Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 43. (1993) - Festschrift für Rudolf Neck zum 65. Geburtstag

WILLIAMSON, Samuel R. Jr.: Confrontation with Serbia: The Consequences of Vienna's Failure to Achieve Surprise in July 1914

foreign minister found his Berlin ally pressuring Vienna to reconsider the confrontation with Serbia. To forestall this, Berchtold informed Conrad that the monarchy had to declare war immediately (done on 28 July) to thwart German interference. Unfortunately the general refused to confront what the two week delay had really meant: that Austria- Hungary had lost all chance of surprise and that he now faced a two front situation far sooner than he had anticipated. Furthermore, Conrad refused to admit that the seizure of Belgrade, a not impossible task given the Habsburg territory across from the Serb capital, would bring benefits to the Dual monarchy. Instead he insisted on a full confrontation with Serbian forces in mountainous terrain, rather than a grab of land that would have given great leverage. He scorned small gains for the decisive smash of his opponent19).

The net result of Conrad’s strategic approach would be the smashing, eventually, of the Habsburg monarchy. The war, meant to save the monarchy, would doom it. Surprise and quickness had been lost, perhaps were never possible with the Habsburg military structure. The harvest of the crops would lead to the further grim, human harvest as the war unfolded across Europe in the late summer and autumn of 1914.

The Consequences of Vienna’s Failure to Achieve Surprise in July 1914

19) There is no good biography of Conrad. But on his actions in July 1914 see Norman Stone, “Die Mobilmachung der österreichisch-ungarischen Armee 1914”, Militärgeschichtliche Mitteilungen, II (1974). Also see Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, Private Aufzeichnungen, ed. Kurt Peball (Vienna, 1977).

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