878 Ch. 22 • The Great War
straits of Constantinople to Russian ships, and perhaps only Russian ships.
The Austro-Hungarian government faced the possibility that lands still held
by the Ottoman Empire might be added to Serbia and Romania, further
destabilizing the Balkans. This pushed Russian and Austro-Hungarian rela
tions toward a breaking point.
The Bosnian Crisis of 1908
Turkish instability led to the Bosnian Crisis of 1908. In 1878, the Congress
of Berlin had authorized Austria-Hungary to occupy Bosnia and Herzegov
ina, although both territories technically were still part of the Ottoman
Empire. Austria-Hungary had done so, at the risk of bringing more Slavs
into the empire, not only to solidify its position in the Balkans but to prevent
Serbia from absorbing them. The Russian government had been secretly
negotiating with Austria-Hungary to trade Russian acceptance of the
absorption of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Austria-Hungary’s support for the
opening of the Bosporus and the Dardanelles straits to the Russian fleet. In
October 1908, a day after Bulgaria, nominally under Ottoman sovereignty,
declared its independence, the Austro-Hungarian government suddenly
announced that it would directly annex Bosnia and Herzegovina, fearing the
influence of the Young Turks there. The annexation was a clear violation of
the agreements reached at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. The Russians
reacted with rage. Serbia, furious that two territories in which many South
Slavs lived were to be incorporated into the Habsburg Empire, mobilized its
army with Russian support. Austria-Hungary responded in kind. The annex
ation also considerably strained relations between Austria-Hungary and
Italy, nominal allies, because of Italian strategic and economic interests on
the Adriatic coast. Pressured by Germany, Turkey received financial compen
sation in exchange for accepting the fait accompli.
The resolute opposition to war by Hungarian leaders within Austria
Hungary, as well as the opposition of the heir to the Habsburg throne,
Archduke Francis Ferdinand (1863-1914), helped defuse the crisis. Not
only would war be expensive, victory might well add a considerable South
Slav population (from Serbia) to Hungarian territories. Furthermore,
despite diplomatic bluster, Russia was not ready to fight, and its ally France
was unwilling to go to war over the Balkans, where it had no interests.
Lacking French or British support, the Russian government backed down,
forcing Serbia to recognize the Austro-Hungarian annexation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
War had been avoided, but the European powers had drawn significant
conclusions from the Bosnian Crisis. Italy remained allied with both Central
European powers, but both Berlin and Vienna viewed Italy’s commitment to
the alliance as uncertain. Italy’s problematic status as an ally thus further
firmed up Germany’s alliance with Austria-Hungary. German and Austro
Hungarian military commanders met to plan for hostilities with Russia,