A scrap of paper : $b The inner history of German diplomacy and her scheme of world-wide conquestDillon, Emile Joseph
History
A scrap of paper : $b The inner history of German diplomacy and her scheme of world-wide conquest
Dillon, Emile Joseph
Germany -- Foreign relations; World War, 1914-1918
On July 24th the note was published in the newspapers. By common
consent it was at once styled an ultimatum. Its integral acceptance
by Servia was neither expected nor desired; and when, on the
following afternoon, it was at first rumoured in Vienna that it
had been unconditionally accepted, there was a moment of keen
disappointment. The mistake was quickly corrected, and as soon as
it was known later in the evening that the Servian reply had been
rejected and that Baron Giesl had broken off relations at Belgrade,
Vienna burst into a frenzy of delight, vast crowds parading the
streets and singing patriotic songs till the small hours of the
morning.
WAR AGAINST SERVIA ONLY.
The demonstrations were perfectly orderly, consisting for the
most part of organized processions through the principal streets,
ending up at the Ministry of War. One or two attempts to make
hostile manifestations against the Russian Embassy were frustrated
by the strong guard of police which held the approaches to the
principal Embassies during those days. The demeanour of the people
at Vienna, and, as I was informed, in many other principal cities
of the Monarchy, showed plainly the popularity of the idea of
war with Servia, and there can be no doubt that the small body
of Austrian and Hungarian statesmen by whom this momentous step
was adopted gauged rightly the sense, and it may even be said the
determination, of the people, except presumably in portions of
the provinces inhabited by the Slav races. There had been much
disappointment in many quarters at the avoidance of war with Servia
during the annexation crisis in 1908 and again in connection with
the recent Balkan War. Count Berchtold’s peace policy had met
with little sympathy in the Delegation. Now the floodgates were
opened, and the entire people and Press clamoured impatiently
for immediate and condign punishment of the hated Servian race.
The country certainly believed that it had before it only the
alternative of subduing Servia or of submitting sooner or later
to mutilation at her hands. But a peaceful solution should first
have been attempted. Few seemed to reflect that the forcible
intervention of a Great Power in the Balkans must inevitably call
other Great Powers into the field. So just was the cause of Austria
held to be, that it seemed to her people inconceivable that any
country should place itself in her path, or that questions of mere
policy or prestige should be regarded anywhere as superseding the
necessity which had arisen to exact summary vengeance for the
crime of Sarajevo. The conviction had been expressed to me by the
German Ambassador on July 24th that Russia would stand aside. This
feeling, which was also held at the Ballplatz, influenced, no
doubt, the course of events, and it is deplorable that no effort
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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