The Story of the Great War, Volume 1: Introductions; Special Articles; Causes of War; Diplomatic and State Papers
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 1: Introductions; Special Articles; Causes of War; Diplomatic and State Papers
World War, 1914-1918
On June 29, 1914, Yov. M. Yovanovitch, Serbian Minister at Vienna,
telegraphed to M. N. Pashitch, Prime Minister and Minister for
Foreign Affairs at Belgrade, that the Vienna press asserted that
magisterial inquiry had already shown that the Sarajevo outrage was
prepared at Belgrade; that the whole conspiracy in its wider issues
was organized there among youths inspired with the great Serbian
idea; and that the Belgrade press was exciting public opinion by
articles about the intolerable conditions in Bosnia, papers
containing which were being smuggled in large quantities into
Bosnia.
On the same day, June 29, 1914, Ritter von Storck, Secretary of the
German Legation at Belgrade, the Austro-Hungarian Minister, Baron
Giesl von Gieslingen being absent from his post on leave, reported
to Count Berchtold, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in
Vienna, the following facts:
"Yesterday the anniversary of the battle of the Amselfeld was
celebrated with greater ceremony than usual, and there were
celebrations in honor of the Serbian patriot, Milos Obilic, who
in 1389 with two companions treacherously stabbed the victorious
Murad.
"Among all Serbians, Obilic is regarded as the national hero. In
place of the Turks, however, we are now looked on as the
hereditary enemy, thanks to the propaganda which has been
nourished under the aegis of the royal Government and the
agitation which for many years has been carried on in the press.
"A repetition of the drama on the field of Kossovo seems,
therefore, to have hovered before the minds of the three young
criminals of Sarajevo, Princip, Cabrinovic, and the third person
still unknown, who also threw a bomb. They also shot down an
innocent woman and may, therefore, think that they have surpassed
their model.
"For many years hatred against the [Dual] Monarchy has been sown
in Serbia. The crop has sprung up and the harvest is murder.
"The news arrived at about five o'clock; the Serbian Government
at about ten o'clock caused the Obilic festivities to be
officially stopped. They continued, however, unofficially for a
considerable time after it was dark. The accounts of
eye-witnesses say that people fell into one another's arms in
delight, and remarks were heard such as: 'It serves them right;
we have been expecting this for a long time,' or 'This is revenge
for the annexation [of Bosnia].'"
On the following day (June 30, 1914), M. Yovanovitch, Serbian
Minister at Vienna, warned M. Pashitch, Prime Minister at Belgrade,
by telegraph, that the tendency in Vienna was becoming more and more
apparent to represent, in the eyes of Europe, the assassination as
the act of a conspiracy engineered in Serbia.
The idea was to use this as a political weapon against Serbia. Great
attention should therefore be paid to the tone of the Serbian
press.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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