History Notes

ASSASSINATION, EVENTS LEADING TO WAR, SCHLEIFFEN PLANVisit of Archduke Franz-Ferdinand & his wife Sophie. Visiting Sarajevo – capital city of Bosnia. Franz Ferdinand – heir to Austro-Hungarian Empire. Visits Sarajevo on a day of national celebration. Perhaps ill admired. This is a symbolic statement of Austria-Hungary staying in charge of Bosnia. Security arrangements weren’t very good. Huge gaps between policemen, who were watching the parade, not the crowd. Although the Austro-Hungarian Army was camped nearby. The Black Hand – Bosnian Serbs, wanted to unite all Serbs/Slavs together to form a pan-Slavic country. Austria-Hungary fear that if one part of their empire went independent, the rest of the empire would break apart. The Assassins #1 – lost his nerve and failed to make an attempt #2 – Threw a grenade at the car, Franz Ferdinand batted it away, it exploded behind the car, injuring a few spectators. Franz- Ferdinand decides to visit the hospital where the casualties have been taken. #3 – Gavrillo Princip – who had given up, was getting a sandwich when by chance spots Franz-Ferdinand’s car, making a U turn, draws his gun & shoots, killing Franz-Ferdinand and Sophie. Princip makes farcical attempts to commit suicide which fail. 6 weeks gap between assassination & outbreak of war. Austria-Hungary accuses Serbia of involvement with the assassination. Conrad von Hotzondorf CVH is the leader of the Austro-Hungarian Army & a personal friend of Franz-Ferdinand. Proposed war on at least 24 previous occasions. 10 Point ultimatum issued to Serbia. This was an Austrian attempt to resolve the conflict “peacefully” they never expected Serbia to agree to the Ultimatum. Serbians accepted all but point 6 which called for the Austro-Hungarians to take over the Serbian justice system. Serbs propose the other Europeans Powers to investigate the matter independently. The Austrians refuse and they declare war on Serbia.   Why is Austria-Hungary behaving so aggressively? ·         They believe that they have the support of Germany. Algeciras Russia had already backed down before Serbia not responsible for FFs death.   Austria-Hungary declares was on Serbia. Russia declares war on Austria Hungary. Germany declares war on Russia.   Germany activates the Schleiffen Plan. Attacks France via Belgium. This was an invasion of Belgian neutrality, which had been guaranteed by the Treaty of London. Britain declares war on Germany to preserve “The Sanctity of Treaties” The “scrap of paper” Wilhelm II said Britain wouldn’t fight for it. The Alliance networks dragged the great powers into the war.   The Schleiffen Plan General Alfred von Schleiffen – General in charge of the German Army – their chief planner. Germany had always feared war on two fronts, sandwiched between France & Russia, dual Entente. 1905 Schleiffen drafts this plan to avoid a war on two fronts. Schleiffen planned that the Russians would need at least 6 weeks to mobilise their massive army. So this was a window of opportunity and existed to smash the Russians then use the same forces to fight France. However the Russians were organised more efficiently, thanks to the French investment in the rail network. Germany had to split their forces when the plan went wrong. France long suspected than an attack would come through the border with Germany at Alsace-Lorraine. Schleiffen then went through Holland and Belgium and this surprised the French.   What went wrong? Schleiffen died before the war started. Then man who knows the plan best therefor couldn’t help. Belgium resisted Russia organised more quickly than expected, French able to redeploy their forces. Britain got involved. 

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