Peter’s Reviews > Die Schlafwandler: Wie Europa in den Ersten Weltkrieg zog > Status Update

Auch wenn man keine klaren Beweise hat, ist man in Wien überzeugt, dass serbische Kräfte hinter dem Attentat stehen. Um das Ansehen Österreichs als Großmacht zu waren, wir Serbien ein kaum erfüllbares Ultimatum gestellt. Russland steht Serbien bei und macht mobil. Dort glaubt man, dass Deutschland hinter der ganzen Sache steht und ruft auch die Reservisten an den deutschen Grenzen zu den Waffen.

The press in basically all European countries is getting more and more aggressive. Still, so far a major was had been avoided. Then, on June 28 the Austrian successor to the throne and his wife are assassinated by a Serbian-Bosnian student connected to the "Black Hand", a secret military Serbian society. A strong reaction is inevitable, but will Russia stick with the Serbs and risk a big war. France is in favour.

Germany's imperialistic and colonial push it into antagonism with the British Empire. And Germany's friendship with Turkey distance them from Russia. The First and Second Maroccan Crisis in 1904/06 and 1911 almost result in a European war as a result of inapt diplomacy. Italian's attack on Libya and subsequent war with Turkey opens the door also for war on the Balkans.

Like Apis on the Serbian side, Chief of the General Staff Conrad von Hötzendorf is the no 1 war monger in Austria. The basis for the war, however, was the breakdown of the European balance of powers once orchestrated by Bismarck. Under Wilhelm II. Germany's relationship to Russia deteriorated and opened the road for France to form an anti-German alliance.

The Balkan Wars brought large territorial gains to Serbia and invigorated its believe that it can become the "Piemont" for the Southern Slavs. Under its long time prime minister Nikola Pašić it had become a close ally of Russia while its relations to Austria cooled further down after its annexion of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Meanwhile the networks of Serbian ultra-nationalists undercut more and more public structures.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire, often called "prison of nations" had also postive aspects. The vast internal market enabled strong economic growth in almost all regions, including the 1908 annexed Bosnia. Also the Austrian "Cisleithania" provided a relatively high level of equal rights and legal security. Differently in the other part where Hungarians dominated the political scene and imposed their culture and language.

Austro-Hungaria end of the 19th century had been the closest partner of Serbia, but they let the relations cool down, so that the Serbs turned to France, who were only too ready to provide huge credits - mainly for purchase of weapons.

Meanwhile Serbian extremists under the leadership of the enigmatic king murderer "Apis" formed a secret organization "Unity or Death", but rather known as the Black Hand.

Die Morde in Sarajevo allein lösten nichts aus, erst die Art und Weise, wie dieses Ereignis ausgenutzt wurde, führte die Nationen in den Krieg. Dieses Zitat deutet die Sichtweise an, unter der der in Deutschland aus dem Fernsehen bekannte australische Historiker, den Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkriegs neu beleuchtet. Interessanterweise beginnt er mit dem Königsmord in Serbien im Jahre 1903.