The immediate causes of the great war

Preface

The object of this volume is to narrate briefly the direct causes of the European war as they are given in the published documents of the belligerents. These sources are abundantly adequate for determining the immediate responsibility of each nation and apportioning the guilt for this great crime. It may be thought that, inasmuch as each government in publishing its official correspondence, has tried to convict its enemies and clear itself and its allies, the statements made are so biased as not to be accepted as evidence. This, however, is not the case. The documents corroborate each other sufficiently to show that statements of fact given in official despatches by ambassadors to foreign ministers and vice versa can usually be accepted at face value. The numerous cross-references in the published correspondence enable us sometimes to detect false claims based on the omission, misinterpretation, or even the distortion iv Preface

of facts. Some discrepancies, however, are irreducible, and where such occur, the evidence presented by both sides is given.

In Chapter I, I have not attempted a general discussion of the indirect causes of the war, but have only tried to restate some well-known facts that constitute the background of the great conflict. For the information contained in this chapter I am indebted to the following works: Europe since 1815, by Charles Downer Hazen; The Diplomacy of the War of 1914, by Ellery C. Stowell; A Political and Social History of Modern Europe, by Carlton J. H. Hayes; and the International Year Booh.

The rest of the work, except a few pages, is written entirely from the documents given out by the various belligerents. The principal collections of official papers used are the following: The translations made by the Neiv York Times and other documents published by the American Association for International Conciliation; Diplomatic Documents Relating to the Outbreak of the European War, edited by James Brown Scott and published under the auspices of the Carnegie Endowment for International

Preface v

Peace; Collected Diplomatic Documents Relating to the Outbreak of the European War and Miscellaneous Correspondence, printed under the authority of His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1915; and the Austro-Hungarian Red Booh, official English translation.

In presenting this digest of the source material on the causes of the war, my aim is not to argue the case, but only to give and systematize the evidence — not all the evidence on all the points, but only adequate evidence on the main points.

I want to acknowledge my indebtedness to Professors Charles Downer Hazen and Carlton J. H. Hayes of Columbia University, and Frank Maloy Anderson, of Dartmouth College, for the very valuable suggestions and criticisms that they have kindly offered. My thanks are also due to my colleagues, Professor David Dale Johnson of the English department, and Dean James M. Callahan, head of the department of history, who have read portions of my manuscript and have made helpful suggestions and criticisms.

Inasmuch as so many books have already been vi Preface

written on the causes of the war, I feel that I should offer an explanation, if not an apology, for adding to the list even a small volume. My only excuse for so doing is the hope that a brief work will prove useful to college students and others who do not have time to read the fuller accounts. My own experience as a teacher of current European history has caused me to feel the need of such a work.

0. P. Chitwood.

West Virginia University, April, 1917.

Contents

PAGE

Chapter I. Some Indirect Causes of the War. The Concert of Europe 1-4

The Triple Alliance 4-7

The Dual Alliance 7-8

The Triple Entente 8-12

Morocco as a cause of friction 12- 16

The Near Eastern question 16- 31

Rise of the Christian States in the Balkans . 16- 25

The Balkan Wars 25-31

Chapter II. The Assassination op Francis Ferdinand. The assassination of the Crown Prince and his

wife at Sarajevo 32

Significance of the crime . . . . . . . 32- 33

Attitude of the people and press in Serbia toward the crime 33- 37

Attitude of Austro-Hungarian press . . . 37- 38 Serbia's delay in instituting trial of Serbian

accomplices 38- 39

Serbian officials implicated in the crime . . 39- 40

Chapter III. The Austro-Hungarian Note to Serbia. Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia, July

23, 1914 41

Surprise of the Entente powers at the nature of

the demands 41- 42

vii viii Table of Contents

PAGE

Contents of the note 42-46

Austria's case against Serbia 46- 50

Responsibility of Germany for the Austrian

The demands of Austria considered unreasonable by Serbia 52- 53

Opinion of other powers regarding these demands 53- 54

Attitude of powers toward isolation of the

quarrel 54- 57

Shortness of the time limit . 57- 59

Chapter IV. Serbia's Reply to Austria-Hungary. The Austrian note defined as a demarche and

not an ultimatum 60

Serbia advised to send a conciliatory reply to

Austrian note by Entente powers . . . 60- 62

Contents of Serbian note ...:... 62- 67

Opinion of Entente powers regarding Serbian

concessions 67- 68

Serbian reply not acceptable to Austria-Hungary .' 68- 70

Diplomatic relations between Austria-Hungary

and Serbia broken off 69

Chapter V. Efforts to Prevent War. The problem confronting European diplomacy . 71- 73

Germany's plan for solving it 73- 74

Joint mediation between Serbia and Austria

favored by Sir Edward Grey . . . . 74— 75

Italy's plan for preventing war 75- 78

Austria asked to take a favorable view of Serbian reply 78- 79

Joint mediation between Austria and Serbia

proposed 79- 82

Table of Contents ix

PAGE

Direct negotiations between Russia and Austria- Hungary 81-82

Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia 83

Chapter VI. Efforts to Isolate the War

A general war not desired by the powers . . 84- 85 Russia's determination to protect Serbia . . 85- 86 Russia's! dissatisfaction with Austrian assurances as to the integrity and independence

of Serbia 86-89

Sir Edward Grey's proposal for joint mediation

renewed 89- 93

Mediation between Austria-Hungary and Serbia

accepted by the former 91- 93

Chapter VII. The War Area Broadens. Russian mobilization 94— 99

Germany's and Austria-Hungary's declarations

of war on Russia . 99

France's obligations to Russia 99-100

French and German mobilization .... 99-100 Inquiry as to the attitude of France toward a possible conflict between Germany and Russia 100-101

Germany's declaration of war on France . . 101

Montenegro enters the war . . . . . . 101

Chapter VIII. Great Britain Declares War on the Teutonic Powers

Great Britain interested in Austro-Serbian dispute only insofar as it affects the peace of Europe 102-103

Her refusal to join Russia and France in a

threat against Austria-Hungary . . . 103-104

Germany's first bid for British neutrality . . 104-105

Britain's refusal to pledge support to France 105-107 x Table of Contents

PAGE

Anxiety of British foreign minister that the

quarrel be settled by mediation .... 105-107 Answer of France and Germany as to Belgian

neutrality 107

Germany's effort to secure neutrality of France 107-111 Germany's second bid for British neutrality . 111-112 Sir Edward Grey's offer to France of the aid of the British navy if French coast is attacked 112-115

Belgian neutrality violated by Germany . . 115-116 Last interview between the British ambassador

and the German chancellor 116-120

Great Britain at war with Germany and Austria-Hungary . 120

Neutrality of Luxemburg violated .... 120-121

Chapter IX. The Violation - op the Neutrality op Belgium

Neutralization of Belgium in 1839 .... 122-124 Germany's obligation to uphold neutrality of

Belgium 124-126

Belgium's announcement of her neutrality . . 126

Germany's request for permission to go through

Belgium 126-128

Belgium's refusal 128-129

Belgium invaded by German troops .... 129-130 Great Britain's offer to aid Belgium in upholding her neutrality 130-131

The charge that Belgium had violated her neutrality prior to 1914 131-140

Chapter X. Japan and Turkey Drawn into the Conflict. Entrance of Japan into the war 141-145

Entrance of Turkey into the war 145-156

Requisition of Turkish warships by British government 145-146

Table of Contents xi

PAGE

Mobilization by Turkey — ber announcement

of a policy of neutrality 146-148

Two German warships sheltered in the Dardanelles 147-148

Terms offered by the Entente for Turkish

neutrality 149-152

The Capitulations abolished by Ottoman government 152

The closing of the Dardanelles 153

Turkish military preparations against Egypt 153-155

Sinking of Entente vessels in Odessa harbor by Turkish torpedo boats 155-156

Negotiations with Turkey broken off by the

Entente powers 156

Chapter XL Italy Enters the War.

Peace moves favored by Italy 157

Italy's refusal to aid her allies 158

The question of compensation to Italy for Austrian invasion of Serbia 158-162

Italy's request for Austro-Hungarian territory 162-166 Immediate transfer of ceded territory demanded

by Italy 165-168

Terms of Italy's proposal 168-170

Austria-Hungary's answer 170-172

Italy's withdrawal from the Triple Alliance . 172-173

Final offer of Austria-Hungary 173-176

Italy's declaration of war against her former

allies 177