Leopold von Berchtold and Franz Conrad were polar opposites as men and were always at odds with one another. But after Franz Ferdinand was assassinated they put their differences aside and became partners.
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Conrad was a soldier down to the marrow of his bones. He became Chief of the Austria-Hungarian General Staff in 1906. Conrad was determined to turn the hodgepodge Austro-Hungarian armies into a modern and effective fighting force. Conrad was certain that the empire could save itself only by asserting itself in the Balkans, by eliminating Serbia. In 1911 Conrad had been dismissed from his position as Chief of Staff because of his obsessive aggressiveness. But a year later when war broke out in Balkan his talents and energy seemed indispensable. So he was recalled to duty.
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Count Berchtold was an enormously wealthy, deeply cultivated, pleasure-loving aristocrat of an Ancient Family. But he was regarded as weak, lazy, frivolous, and unreliable. Berchtold became the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Russia in 1907 and was appointed Foreign Minister in 1912. His conduct in the Balkan crises of that year and 1913, when Serbia enlarged itself at the expense of the Turks and Bulgarians while Vienna stood by watching. This cemented his reputation for passivity and vacillation.
Because of this Conrad was convinced that Berchtold lacked the backbone to protect Hapsburg. Now Berchtold was aware that people seen him as an unworthy Foreign Minister and that he needed to repair his reputation. So within 48 hours of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, he was calling for a final and fundamental reckoning with Serbia. Showing how the two men where so different.
In 1914 Austria-Hungary was a 2nd rate declining empire trying to hang onto its traditional place among the nations that was recognized as Europe's leading powers. But a half century before the assassination of Ferdinand, they were displaced as leader of the German states. Otto von Bismarck, Prussia's great Chancellor and creator of the German Empire evicted Autria-Hungary from Germany's leader of state.
After being evicted they lost hunks of territory to a new kingdom of Italy. Austria-Hungary had become obsolete and ahead of its time. In an era of nationalism, it was hardly a nation at all. It was a jumbo mess of 13 nationalities that spoke 16 languages, belonged to 5 major religions, and where organized into 17 lands, served by 20 parliaments. But they had the potential to provide a model for Europe where diverse people could live together in peace and even unite. Archduke Franz Ferdinand understood this potential. Franz being murdered left the empire without the man who might have been strong and canny enough to lead it through the crisis of 1914. The Archduke was the man the monarchy needed.
Now across Hungary's southern most border was nightmare of Serbia, stirring up unrest whenever it could. For many Austrians the empire faced a simple choice, maintain a strong position or it could allow itself to be undone by, Russian-sponsored Balkan trouble makers. Now the many ethnic groups inside Austria-Hungary was seeking independence and unions with whatever Balkan nation they where linked to by culture, religion, blood and geography. This situation was a recipe for disaster and throughout the decade leading up to 1914, this added new poisons to the mix.
The 1st of these was the 1906 Pig War. Serbia still being a tiny country, sitting on Bosnia's border gave it plenty of opportunities for mischief. The officials in Vienna were desperate to strike out at Serbia. Vienna decided to punish Serbia by refusing to import its livestock, pigs included. Vienna enacted an embargo that lasted for 5 years. Doing nothing but making themselves look ridiculous. The Serbs found other markets for their animal and this caused their exports to increase, but in doing so they thought they could defy the mighty Hapsburgs and not pay a heavy price.
In 1908, Austria couldn't keep Serbia from causing trouble in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was concerned because of the strict legal terms these two countries didn't belong to Austria. Vienna feared the consequences of this territory every becoming part of Serbia. So with the Serbs being hostile and the Ottoman Empire decrepited, Vienna announced it was annexing Bosnia and Herzegovina into the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Serbia was outraged and went to Russia for help. Russia was still recovering from the war with Japan and couldn't intervene. Conrad was entering his 3rd year as Austria's Chief of Staff and he wanted to send troops into Serbia. He had 360,000 troops to Serbia's 20,000. Plus Conrad had the support of Germany who was worried about Austria's slow decline. Conrad wanted to go to war with Serbia, saying it would help patch things up with their neighbors and get them more allies.
Not everyone in Austria and Berlin wanted war. Emperor Franz Joseph going on his 16th term on the throne had more military defeats than victories and had no desire to go into a new war. The Hungarian's on the other hand didn't want anymore Serbs(Slavs) coming into the country. They were afraid it would turn the monarchy into a 3 cornered system with the Slavs as equals. And people who knew Ferdinand where convinced that once he took the throne, he planned to bring the Slavs into the monarchy.
So Germany got involved and issued an ultimatum: the Russians had to approve the annexation or Germany would regard Vienna as being justified in moving against Serbia. Russia had no choice but to yield, they where in no shape to go to war. Now Conrad seen this as a disaster and some of Germany's leading generals did to. Saying that Austria had come out of the crisis without acquiring any territory and not weakening the Serbs, who where highly outraged over the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Three years after the annexation crisis. The nation of Montenegro launched an attack on the once invisible Turks in 1912. With Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece joining them they drove the Turks out. Serbia than gained control of more land and was becoming big enough to be a problem for Austria.
This shifted the balance of power in Balkan and all over Europe and was not to Vienna's advantage. The Ottoman Empire was no longer a presence in Balkan. Demands came for Vienna to have military action and of course Conrad was in favor all the way. Berchtold on the other opposed him. Ferdinand also opposed this knowing that making war on the Slav neighbors was no way to win the loyalty of Vienna's 10 million Slavic subjects.
But nothing was done by anyone. Vienna couldn't mobilized or do anything because Russia was fearful of war. Plus Berlin was not supporting them either. Bulgaria who won the war in 1912 hated Serbia and that made them a potential ally for Austria.
Bulgaria was not happy with its victory of 1912 and launched an attack in 1913 on Serbia. Which turned out to be a bad mistake. Because Greece, Montenegro, Romania and Turkey all came to the aid of Serbia and costs Austria to loose Bosnia and Herzegovina. Once peace was restored, Vienna insisted that Serbia withdrawal from the coast and they refused. Vienna then gave Serbia an ultimatum. They withdrawal from the coast or they would attack. Now Serbia once again went to Russia for help her again turned them down. Serbia also faced the problem of Britain and France opposing them having the coast also.
Outraged the Serbs withdrew. The territory then became the new Nation of Albania. Now by the summer of 1914 everyone in the Balkan region was in an up roar over what they gained and lost. And the region became a very unstable one. Russia was also fuming for the facted that they had become so weak, and Austria was upset because they had the opportunity to take care of Serbia and done nothing.
The Austrians also concluded that the international conferences that ended both Balkan wars, had done them no good. And finally the Austrians where disgusted with Germany for not supporting them. Germany knowing this knew they had to step up their game and be there for Austria. They where the only ally they had and if they lost them it would leave them alone surrounded by enemies. Never again would Germany give Vienna reason to doubt their alliance to them. For 3 weeks and more following the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, that was the German position.
Count Berchtold was an enormously wealthy, deeply cultivated, pleasure-loving aristocrat of an Ancient Family. But he was regarded as weak, lazy, frivolous, and unreliable. Berchtold became the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Russia in 1907 and was appointed Foreign Minister in 1912. His conduct in the Balkan crises of that year and 1913, when Serbia enlarged itself at the expense of the Turks and Bulgarians while Vienna stood by watching. This cemented his reputation for passivity and vacillation.
Because of this Conrad was convinced that Berchtold lacked the backbone to protect Hapsburg. Now Berchtold was aware that people seen him as an unworthy Foreign Minister and that he needed to repair his reputation. So within 48 hours of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, he was calling for a final and fundamental reckoning with Serbia. Showing how the two men where so different.
In 1914 Austria-Hungary was a 2nd rate declining empire trying to hang onto its traditional place among the nations that was recognized as Europe's leading powers. But a half century before the assassination of Ferdinand, they were displaced as leader of the German states. Otto von Bismarck, Prussia's great Chancellor and creator of the German Empire evicted Autria-Hungary from Germany's leader of state.
After being evicted they lost hunks of territory to a new kingdom of Italy. Austria-Hungary had become obsolete and ahead of its time. In an era of nationalism, it was hardly a nation at all. It was a jumbo mess of 13 nationalities that spoke 16 languages, belonged to 5 major religions, and where organized into 17 lands, served by 20 parliaments. But they had the potential to provide a model for Europe where diverse people could live together in peace and even unite. Archduke Franz Ferdinand understood this potential. Franz being murdered left the empire without the man who might have been strong and canny enough to lead it through the crisis of 1914. The Archduke was the man the monarchy needed.
Now across Hungary's southern most border was nightmare of Serbia, stirring up unrest whenever it could. For many Austrians the empire faced a simple choice, maintain a strong position or it could allow itself to be undone by, Russian-sponsored Balkan trouble makers. Now the many ethnic groups inside Austria-Hungary was seeking independence and unions with whatever Balkan nation they where linked to by culture, religion, blood and geography. This situation was a recipe for disaster and throughout the decade leading up to 1914, this added new poisons to the mix.
The 1st of these was the 1906 Pig War. Serbia still being a tiny country, sitting on Bosnia's border gave it plenty of opportunities for mischief. The officials in Vienna were desperate to strike out at Serbia. Vienna decided to punish Serbia by refusing to import its livestock, pigs included. Vienna enacted an embargo that lasted for 5 years. Doing nothing but making themselves look ridiculous. The Serbs found other markets for their animal and this caused their exports to increase, but in doing so they thought they could defy the mighty Hapsburgs and not pay a heavy price.
In 1908, Austria couldn't keep Serbia from causing trouble in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was concerned because of the strict legal terms these two countries didn't belong to Austria. Vienna feared the consequences of this territory every becoming part of Serbia. So with the Serbs being hostile and the Ottoman Empire decrepited, Vienna announced it was annexing Bosnia and Herzegovina into the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Serbia was outraged and went to Russia for help. Russia was still recovering from the war with Japan and couldn't intervene. Conrad was entering his 3rd year as Austria's Chief of Staff and he wanted to send troops into Serbia. He had 360,000 troops to Serbia's 20,000. Plus Conrad had the support of Germany who was worried about Austria's slow decline. Conrad wanted to go to war with Serbia, saying it would help patch things up with their neighbors and get them more allies.
Not everyone in Austria and Berlin wanted war. Emperor Franz Joseph going on his 16th term on the throne had more military defeats than victories and had no desire to go into a new war. The Hungarian's on the other hand didn't want anymore Serbs(Slavs) coming into the country. They were afraid it would turn the monarchy into a 3 cornered system with the Slavs as equals. And people who knew Ferdinand where convinced that once he took the throne, he planned to bring the Slavs into the monarchy.
So Germany got involved and issued an ultimatum: the Russians had to approve the annexation or Germany would regard Vienna as being justified in moving against Serbia. Russia had no choice but to yield, they where in no shape to go to war. Now Conrad seen this as a disaster and some of Germany's leading generals did to. Saying that Austria had come out of the crisis without acquiring any territory and not weakening the Serbs, who where highly outraged over the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Three years after the annexation crisis. The nation of Montenegro launched an attack on the once invisible Turks in 1912. With Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece joining them they drove the Turks out. Serbia than gained control of more land and was becoming big enough to be a problem for Austria.
This shifted the balance of power in Balkan and all over Europe and was not to Vienna's advantage. The Ottoman Empire was no longer a presence in Balkan. Demands came for Vienna to have military action and of course Conrad was in favor all the way. Berchtold on the other opposed him. Ferdinand also opposed this knowing that making war on the Slav neighbors was no way to win the loyalty of Vienna's 10 million Slavic subjects.
But nothing was done by anyone. Vienna couldn't mobilized or do anything because Russia was fearful of war. Plus Berlin was not supporting them either. Bulgaria who won the war in 1912 hated Serbia and that made them a potential ally for Austria.
Bulgaria was not happy with its victory of 1912 and launched an attack in 1913 on Serbia. Which turned out to be a bad mistake. Because Greece, Montenegro, Romania and Turkey all came to the aid of Serbia and costs Austria to loose Bosnia and Herzegovina. Once peace was restored, Vienna insisted that Serbia withdrawal from the coast and they refused. Vienna then gave Serbia an ultimatum. They withdrawal from the coast or they would attack. Now Serbia once again went to Russia for help her again turned them down. Serbia also faced the problem of Britain and France opposing them having the coast also.
Outraged the Serbs withdrew. The territory then became the new Nation of Albania. Now by the summer of 1914 everyone in the Balkan region was in an up roar over what they gained and lost. And the region became a very unstable one. Russia was also fuming for the facted that they had become so weak, and Austria was upset because they had the opportunity to take care of Serbia and done nothing.
The Austrians also concluded that the international conferences that ended both Balkan wars, had done them no good. And finally the Austrians where disgusted with Germany for not supporting them. Germany knowing this knew they had to step up their game and be there for Austria. They where the only ally they had and if they lost them it would leave them alone surrounded by enemies. Never again would Germany give Vienna reason to doubt their alliance to them. For 3 weeks and more following the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, that was the German position.
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