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23 July, 1914:The Austro-Hungarian Ultimatum to SerbiaEnglish Translation

Now the history of the past few years, and particularly the painful events of the 28th of June, have proved the existence of a subversive movement in Serbia, whose object it is to separate certain portions of its territory from the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

It has tolerated the criminal activities of the various unions and associations directed against the Monarchy

Royal Serbian Government has done nothing

It is clear from the statements and confessions of the criminal authors of the assassination of the twenty-eighth of June, that the murder at Sarajevo was conceived at Belgrade, that the murderers received the weapons and the bombs with which they were equipped from Serbian officers and officials who belonged to the Narodna Odbrana, and, finally, that the dispatch of the criminals and of their weapons to Bosnia was arranged and effected under the conduct of Serbian frontier authorities.

patient tolerance

The plan of murdering Archduke Franz Ferdinand during his stay in Sarajevo was concocted in Belgrade by Gavrilo Princip, Nedeljko Cabrinovic, a certain Milan Ciganovic, and Trifko Grabesch with the assistance of Major Voija Takosic

Princip, Cabrinovic and Grabesch

His Majesty will faithfully stand by Austria-Hungary

dispute now going on between Austria-Hungary and that country

danger which threatens Austria-Hungary and thus the Triple Alliance as a result of the Russian and Serbian Pan-Slavic agitation

Emperor Francis Joseph

bring about an understanding between Bulgaria and the Triple alliance

King Carol

renunciation

Rumanian agitations directed against Austria-Hungary

On July 6th, Wilhelm II and his Imperial Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, telegrammed Berchtold that Austria-Hungary could rely that Germany would support whatever action was necessary to deal with Serbia -- in effect offering von Berchtold a 'blank check.'

On July 6th, Wilhelm II and his Imperial Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, telegrammed Berchtold that Austria-Hungary could rely that Germany would support whatever action was necessary to deal with Serbia -- in effect offering von Berchtold a 'blank check.'

His Majesty desires to say that he is not blind to the danger which threatens Austria-Hungary and thus the Triple Alliance as a result of the Russian and Serbian Pan-Slavic agitation.

situation from the Austro-Hungarian point of view, and describes the measures which Vienna has in view

danger which threatens Austria-Hungary and thus the Triple Alliance as a result of the Russian and Serbian Pan-Slavic agitation

His Majesty, of course, cannot interfere in the dispute now going on between Austria-Hungary and that country

Borijove Jevtic, one of the leaders of the Narodna Odbrana who was arrested with Gavrilo Princip immediately after the assassination, gave this firsthand account of the killing.

28 June, 1914The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

28 June, 1914The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

'There is no need to carry me to another prison. My life is already ebbing away. I suggest that you nail me to a cross and burn me alive. My flaming body will be a torch to light my people on their path to freedom.'

The officers seized Princip. They beat him over the head with the flat of their swords. They knocked him down, they kicked him, scraped the skin from his neck with the edges of their swords, tortured him, all but killed him.

As every one knows, the old Austrio-Hungarian Empire was built by conquest and intrigues, by sales and treacheries, which held [...] men of the upper classes were ardent patriots. They were dissimilar in everything except hatred of the oppressor.

'There is no need to carry me to another prison. My life is already ebbing away. I suggest that you nail me to a cross and burn me alive. My flaming body will be a torch to light my people on their path to freedom.'

Archduke dared to enter Sarajevo

When Francis Ferdinand and his retinue drove from the station they were allowed to pass the first two conspirators. The motor cars were driving too fast to make an attempt feasible and in the crowd were many Serbians; throwing a grenade would have killed many innocent people.

As the car came abreast he stepped forward from the curb, drew his automatic pistol from his coat and fired two shots. The first struck the wife of the Archduke, the Archduchess Sofia, in the abdomen. She was an expectant mother. She died instantly. The second bullet struck the Archduke close to the heart. He uttered only one word, 'Sofia' -- a call to his stricken wife. Then his head fell back and he collapsed. He died almost instantly.

Alsace and Lorraine

French Armies

Swiss frontier

German authorities

1 to 7,

1 to 3

|========1905========|=======1914=======|======ARMY=======| | | | | | 11 corps | 8 corps | First and Second| | 7 Reserve corps | 5 reserve corps | idem | | <-----------(line just south of Namur)-----> |--------------------|------------------|-----------------| | | | | | 6 corps | 6 corps | Third and Fourth| | 1/2 Reserve corps | 3 reserve corps | idem | | <------------(line through Mezieres)-------> |--------------------|------------------|-----------------| | | | | | 8 corps | 3 corps | Fifth | | 5 Reserve corps | 2 Reserve corps | idem | | <------(line through Verdun and Metz)------> |--------------------|------------------|-----------------| | | | | | 3 corps | 4 corps | Sixth | | 1 Reserve corps | 1 Reserve corps | idem | <----------(line through Strasbourg)-------> |--------------------|------------------|-----------------| | | | | | nil | 2 corps | Seventh | | | 1 Reserve corps | idem | |=========================================================| | 41 1/2 (total) 35 (total) | |=========================================================|

10 divisions for the Eastern front

Schlieffen plan

4 to 37 1/2 ( 1 to 9 3/8 ),

Schlieffen's plan

Moltke's 8 to 27 (1 to 3 3/8);

1914, would have been 4 to 31 (1 to 7 3/8).

Dr. Bredt, a member of the Reichstag and of the Parliamentary Committee of Enquiry into the loss of the war

Moltke altered it

Moltke changed it for the worse, much the worse

Ludendorff was head of the Operations Section of the Great General Staff in 1908-09

Moltke could not abandon Alsace,

for the Italians might take part on the German side

Moltke considered it necessary to hold that province with two corps

the French attack towards Mulhausen fatally delayed this

two corps sent from France to Russia

the Schlieffen plan was worked out for war on the Western front only;

Russia was still very weak

Manchurian War

ten divisions should be withdrawn from the Western front and sent to the East

alteration of the plan politically

'there was no ultimatum to Belgium, but the German army, without any notification, was first to deploy on the Dutch-Belgian frontie r.'

could only be the occupation of the natural defensive position in the Meuse valley south of Namur; and thus the French would themselves violate Belgian neutrality

and in 1914 the German General Staff took it for granted that they would advance to the Meuse.

desired, if possible, to avoid

'Th at Liege would always be captured sufficiently soon after the entry of the German army into Belgium, to serve as the railway junction for reinforcements and supply, could be accepted.'

This was all changed in the deployment plan of the mobilization year 1908-09, by which Liege was to be captured by a coup de main, without artillery preparation, during the mobilization....

idea of a coup de main against Liege

stretch as far north as Crefeld, that is, along the Dutch frontier

that German diplomacy might succeed on the outbreak of war against England in obtaining from the Netherlands Government by an ami cable arrangement (auf geftlichen Wege) permission for the German army to cross the Dutch province of Limburg (Maastrich, Roermond).

the fortress of Liege would be avoided

dropped the idea of an advance of the German right wing by this route

Holland

he feared that Liège could not be taken quickly enough by an accelerated artillery attack

It was most important not to give the Belgians time to put the fortress in a state of defence

to construct defences

destroy the important railways

Liege and the Dutch frontier

'Two days and the following night were allowed for the execution of the coup de main.'

1905The Schlieffen Plan

More important than the changes in the technical details was the alteration of the plan politically. In the Schlieffen plan 'there was no ultimatum to Belgium, but the German army, without any notification, was first to deploy on the Dutch-Belgian frontie r.' As the German plan would be divulged by this, it was assumed that the French would take countermeasures These, according to Schlieffen's views, could only be the occupation of the natural defensive position in the Meuse valley south of Namur; and thus the French would themselves violate Belgian neutrality. Such a plan must have been at least considered by the French, and in 1914 the German General Staff took it for granted that they would advance to the Meuse. All this presumed that Belgian neutrality would not be broken by Germany first. Such a step Graf Schlieffen desired, if possible, to avoid. He wished to leave sufficient time so that, in one way or another, the German statesmen would be able to evade the reproach of the violation of Belgian neutrality. 'Th at Liege would always be captured sufficiently soon after the entry of the German army into Belgium, to serve as the railway junction for reinforcements and supply, could be accepted.'

Moltke could not abandon Alsace

defensive war

If France is attacked by Germany, or by Italy supported by Germany, Russia shall employ all her available forces to attack Germany. If Russia is attacked by Germany, or by Austria supported by Germany, France shall employ all her available forces to attack Germany.

If France is attacked by Germany, or by Italy supported by Germany, Russia shall employ all her available forces to attack Germany.

If Russia is attacked by Germany, or by Austria supported by Germany, France shall employ all her available forces to attack Germany.

two countries shall cooperate with each other at all times

kept absolutely secret

Austria-Hungary reserves the right to annex these provinces at whatever moment she shall deem opportune.

Russia, in agreement with Germany, declares her firm resolution to respect the interests arising from the new position assured to Austria-Hungary by the Treaty of Berlin.

secret Conventions

The three Powers will not oppose the eventual reunion of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia within the territorial limits assigned to them by the Treaty of Berlin

friendly explanations

one of the two Empires be attacked by Russia the High Contracting Parties are bound to come to the assistance one of the other with the whole war strength of their Empires,

only communicated to a third Power upon a joint understanding

be kept secret by the two High Contracting Parties

Should, however, the attacking party in such a case be supported by Russia, either by an active cooperation or by military measures which constitute a menace to the Party attacked, then the obligation stipulated in Article 1 of this Treaty

Should one of the High Contracting Parties be attacked by another Power, the other High Contracting Party binds itself hereby, not only not to support the aggressor against its high Ally, but to observe at least a benevolent neutral attitude towards its fellow Contracting Party.

the Government of the French Republic reserve to themselves in Morocco, and His Britannic Majesty's Government reserve to themselves in Egypt, the right to see that the concessions for roads, railways, ports, etc., are only granted on such conditions as will maintain intact the authority of the State over these great undertakings of public interest.

order to ensure the free passage of the Suez Canal, His Britannic Majesty's Government declare that they adhere to the treaty of the 29th October, 1888, and that they agree to their being put in force. The free passage of the Canal being thus guaranteed, the execution of the last sentence of paragraph 1 as well as of paragraph 2 of Article of that treaty will remain in abeyance.

In order to secure the free passage of the Straits of Gibraltar, the two Governments agree not to permit the erection of any fortifications or strategic works on that portion of the coast of Morocco comprised between, but not including, Melilla and the heights which command the right bank of the River Sebou. This condition does not, however, apply to the places at present in the occupation of Spain on the Moorish coast of the Mediterranean.

The two Governments agree to afford to one another their diplomatic support, in order to obtain the execution of the clauses of the present Declaration regarding Egypt and Morocco.

His Britannic Majesty's Government declare that they have no intention of altering the political status of Egypt. The Government of the French Republic, for their part, declare that they will not obstruct the action of Great Britain in that country.... It is agreed that the post of Director-General of Antiquities in Egypt shall continue, as in the past, to be entrusted to a French savant. The French schools in Egypt shall continue to enjoy the same liberty as in the past.

His Britannic Majesty's Government for their part, will respect the rights which France, in virtue of treaties, conventions, and usage