Page - 907 - in THE FIRST WORLD WAR - and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918

The Collapse of the Armaments Industry 907 tinued. Besides, the new Foreign Minister was convinced that Austria-Hungary had certainly not yet reached the end. The Allies for their part had no further reason to con- duct negotiations regarding a separate peace with Austria. To a far greater extent, they relied on American help, were able to say to themselves that the unrestricted submarine war had failed to achieve its goal, and that precisely the situation in Austria-Hungary had become so precarious that this apparently weakest link in the chain of the Central Powers could sooner or later be destroyed. Now, the talk on all sides was only of battle and victory, and hopes were placed in radicalism and totalitarianism. However, in this area, also, Austria-Hungary had little left to offer. The signs were also increasing that precisely those who just a short time before had been in positions of high authority were already abandoning the notion that the Mon- archy would survive. Thus, in London, it was noted with interest that several families from the high aristocracy were selling their property in Bohemia and Moravia. The first to do so was Count Heinrich Clam-Martinic. He was followed by Count Czernin, and then Count Manfred Clary, and the only real surprise voiced in London was that they were not also joined by Prince Schwarzenberg.2178 There was ferment everywhere one looked, and not only among the nationalities and the lower social classes somewhere in a remote corner of the Empire, but in a way that was visible to everyone, literally right in front of the door, and among those who until that point had at least outwardly shown nothing other than the will to hold out and solidarity. The political leadership of Tyrol was accused of ‘agitational’ nationalism.2179 In the Innviertel region in Upper Austria, the farmers wrote on the church doors : Boar- isch warn mer, boarisch wolln mer wieder sein (‘We were Bavarian, and we want to be Bavarian again’). The Upper Austrian farmers were embittered due to the increasingly rigorous requisitioning, particularly since they believed that the Czechs were being treated less harshly.2180 It was observed that farmers would ‘steal’ their own produce from the fields at night, sell it to dealers and then report the alleged theft the following morning.2181 Indeed, even with the war bonds, it was reported that now, only certain circles were subscribing, and that the Styrian lower middle classes, for example, could no longer be motivated to subscribe, since they appeared to be deeply embittered about the political situation and, following the imperial amnesty decree and certainly after the Sixtus Affair, only felt rejection.2182 This insight into the Habsburg hereditary lands is revealing, since it shows that even these regions, which had always been regarded as particularly reliable, were in the process of abandoning their loyalty to Emperor and Empire. The Sixtus Affair had opened the floodgates. Now, even the militarisation of the hinterland no longer had any substantial effect, since here the military so obviously had to battle with its own eminent problems that its omnipotence and omnipresence were no longer feared.