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The Powder
Keg 23
step of signing an alliance and with Russian agreement and assistance set about creat-
ing a Balkan League. Serbia was clearly aiming to increase its power and received broad
support for its ambitions. Conrad once again accused Aehrenthal of being opposed to
a pre-emptive war in 1909. On 18 July 1911, Conrad wrote to the Foreign Minister : ‘I
cannot forbear, to return to the position that I have always held, that a war fought years
ago would have rendered our military position regarding our undertakings in the Bal-
kans significantly more favourable, and that a war against Serbia in the year 1909 would,
with a single stroke, have brought the Monarchy to the position in the Balkans that it
must assume, and which must now be achieved under far more difficult conditions than
those that prevailed at that time.’19 This statement, which was preceded and would be
followed by numerous others of its kind, was made not only in response to the case of
Serbia but was also an unequivocal reference to the deficit of war.
Several times, Aehrenthal tendered his resignation, not least due to his conflict with
Conrad. The Emperor rejected his requests, and reassured his minister that he enjoyed
his full confidence. Thus, Aehrenthal, who was suffering from advanced leukaemia and
was already nearing death, remained in office and continued to resist demands for a
pre-emptive war by the War Party with great vehemence. Even when Conrad was tem-
porarily recalled from his post as Chief of the General Staff in December 1911 and
replaced for almost a year by General of the Infantry Blasius Schemua, the ‘pre-emp-
tive warriors’ intensified their criticism of the Foreign Ministry. In any case, Schemua
was also of the opinion that ‘an active foreign policy targeted towards expansion’ was
the ‘best cure’ for the domestic stagnation and national signs of decomposition in the
Habsburg Monarchy.20 And yet why wage war when it could be avoided ? Aehrenthal’s
stance also influenced his close colleagues, of whom Count János Forgách, the minister’s
chief of staff, Count Friedrich Szápáry, Count Ottokar Czernin, and Baron Alexander
von Musulin and Count Alexander Hoyos were particularly intent on propagating the
views of their superior. With little success, as would become clear in 1914. Aehrenthal’s
policy was also supported throughout by Archduke Franz Ferdinand, although perhaps
with an even greater emphasis on the avoidance of war.21
In mid-February 1912, the cards were re-shuffled. Aehrenthal died. Due to his se-
vere illness, a search had already been underway for his successor for some time. Some-
one was needed who had experience with Russia. Here, there were many candidates
to choose from. However, a guarantee that Aehrenthal’s policy would be continued
was also required, and also that the new foreign minister, who was also minister of the
imperial household, would fit well into the difficult constellation at court and in the
circles of power. This reduced the number of suitable potential successors significantly.
The nomination of Count Leopold Berchtold, who had arranged the meeting at Bu-
chlovice and who had experienced the annexation crisis of 1908 as ambassador in St.
Petersburg, appeared to be a logical decision in the light of these premises.22 Berchtold
THE FIRST WORLD WAR
and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918
- Title
- THE FIRST WORLD WAR
- Subtitle
- and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918
- Author
- Manfried Rauchensteiner
- Publisher
- Böhlau Verlag
- Location
- Wien
- Date
- 2014
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-205-79588-9
- Size
- 17.0 x 24.0 cm
- Pages
- 1192
- Categories
- Geschichte Vor 1918
Table of contents
- 1 On the Eve 11
- 2 Two Million Men for the War 49
- 3 Bloody Sundays 81
- 4 Unleashing the War 117
- 5 ‘Thank God, this is the Great War!’ 157
- 6 Adjusting to a Longer War 197
- 7 The End of the Euphoria 239
- 8 The First Winter of the War 283
- 9 Under Surveillance 317
- 10 ‘The King of Italy has declared war on Me’ 355
- 11 The Third Front 383
- 12 Factory War and Domestic Front, 1915 413
- 13 Summer Battle and ‘Autumn Swine’ 441
- 14 War Aims and Central Europe 469
- 15 South Tyrol : The End of an Illusion (I) 497
- 16 Lutsk :The End of an Illusion (II) 521
- 17 How is a War Financed ? 555
- 18 The Nameless 583
- 19 The Death of the Old Emperor 607
- 20 Emperor Karl 641
- 21 The Writing on the Wall 657
- 22 The Consequences of the Russian February Revolution 691
- 23 Summer 1917 713
- 24 Kerensky Offensive and Peace Efforts 743
- 25 The Pyrrhic Victory : The Breakthrough Battle of Flitsch-Tolmein 769
- 26 Camps 803
- 27 Peace Feelers in the Shadow of Brest-Litovsk 845
- 28 The Inner Front 869
- 29 The June Battle in Veneto 895
- 30 An Empire Resigns 927
- 31 The Twilight Empire 955
- 32 The War becomes History 983
- Epilogue 1011
- Afterword 1013
- Acknowledgements and Dedication 1019
- Notes 1023
- Selected Printed Sources and Literature 1115
- Index of People and Places 1155