The presentation given at the WPCC's annual Anzac Day breakfast.

1. WPCC Breakfast and talk
ANZAC Day 2014

2. The Serbian Background
 Kingdom of Serbia - 14th Century CE
 Domination by Hapsburgs and
Ottomans
 Revolution in 1804
 Independence in 1867
 Recognised in 1878 – but without
Bosnia
 Assassination of Alexander 1 and
Queen Draga, involving Dragutin

3. Alexander 1 and Queen
Draga of Serbia

4. Dragutin Dimitrijevic

5. Serbia grows
 Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913
 Continued agitation to reclaim Bosnia
 Links between Serbian Intelligence and
revolutionary groups
 This is questioned by some, and remains a
point of nationalist difference in the region.

7. The Black Hand Gang
 To reunite the Serbian speakers of
Europe
 Government and royal patronage
 Built on the work of earlier organisations

8. The Assassination
 28 June 1914
 6 conspirators of the Black Hand Gang
 Evidence that Military Intelligence
involved
 People and weapons smuggled from
Serbia into Bosnia
 Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir
apparent to the Austrian throne, chosen
as target

9. The first attempt
 Assassins one and two did nothing
 Assassin three threw his bomb but
missed
 The second car was hit with around 20
injured
 He took a cyanide pill and threw himself
into the river
 The car with Franz Ferdinand sped on

12. The second attempt
 Gavrilo Princip repositions himself
near Latin Bridge
 Shoots both Franz Ferdinand and
Sophie
 Arrested
 Anti-Serb riots and pogroms break out in
Bosnia and Croatia

15. The immediate aftermath
 Austro-Hungary took three weeks to act
 Spent time ensuring Germany would
support them in destroying Serbia
 5th July: Germany provides blank cheque
 7th July: AH Council decide war is best option
 9th July: AH Foreign Minister Berchtold states
AH will deliver ultimatum that cannot be fulfilled
 13th July: AH investigators find no evidence
Serbia was involved
 21st July: Germany upset at timid AH,
encourages action and discourages diplomacy
 23rd July: Ultimatum issued

17. The Ultimatum
1. Suppress any published dissent against Austro-
Hungary
2. To dissolve immediately any society that acts against
Austro-Hungary
3. To cease teaching anti-Austro-Hungarian material in
schools
4. To remove from the military and administration all as
determined by Austro-Hungary
5. To accept the collaboration in Serbia of agents of
Austro-Hungary in the suppression of the subversive
movements directed against Austro-Hungary

18. The Ultimatum
6. To take judicial proceedings against the accessories
to the plot of 28 June who are on Serbian territory.
Officers delegated by Austro-Hungary will take part
in the investigations
7. To proceed without delay to the arrest of two named
agents
8. To prevent the illicit traffic in arms and explosives
across the frontier
9. To furnish explanations regarding the unjustifiable
utterances of high Serbian officials who expressed
themselves in terms of hostility towards Austro-
Hungary
10. To notify Austro-Hungary without delay of the
execution of these measures .

19. The world awakens
 Western Europe tired of Balkan violence
 France convinced situation not as bad
as in early 1900s
 But knew it was no match for German army
 Russia unsettled by socialist risings
 Confident that it would outstrip Germany in a
few years
 Allies with France for protection
 England caught up with Ulster problems

20. German dismay
 Newspapers decry wars of aggression
and ‘adolescent posturing’ by Austro-
Hungary
 Street protests break out, swiftly put
down by police
 Right wing newspapers describe
protestors as traitors, the elite are
unmoved

21. War
 28th July: Austria declares war on Serbia
 28th July: Russia begins mobilisation,
Germany complains and Russia halts
 29th July: Austria bombards Belgrade
 31st July: Russia and Germany mobilise
in force
 1st August: Russia declares war on
Germany

22. The Tipping Point
 Russia’s declaration against Germany
set in motion a series of linked events
 Germany had estimated it would take
Russia 6 weeks to properly mobilise
 This gave Germany 6 weeks to defeat
France or it would have to fight a two-
front war
 The easiest, quickest way into France
was through Belgium

23. War
 1st August: France begins mobilisation
 3rd August: Germany declares war on
France
 4th August: Germany invades Belgium
 Britain allied via treaty to Belgium
 Demanded German withdrawal
 4th August: Britain declares war on
Germany. As a result, Australia is at war

24. A war with enemies
 Austrian troops in Serbia
 A rejection of guerrilla warfare
 Numerous atrocities and mass killings

28. A war without enemies
 The Christmas Truce of 1914
 Cigars and food exchanged
 Carols sung
 Football played (though possibly not)

30. Battle of the Marne
 Rapid advance of
Germans (Schlieffen
Plan) through Belgium
into France
 Sept 1914
 Halted German
advance
 Last ‘mobile’ battle of the war

33. Hitler, The Courtyard of the Old Residency in Munich.