Page - 974 - in THE FIRST WORLD WAR - and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918

974 The Twilight Empire emperor who was anxiously facing defeat to just the same degree. However, Kaiser Wilhelm claimed that making an offer of negotiations at that particular time would be very inadvisable, and that it would be better to wait until the German retreat had come to a halt and it would be possible to indicate to the Entente powers that the Germans would still be able to inflict heavy losses on their troops.2378 Karl categorically elimi- nated the possibility of conducting even a limited offensive in Italy. He had previously also rejected a further military campaign against Romania, which delayed the country’s demobilisation.2379 The war was lost, and what use could more military demonstrations possibly be ? When, during the meeting with the German army leadership, Hindenburg and Ludendorff, Arz countered their statements by saying that a peace with victory was no longer an option, the Germans at least no longer contradicted him.2380 However, the representatives of the German Supreme Army Command claimed that they would have to shorten the front in several places in order to take up secured positions and then to be able to negotiate the peace. Even when it came to the conditions for peace, the Germans proved more moderate for the first time : peace on the basis of the status quo would also be a possible basis for negotiations, they said. But this was ‘very old hat’ at best. This notwithstanding, it was also debated in even greater detail whether a step towards peace should be initiated, as the Germans wished, via a neutral country, namely the Netherlands, or whether a direct approach should be made, such as that recommended by Count Burián.2381 Still, this was only the repetition of a debate that had already become irrelevant. The German Supreme Army Command continued to act as though all this could be talked through in due course, and the situation was still anything but hopeless. This went so far that at the end of October 1918, when the front was already in the process of being dissolved, Ludendorff was still making requests for several Imperial and Royal mountain brigades for deployment in the Vosges.2382 Following his return from Spa, Emperor Karl celebrated his 31st birthday in Re- ichenau. According to General von Cramon, ‘There was a heavy sense of oppression over the celebratory mood’.2383 Not only were a dozen Knights of the Military Order of Maria Theresa decorated once again ; the Emperor was finally presented with the German Marshal’s Baton, which had been stored away for such a long time. Then, everyday duties again took over. The Emperor’s birthday was also no longer what it had once been. On 21 August, Brigadier Waldstätten came to Belluno, where he had requested a meeting with the chiefs of staff of the army groups and armies. He had also wanted to speak to Boroević, but the latter reported sick. In Belluno, Waldstätten gave an unvar- nished overview of the war situation and, in particular, informed the commanders and chiefs of the situation in the homeland. Austria-Hungary was helpless. Major General von Willerding, the Chief of Staff of Army Group ‘Erzherzog Joseph’, finally asked the question that was surely foremost in everyone’s minds : why had the Chief of the Gen-