Page - 990 - in THE FIRST WORLD WAR - and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918

990 The War becomes History all to the German nationalist standpoint. Thus, it was no longer the draft of the Army High Command that was open to debate, but instead a draft by German nationalist deputies.2433 On 12 October, consultations on the subject, which were also conducted with Czechs and southern Slavs, already showed that they would reject the manifesto. The Emperor could not expect, therefore, to initiate a conciliation of national antag- onism with the manifesto. However, there was no going back for him. The manifesto was also to be a type of advance payment for the conclusion of a peace on the basis of Wilson’s Fourteen Points. Since the peace offer of 14 September, thought had been given to how it could be proven to the USA that Austria-Hungary was really serious about accepting Wilson’s Fourteen Points.2434 Finally, on 4 October, another proposal had been made to the Al- lies for the conclusion of an armistice. The suggestion came about as a joint action on the part of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and Turkey. Now the offers of the Central Powers for an armistice came thick and fast. Austria-Hungary, which placed its hopes above all in the Americans, advocated the view of Foreign Minister Burián, which had been in need of revision for a long time, to the effect that the USA  – in contrast to all other powers  – had entered the war for purely idealistic reasons.2435 On the day after the armistice offer was sent, General Arz had ordered the establishment of an armistice commission, which was to be on call in Trento (Trient). It was formed by the former Military Governor General of Montenegro, General of Infantry Viktor Weber von Webernau, and was to comprise ten people, eight Imperial and Royal and two German officers.2436 Weber’s instructions were to enter into negotiations with the Italians on an armistice at a point in time that was yet to be fixed. Only a ceasefire was to be brokered. A few days later, the Army High Command transmitted a draft of the desired conditions on land and at sea. In accordance with the ideas of the Army High Command, a long-term reduction of the front was to be negotiated, ideally within eight (!) months. Trieste was to remain Austrian. Weber added that further Italian concessions could be achieved by delaying the release of Italian prisoners of war.2437 Balkan matters were not to be discussed, since a separate armistice commission under Brigadier Wladimir Laxa was set up for the Balkans. In the instructions for Weber and Laxa, Arz furthermore noted that everything was to be avoided that could create the impression that the Monarchy was no longer in a position to continue the war. Thus, nothing was to be announced to the effect that the troops were no longer deployable and that the hinterland was in the process of disintegrating.2438 Other measures had also been thought out by the Army High Command : in order to demonstrate good will, the troops were to be withdrawn from the Veneto region, if necessary. This seemed all the more appropriate once the USA had answered the armi- stice offer of the Central Powers on 6 October by means of a note to the German gov- ernment. President Wilson named as a prerequisite for the opening of negotiations the