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Austria World War I
Austria-Hungary considered the newly enlarged and
Russian-backed Serbia to be the principal threat to its security
because Serbian military intelligence supported anti-Habsburg
groups and activities in Bosnia and Hercegovina. Thus, when the
heir to the Habsburg crown, Franz Ferdinand, and his wife were
assassinated in Sarajevo by Bosnian nationalists on June 28,
1914, the presumption of Serbian complicity was strong. The idea
of a preemptive war against Serbia was not new in Vienna, and,
despite the weak pretext, Germany indicated a willingness to back
its ally.
On July 23, Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with an
ultimatum designed to be rejected. The key demands were that
Serbia suppress anti-Habsburg activities, organizations, and
propaganda and that Habsburg officials be permitted to join in
the Serbian investigation of the assassination. Serbia responded
negatively but appeared conciliatory. Nonetheless,
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28 without further
consultations with Germany.
Russia's decision to mobilize on July 30 escalated the war
beyond a regional conflict by bringing into play the system of
European alliances. Because German war strategy depended on
avoiding a two-front war, Germany had to defeat France before
Russia could fully mobilize. Thus, Germany responded to Russia's
mobilization by immediately declaring war on France and Russia.
On August 4, Britain declared war on Germany. On August 6,
Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia. Finally, on August 12,
France and Britain declared war on Austria-Hungary.
Once the major powers were engaged, they sought to enlist the
support of the smaller powers. Despite its partnership with
Austria-Hungary and Germany in the Triple Alliance, Italy was not
bound by that treaty to join the war, and it declared its
neutrality. Germany pressed Austria-Hungary unsuccessfully to
cede to Italy Austrian territories it desired, in order to win
Italian support. Because the Triple Entente powers readily
promised transfer of the territories in the event of victory,
Italy entered the war on their side in April 1915.
Although German and Austro-Hungarian military victories in
the east during the spring of 1915 overcame the military
disasters that Austria-Hungary experienced early in the war, the
empire's internal economic situation steadily grew more
precarious. Austria-Hungary was not prepared for a long and
costly war.
The death of Emperor Franz Joseph on November 21, 1916,
deprived Austria-Hungary of his symbolic unifying presence. His
twenty-nine-year-old grand-nephew Karl (r. 1916-18) was
unprepared for his role as emperor. But by this time, the future
of the monarchy no longer depended on what the emperor did;
rather, its fate hinged on the outcome of the war. Despite
revolutionary Russia's withdrawal from the war, military success
in the east could not counter events in the west. The United
States had entered the war on the side of the Allies in April
1917, and with the failure of its military offensive in the
spring of 1918, Germany was no longer capable of continuing the
war.
Data as of December 1993
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