frequent changing of hands of the Serbian territory and their support of the Habsburg Monarchy, the position of the Serbs in the Ottoman Empire became more and more precarious, which led to what is called "Great Migrations of the Serbs" in the late 17th and the 18th century. A lot of the Serb population moved from the Ottoman territory (i.e., core Serbia) to the Austrian territory, predominantly to southeastern Hungary and Croatia-Slavonia.

The tensions between Serbia and Austria-Hungary could not withstand the strain of the Assassination of the Austrian Archduke, by a young Bosnian Serb. This was an opportunity for the Austro-Hungarian government to solve Slav nationalism. Following the July Crisis, Austro-Hungary launched three unsuccessful offensives to punish Serbia for allegedly supporting the assassins.

The First World War eventually destroyed the Austro-Hungarian Empire, leaving a shrunken First Austrian Republic as a rump state. Serbia annexed much of the former Austrian holdings in the Balkans to become the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Serbia's expansionism and Black Hand terrorists

Serbia bore the greatest responsibility for the outbreak of WW1. Serbian nationalism and expansionism were profoundly disruptive forces and Serbian backing for the Black Hand terrorists was extraordinarily irresponsible. The Black Hand was a secret society that conspired to overthrow the Austro-Hungarian government and annex Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by the Black Hand provoked Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. Within days, long-standing mobilization plans went into effect to initiate invasions or guard against them and Russia, France and Britain stood arrayed against Austria and Germany in what at the time was called the "Great War", and was later named "World War I" or the "First World War".

The Black Hand was a secret society that conspired to overthrow the Austro-Hungarian government and annex Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by the Black Hand provoked Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. Within days, long-standing mobilization plans went into effect to initiate invasions or guard against them and Russia, France and Britain stood arrayed against Austria and Germany in what at the time was called the "Great War", and was later named "World War I" or the "First World War".

The Black Hand was a secret society that conspired to overthrow the Austro-Hungarian government and annex Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by the Black Hand provoked Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. Within days, long-standing mobilization plans went into effect to initiate invasions or guard against them and Russia, France and Britain stood arrayed against Austria and Germany in what at the time was called the "Great War", and was later named "World War I" or the "First World War".

The Black Hand was a secret society that conspired to overthrow the Austro-Hungarian government and annex Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by the Black Hand provoked Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. Within days, long-standing mobilization plans went into effect to initiate invasions or guard against them and Russia, France and Britain stood arrayed against Austria and Germany in what at the time was called the "Great War", and was later named "World War I" or the "First World War".

The Black Hand was a secret society that conspired to overthrow the Austro-Hungarian government and annex Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by the Black Hand provoked Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. Within days, long-standing mobilization plans went into effect to initiate invasions or guard against them and Russia, France and Britain stood arrayed against Austria and Germany in what at the time was called the "Great War", and was later named "World War I" or the "First World War".

Russian and French encouragement of Serbia's policies

Serbia bore the greatest responsibility for the outbreak of WW1. Serbian nationalism and expansionism were profoundly disruptive forces and Serbian backing for the Black Hand terrorists was extraordinarily irresponsible. Austria-Hungary bore only slightly less responsibility for its panic over-reaction to the assassination of the heir to the Habsburg throne. France encouraged Russia's aggressiveness towards Austria-Hungary and Germany encouraged Austrian intransigence. Britain failed to mediate as it had done in the previous Balkan crisis out of fear of Germany's European and global ambitions - a fear that was not entirely rational since Britain had clearly won the naval arms race by 1910.

On 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia because of the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Within days, long-standing mobilization plans went into effect to initiate invasions or guard against them and Russia, France and Britain stood arrayed against Austria and Germany in what at the time was called the "Great War", and was later named "World War I" or the "First World War". Austria thought in terms of one small limited war involving just the two countries. It did not plan a wider war such as exploded in a matter of days. The British historian John Zametica argued that Austria-Hungary was primarily responsible for starting the war, as its leaders believed that a successful war against Serbia was the only way it could remain a Great Power, solve deep internal disputes caused by Hungarian demands and regain influence in the Balkan states.

Even those who emphasize Vienna's strategic dilemma, facing activity that would be intolerable to any sovereign state now or then ("Before World War I, Serbia financed and armed Serbs within the Austrian Empire", also point to Berlin's infamous "blank check" in early July that finally licensed "Austria-Hungary's mad determination to destroy Serbia in 1914" as central to the ensuing catastrophe. Still other studies maintain that Russian and French eagerness for war has been overly discounted, along with errors made by all the principal decision-makers: "The war was a tragedy, not a crime." (Clark's "The Sleepwalkers"). Even though some Austrian politicians embraced responsibility after the defeat ("We started the war, not the Germans, and even less the Entente"), some contemporary historians have broken entirely with the conventional explanation of Austrian responsibility by finding that Russian and French encouragement of Serbia's provocative policies vis-à-vis Austria-Hungary were part of the problem.

In its search for scapegoats to explain defeat or hunger, the military treated civilians it considered to be suspicious with harsh brutality, implying explicitly that some ethnic or national groups were more valuable, loyal, and favored than others who were responsible for military failures. The high command’s obsessive anxieties about the loyalties of some language groups (at first primarily Serb and Ukrainian speakers, later Czech, Italian, or Romanian speakers) created a kind of hysteria, especially in the very first months of the war. The KÜA appealed to patriotic Austrians to report any subversive elements, rarely defining what a “subversive element” might be.

Civilian leaders in both Berlin and Vienna tried to "localise" conflict in the Balkans. It was Russia's decision - after Petersburg received its own "blank cheque" from Paris - to Europeanise the Austro-Serbian showdown which produced first a European and then - following Britain's entry - world conflagration. Without Berlin's encouragement of a strong Austro-Hungarian line against Serbia after Sarajevo - the "blank cheque" - WW1 would clearly not have broken out. So Germany does bear responsibility. But it is equally true that absent a terrorist plot launched in Belgrade the Germans and Austrians would not have faced this terrible choice.

Germany's 'blank cheque' to Austria-Hungary

Serbia bore the greatest responsibility for the outbreak of World War I. Serbian nationalism and expansionism were profoundly disruptive forces and Serbian backing for the Black Hand terrorists was extraordinarily irresponsible. Austria-Hungary bore only slightly less responsibility for its panic over-reaction to the assassination of the heir to the Habsburg throne. France encouraged Russia's aggressiveness towards Austria-Hungary and Germany encouraged Austrian intransigence. Britain failed to mediate as it had done in the previous Balkan crisis out of fear of Germany's European and global ambitions - a fear that was not entirely rational since Britain had clearly won the naval arms race by 1910.

The Austro-Hungarian Ambassador delivered to the Emperor a confidential personal letter from the Emperor Francis Joseph, which depicted the present situation from the Austro-Hungarian point of view, and describes the measures which Vienna has in view. The Emperor Francis Joseph may, however, rest assured that His Majesty will faithfully stand by Austria-Hungary, as is required by the obligations of his alliance and of his ancient friendship.

The war was a tragedy, not a crime. Civilian leaders in both Berlin and Vienna tried to "localise" conflict in the Balkan region. Without Berlin's encouragement of a strong Austro-Hungarian line against Serbia after Sarajevo - the "blank cheque" - WW1 would clearly not have broken out. So Germany does bear responsibility. But it is equally true that absent a terrorist plot launched in Belgrade the Germans and Austrians would not have faced this terrible choice.

Frequently asked questions