Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Habsburg throne and a proponent of peace, advocated against war with Serbia. One of the most controversial events that heightened tensions occurred in 1908, when Austria-Hungary formally annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina, which many Serbs believed to be part of their territory. The Balkan region was a hotbed of tension between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Serbia. After 1905, Serbia began to favor relations with France as a result of secret diplomacy between them that resulted in France loaning money to Serbia in exchange for selling weapons to it. Serbia’s 1903 revolution had marked a decisive change in Belgrade’s foreign policy, including its policy toward the Habsburg Empire. The Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph ruled over two parliamentary states: Austria and Hungary.

In the decades preceding 1914, neighboring Austria-Hungary was grappling with its dwindling power and the ensuing destabilization of the Balkans. The Serbian government turned to extremist groups for support, but officially denied any involvement with them so as not to jeopardize international relations. In addition, Serbia had to deal with an insurgency in Macedonia that threatened its borders. Other countries included Bulgaria and Greece. They were part of the Balkan League, which fought against Turkey for independence. Serbia was involved in a number of alliances during the early 1900s. The CUP then established a new government with Mehmet Vahdettin at its head as Grand Vizier. In 1908, these groups formed an organization called the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), which supported a revolution against the Sultan that took place in July 1909.

As a result of this loss of land and power, nationalist movements began to form among Turks who wanted their own country. The empire’s territory was shrinking, especially in the Balkans as Slavic nations gained independence from Turkey. While Europe was busy forming alliances, the Ottoman Empire and its people were under great pressure. They had sustained massive casualties in two wars, and it was obvious to everyone that they would not be able to hold up for much longer. The author contends that historians have been too focused on who was responsible for starting the war, and his argument is that it’s more fruitful to focus on how things happened than why they happened.ĭuring the decades preceding World War I, most European powers agreed that the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires were on their last legs. The Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark (2012) is a comprehensive account of the events leading up to World War I. 1-Page Summary of The Sleepwalkers Overview

The sleepwalkers book christopher clark