The ultimatum presented at Belgrade on 23 July demanded a reply before 6 P.M. on the 25th. It stated that "the history of recent years has shown the existence in Serbia of a subversive movement with the object of de taching a part of Austria-Hungary from the Monarchy—a movement which had its birth under the eyes of the Serbian government, and was carried out by a series of acts of terrorism, outrages and murders." The Ser bian government had "done nothing to repress the movement"; it had permitted "the crim mal machinations of various societies and as sociations," had "tolerated apologies for the perpetrators of outrages and the participation of Serbian officers and civil officials in the movement," and had "permitted all the mani festations which have incited the Serbian peo ple to hatred of the Monarchy and contempt of its institutions." The assassinations had been traced to Belgrade, and it was therefore impossible for the Austro-Hungarian govern ment "to pursue any longer the attitude of expectant forbearance which it had main tained for years in face of the machinations started in Belgrade and thence propagated to the territories of the Monarchy." The Ser bian government was demanded to publish a declaration on the front page of the Official Journal for 26 July to the effect that "it con demns the movement whose final aim is to detach from the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy territories belonging to it," and that it "regrets that Serbian officers and civil functionaries have participated in the movement and there by compromised the neighborly relations to which Serbia was solemnly pledged by its declaration of 31 March 1909.° The following categorical demands were also made: 1. The suppression of all publications inciting to hatred and contempt of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy or whose tendency is directed against its territorial integrity.
2. Immediate dissolution of the society Narodxa Obrars4 and confiscation of all its means of propaganda; also of all other societies with the same objects.
3. Elimination from public instruction in Serbia of every thing serving to foment the propaganda against Austria Hungary.
4. Removal from the service of all officers and civil functionaries guilty of suchanda whose names and acts shall be communicated bypropag the Austro-Hungarian government to that of Serbia.
5. Representatives of the Austro-Hungarian government to be accepted by Serbia for the purpose of collaborating in the suppression of the above propaganda.
6. Judicial proceedings to be taken against accessories to the plot of 28 June who are on Serbian territory, and delegates of the Austro-Hungarian government to take part in the in vestigation relating thereto.
7. The immediate arrest of Major Jankasitch and the Serbian state functionary, Ciganovitch, who were found to be implicated in the plot at the official inquiry at Serajevo.
8. The prevention by effective measures of the co-operation of the Serbian authorities in the illicit traffic in arms and explosives across the frontier, and the dismissal and severe punishment of the officials of the frontier service who had facilitated the passage of the frontier for the perpetrators of the outrage.
9. Explanation of the utterances of high Serbian officials. both in 'Serbia and abroad. who notwithstanding their official position did not hesitate after the crime of 28 June to express themselves in terms of hostility to the Austro Hungarian government.
10. Notification to the Austro-Hungarian government without delay of the execution of the measures comprised under the preceding heads.
The feverish activity occasioned by the Austrian Note among the chancelleries of Europe, the exchange of telegrams and result ant consultations and negotiations between the Powers, will be found under WAR, EUROPEAN: DIPLOMATIC HISTORY. The Serbian reply, de livered within the stipulated time, accepted "in principle," but with certain reservations, nearly all the Austrian demands. Serbia protested, however, against the claim that Austro-Hun garian officials should take part in the judicial inquiry on Serbian territory and in the sup pression of propaganda, and suggested that the matter should be settled by arbitration. The reply was deemed unsatisfactory; Aus tria declared war on Serbia 28 July 1914 and opened hostilities on the 29th by bombarding Belgrade. The Austrian case for commencing the war was published in a manifesto by the late Emperor Francis Joseph, dated Ischl, 28 July: "To my peoples! It was my fervent wish to consecrate the years which, by the grace of God, still remain to me, to the works of peace and to protect my peoples from the heavy sacrifices and burdens of war. . . . The in trigues of a malevolent opponent compel me, in the defense of the honor of my Monarchy, for the protection of its dignity and its posi tion as a Power, for the security of its pos sessions, to grasp the sword after long years of peace. With a quickly forgetful ingrati tude, the kingdom of Serbia, which, from the first beginnings of its independence as a state until quite recently, had been supported and assisted by my ancestors, has for years trodden the path of open hostility to Austria Hungary. When, after three decades of fruitful work for peace in Bosnia and Herze govina, I extended my sovereign rights to those lands, my decree called forth in the kingdom of Serbia, whose rights were in nowise injured, outbreaks of unrestrained pas sion and the bitterest hate. My government
at that time employed the handsome privi leges of the stronger, and with extreme con sideration and leniency only requested Serbia to reduce her army to a peace footing and to promise that, for the future, she would tread the path of peace and friendship. Guided by the same spirit of moderation, my govern ment,• when Serbia, two years ago, was em broiled in a struggle with the Turkish empire, restricted its action to the defense of the most serious and vital interests of the Monarchy. It was to this attitude that Serbia primarily owed the attainment of the objects of that war. The hope that the Serbian kingdom would appreciate the patience and love of peace of my government and would keep its word has not been fulfilled. The flame of its hatred for myself and my house has blazed ever higher; the design to tear from us by force inseparable portions of Austria-Hungary has been made manifest with less and less disguise. A criminal propaganda has extend ed over the frontier with the object of de stroying the foundations of state order in the southeastern part of the Monarchy; of mak ing the people to whom I, in my paternal af fection, extended my full confidence, waver in their loyalty to the ruling house and to the Fatherland; of leading astray its grow ing youth and inciting it to mischievous deeds of madness and high treason. A series of murderous attacks, an organized, carefully prepared and well-carried-out conspiracy, whose fruitful success wounded me and my loyal peoples to the heart, forms a visible bloody track of those secret machinations which were operated and directed in Serbia. A halt must be called to these intolerable pro ceedings and an end must be put to the inces sant provocations of Serbia. The honor and dignity of my Monarchy must be preserved unimpaired. . . . In vain slid my government make a last attempt to accomplish this object by peaceful means and to induce Serbia, by means of a grave warning, to desist. Serbia has rejected the just and moderate demands of my government and refused to conform to those obligations, the fulfilment of which forms the natural and necessary foundations of peace in the life of peoples and states. I must therefore proceed by force of arms to secure those indispensable pledges which alone can insure tranquillity to my states within and durable peace abroad.* Finally, the Emperor declared that 9n this solemn hour I am fully conscious of the whole significance of my resolve and my responsibility before the Al that he had examined and weighed and with a serene conscience would °set out on the path to which duty points.* It is important to record that Count Berch told strove up to the last for a pacific issue. He repeatedly asked the Emperor to be re lieved of his post and only remained at the Foreign Office to carry out a policy distasteful to him out of loyalty to his Imperial master. On 31 July, three days after he had launched the fateful declaration of war, Count Berch told announced in London and Paris that he would consent to submit to mediation the points in the Note to Serbia which seemed in compatible with the maintenance of Serbian independence, but the matter had by that time passed into the hands of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian leaders and could not be pursued diplomatically any further. Russia would not permit Serbia to be crushed and supported the proposal of Sir Edward Grey (q.v.) for a conference. Germany rejected that proposal, favored localizing the dispute and upheld the stand taken by Austria-Hun gary. Germany had further issued a general warning on 26 July that she would not toler ate interference with the Austrian resolve to punish Serbia, and demanded of Russia the immediate cessation of a reported mobiliza tion. This was followed by a German declara tion of war against Russia on 1 Aug. 1914; against France, 3 August; and against Belgium, 4 August. On the last-named date came the British ultimatum regarding the neutrality of Belgium, and by 11 o'clock in the evening Great Britain was also a belligerent. Holland, Bel gium and Switzerland had meanwhile mobil ized to defend their neutrality. Austria de clared war on Russia 6 August; Montenegro on Austria 7 August; France declared war on Aus tria 10 August, and Great Britain on 13 Au gust. Then followed the Austrian declara tion of war on Japan, 27 August; on Belgium, 28 August; Italy turned against her former ally on 23 May 1915; Rumania declared war on Austria 27 Aug. 1916, and the United States on 7 Dec. 1917. During the progress of the war the venerable Emperor Francis Joseph I died in his 86th year and the 68th year of his reign, on 21 Nov. 1916. He was succeeded by his grandnephew under the title of Charles I (q.v.). Consult Steed, W., 'What is Austria?) (Edinburgh Review, October 1917).
See AEHRENTHAL, BARON; BALKAN LEAGUE; BALKAN WARS; BERCHTOLD, COUNT; BOSNIA; EASTERN QUESTION; FRANCE AND THE WAR; GERMANY AND THE WAR; GREAT BRITAIN AND THE WAR; MONTENEGRO; RUSSIA; SERBIA; WAR, EUROPEAN.