Page - 763 - in THE FIRST WORLD WAR - and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918

A German General on the Danube Monarchy 763 German parliamentarians know that Berlin would also have to be content with the status quo, including the surrender of the German colonies. Czernin applied all means of secret diplomacy. The Bavarian State Governor Hertling, the Chief of the Admirals’ Staff Henning von Holtzendorff and the parliamentary deputy Erzberger were all re- cruited in order to overcome the gridlock and to show a clear stance at least towards Russia. Czernin was unsuccessful. His foray into the inner-German political landscape accelerated a process, however, that had been unleashed by the conflict surrounding the Imperial Chancellor Bethmann Hollweg. The majority in the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) also voiced the desire to reduce the war aims. Bethmann Hollweg lost support in parliament. Hindenburg and Ludendorff, however, made their stay at the top of the German Supreme Army Command dependent on the government continuing to support the annexationist stance. Otherwise, they would request that Kaiser Wilhelm discharge them. Instead, the German Imperial Chancellor offered to step down ; the Kaiser dismissed him. With the departure of Bethmann Hollweg, a man had gone who had repeatedly and successfully opposed the Supreme Army Command, and who had led what had ultimately been a forlorn struggle against the annexationist desires of the Army Command in the formulation of war aims, but had ultimately always backed down for the sake of political unity. Everywhere, the problem was that it was believed that at least some aims could be achieved by continuing the war. Czernin acted in a particularly contradictory fashion. Scarcely had he informed Berlin of the general re- nunciation of annexations and the attainment of the status quo, when he told the Turks in July that Austria-Hungary was not willing to forego any territorial expansion and reparations, either. In the meantime, the preconditions had shifted again because the Kerensky Offensive appeared to prove that the Russians were evidently renouncing the formula of peace without annexations, which they had in fact called into existence. As a result, the question of the purpose of the war again came to the fore, and peace with victory was once again aspired to. Uncertainty also reigned in the Entente camp. The Russian Provisional Government had attempted to make clear to its allies the connection between the renunciation of annexations and the right to self-determination. In that case, Austria-Hungary would definitely succumb to decomposition. The Russians wanted to hold a conference on war aims and also hoped to be able to induce the western Allies to moderate their ob- jectives. Then, however, as a result of the failed Kerensky Offensive, they forfeited the claim to be counted among the full-value allies. The first Bolshevik coup attempt was made. Last but not least, there was a conflict between Kerensky, who had risen to Prime Minister, and the new Supreme Commander, General Kornilov. As a result, Russia gradually fell away not only as an ally but also as a negotiating partner for the Entente. The possibility of an agreement between the Central Powers and Russia, on the other hand, again became more likely. Russian policies were geared towards a general peace.