The Pan-Slavs movement was another incident in which the Austro-Serbian hostility was clearly shown. The Pan-Slavs movement was initiated by Serbia, which aimed at uniting all Slavs living in Austria-Hungary and elsewhere in the Balkans, for example, Bosnia-Herzegovina, which came under Austrian rule in 1908. Austria-Hungary suppressed the movement as the unification of all the Slavs meant a breaking up of Austrian-Hungarian Empire. At the same time, Russia, an enemy of Austria-Hungary who also had an interest in the Balkans, supported the Pan-Slavs movement. This angered Austria-Hungary, and further intensified the Austro-Serbian hostility.
These two incidents were the main sources of Austro-Serbian hostility. They also brought about rivalries between Austria-Hungary and Serbia which contributed to the outbreak of the First World War: The Bosnia Crisis 1908, the Balkans War 1912-13, the Sarajevo Incident 1914 and the outbreak of the Austro-Serbian War 1914.
The Bosnia Crisis was a clear example of rivalry between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. In the Congress of Berlin 1878, Austria-Hungary gained the administration of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which was still a part of the declining Ottoman Empire. However, Bosnia-Herzegovina, which was mainly populated by Slavs, wanted the rule of Serbia. Serbia wanted the Pan-Slav movement o unite with the Slavs. In 1908, Young Turks Revolution took place in Bosnia-Herzegovina; Austria-Hungary took advantage from the confusion to annex Bosnia-Herzegovina. Serbia then mobilized her troops against Austria-Hungary, and Russia supported her. Although at the end the Austrian annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina succeeded, the anti-Austrian feeling in Serbia ran high and lots of secret societies were formed. In that way, the hostility between Austria-Hungary and Serbia was greatly intensified.
Another rivalry between Austria-Hungary and Serbia was the Balkans Wars 1912-13. In the First Balkans War, Serbia and other Balkans states form the Balkans League to fight against Turkey because Turkey could not stop Austria-Hungary from annexing Bosnia-Herzegovina. After all, Turkey lost and the Treaty of London was signed. According to the treaty, Albania was made independent under the pressure of Austria-Hungary. Albania was the area Serbia wanted most as it could give her outlet to the Adriatic Sea, at the same time; Austria-Hungary wanted the independence of Albania because she did not want a powerful Serbia. The arrangement of the treaty upset Serbia and anti-Austrian feeling grew higher. After the Second Balkans War, Albania still remained independent under the pressure of Austria-Hungary. This angered Serbia. On the other hand, Serbia’s success in the Balkans Wars increased the ambition of leading Pan-Slav movement and breaking up the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. This scared Austria-Hungary, that Serbia was an obstacle to her expansion in the Balkans and thus worsened the Austro-Serbian hostility.
The Sarajevo incident was a significant incident that sparked off the First World War. Since 1908, anti-Austrian feelings, plots and propaganda grew in Serbia and Bosnia. On June 28, 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne, and his wife, went on an official visit to Sarajevo, the Bosnia Capital. A Bosnian student, who was also a member of the Black Hand, assassinated them. Austria held Serbia responsible because Serbia supported the anti-Austrian activities. This event provided an excuse for Austria to crush Serbia who was her greatest enemy. The Austro-Serbia hostility reached the climax.
The Sarajevo Incident sparked off the Austro-Serbian War 1914, which turned into the First World War. Austria, with the support of Germany sent an ultimatum with three demands to Serbia, who had got the Russian support, on 23 July 1914. Serbia accepted the first two demands but rejected the last one that mean loss of independence. On 28 July, Austria declared war on Serbia. The local war soon turned into a global conflict with the Russian, French, German and British entries into the War.
To conclude, the hostility between Austria-Hungary and Serbia set off the Austro-Serbian War, which lead to the involvement of all other great European powers. The First World War thus began.
