Balkan War Led to WWI

¶ … Balkan War that led to World War I

There were several factors of the Balkan Crisis of 1914 that led to World War I. Generally, the European Crisis of 1914 is blamed on the "Great Power statesmen for their shortsightedness, incompetence, or failure to act in a timely or effective way to keep the peace" (Sowards 2001). However, it is important to consider the players involved in the conflict between the two states in the original Sarajevo crisis, Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Early in the crisis, when the Austrian, Hungarians, and Serbs made important decisions, "they consistently avoided compromise and risked war" (Sowards 2001). Two months passed between the murder of Franz Ferdinand and the "coming of the general war...plenty of time for calculation, caution and decision" (Sowards 2001). However, there were several successive events that took place during those two months.

On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a nineteen-year-old student and an agent of the Serbian nationalist secret society, the Black Hand assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary (Who 2002). Ferdinand's death sparked a "mindlessly mechanical series of events that culminated in the world's first global war" (Duffy 2002).

It was three weeks before Austria-Hungary reacted to the Ferdinand's death, opting "to take the opportunity to stamp its authority upon the Serbians, crushing the nationalist movement there and cementing Austria-Hungary's influence in the Balkans" (Duffy 2002). It issued an ultimatum to Serbia, that "in the extent of its demand that the assassins be brought to justice effectively nullified Serbia's sovereignty" (Duffy 2002). Austria-Hungary expected Serbia would reject the terms, giving cause to launch war, however, it did not consider the Slavic ties with Russia. Although, not really expecting Russia to be drawn into the war, Austria-Hungary sought assurances of aid from its ally, Germany (Duffy 2002). When Serbia quibbled over a few clauses in the ultimatum, Austria-Hungary declared war on July 28, 1914 (Duffy 2002).

Bound by ties to Serbia, Russia mobilized its army in her defense. Germany, viewing this as an act of war against Austria-Hungary, declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914. On August 3, France, bound by treaty to Russia, announced war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Germany responded by immediately invading "neutral Belgium so as to reach Paris by the shortest possible route" (Duffy 2002). On August 4, Britain, allied to France by treaty and obligated to defend Belgium by a 75-year-old treaty, declared war against Germany. Britain's colonies and dominions offered support, including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa (Duffy 2002). On August 23, 1914, Japan, honoring a military agreement with Britain, declared war on Germany. In response, two days later on August 25, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Japan. Allied to both Germany and Austria-Hungary, Italy evaded by declaring a policy of neutrality, arguing that it was committed to defend only in the event of a 'defensive war' and that their actions were 'offensive' (Duffy 2002).

However, by May 1915, Italy joined the conflict, siding against her former allies (Duffy 2002). On the same day that Britain declared war, August 4, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson, declared a United States "policy of absolute neutrality" (Duffy 2002). This stance would remain effective until 1917 when "Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare...threatened America's commercial shipping, which was almost entirely directed towards the Allies led by Britain and France," forced the United States to enter the war on April 6, 1917 (Duffy 2002).

Basically, leaders on both sides in 1914 decided to deliberately "risk crisis and war, and the initial Austro-Serb combat was the result" (Sowards 2001). "An essential element of Greek, Serb and Bulgarian nationalism had always been the destruction of the Ottoman Empire: the achievement of national unity necessarily meant the achievement of Ottoman collapse" (Sowards 2001). The same pertained to Austria-Hungary, concessions to Serbian nationalism would only worsen Vienna's problems: "after the South Slavs would come the Romanians, the Italians, the Czechs and Slovaks, each with their demands...once the Habsburg Monarchy started down that road, it would inevitably disappear as a Great Power" (Sowards 2001).