Chapter 335: Balkan Crisis

The seemingly calm European situation is actually not calm at all; the slightest interference from any force could completely shatter the tranquility of Europe.

Facts have proven that the title of "powder keg" for the Balkans is no exaggeration. Originally, Gao Da thought the European situation would maintain a brief peace, but he did not expect that a small incident in the Balkans would almost trigger a war between two major powers.

The matter must be traced back to the previous Russo-Turkish War. Although the Russians won the war, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the United Kingdom successfully replaced Russia as the beneficiaries of this war through forced intervention.

This left the Russian Emperor Alexander III feeling quite aggrieved. The war he meticulously planned not only failed to bring Russia a large amount of territory and population, but instead led to the failure of Russian expansion in the Balkans.

This war obviously destroyed the originally good relationship between Russia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, turning two neighboring countries from friendly neighbors into mortal enemies.

Since this war, Russia has slowed down its territorial expansion. However, in the Balkans, the actions of the Russians have never ceased.

Although Russia did not gain any land from the Balkans, as the most powerful nation among the Slavic peoples, Russia still maintains a very close relationship with these Slavic nations in the Balkans.

The Russians can also be called East Slavs, and the Balkans also possess a large number of South Slavic nations. The currently independent Serbia and the autonomous Bulgaria are both Slavic; these nations naturally have a close relationship with Russia, which is also Russia's advantage in expanding its influence in the Balkans compared to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Here, one must mention Serbia, a country that will have a profound impact on the future of the European situation. Although these Balkan countries are small in area and population, their military strength is worthy of recognition.

Because of their long-term resistance to the rule of the Ottoman Empire, coupled with the various internal conflicts and wars in the Balkans following their independence, the military combat effectiveness of these Balkan countries is quite strong.

Serbia, as a very typical example, also has its own political agenda. Just like the unification ideologies in the German and Italian regions, there are also relevant ideological claims for unifying the South Slavs in the Yugoslav region.

As the most powerful among the South Slavic nations, Serbia naturally supports and promotes this agenda without hesitation.

As luck would have it, the Bosnia and Herzegovina region, which the Austro-Hungarian Empire obtained through forced intervention, is precisely considered by Serbia as an important step toward unifying the South Slavs.

This actually also means that the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Serbia have irreconcilable contradictions regarding the Bosnia and Herzegovina region.

Also being Slavs, Serbia has gained the support of Russia. This makes it very difficult for the Austro-Hungarian Empire to resolve the immediate trouble of Serbia, and the competition with Serbia has seriously damaged the relationship between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia.

The current status quo between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia is that Russia cannot abandon its support for Serbia; doing so would cause Russia's ruling status over the Slavs in the Balkans to vanish, and would also make the Austro-Hungarian Empire's expansion in the Balkans unscrupulous.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire also cannot abandon the Bosnia and Herzegovina region. The Bosnia and Herzegovina region is also the bridgehead for the Austro-Hungarian Empire's expansion in the Balkans; regardless of the self-esteem of a major power or the expectations for the country's future strategic planning, the Bosnia and Herzegovina region cannot be abandoned to Russia or Serbia.

Under the premise that neither side can take a step back, it is only a matter of time before a conflict breaks out in the Balkans.

The location of this conflict is on the border between the Bosnia and Herzegovina region and Serbia, and the two sides of the conflict are the Austro-Hungarian army and the Serbian border guards.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire has occupied the Bosnia and Herzegovina region for nearly 10 years, but they have not announced the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina during these 10 years.

The most important reason for this is the resistance of the residents on this land to the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as well as the support for them from Serbia behind these rebels and Russia behind Serbia.

Because the people of the Bosnia and Herzegovina region and the Serbians both belong to the South Slavs, the relationship between the two is also quite close.

With the support of the Serbian government, the Bosnia and Herzegovina region established a rebel army to resist the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and gained the support of many people in the Bosnia and Herzegovina region.

This was unacceptable to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which subsequently dispatched a large number of troops to suppress the local rebel army and clear up the local order in the Bosnia and Herzegovina region.

Under the heavy pressure of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the local rebel army in Bosnia and Herzegovina certainly could not hold out. Some high-ranking members of the rebel army chose to flee to Serbia to seek the protection of the Serbian army.

And behind these high-ranking rebel members were the Austro-Hungarian troops who pursued them to the border area.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire would not easily let these high-ranking rebel members go; even after seeing that these people had fled to the Serbian border, the Austro-Hungarian army still demanded that the Serbian army hand over these high-ranking rebel members to them to be brought back to the Bosnia and Herzegovina region for trial and disposal.

Facing the demands of the Austro-Hungarian army, the Serbian side could not possibly nod in agreement. The Serbian side is constantly promoting theories about South Slavic unification and Greater Serbia; if the Serbian side cannot even protect its own compatriots who have fled into its own territory, then who would believe the various theories that Serbia speaks of?

Therefore, the Serbian side firmly rejected the demands of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and stated that the Austro-Hungarian Empire had no right to take anyone from within the borders of Serbia.

The clear refusal of the Serbian government immediately angered the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Looking at this matter alone, the side that is in the right is certainly the Austro-Hungarian side.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina region belongs to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was determined in the last peace negotiations; the actions of the rebel army are destroying the peaceful environment within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which is completely illegal.

It is only natural for the Austro-Hungarian Empire to wipe them out, and it is even normal to ask Serbia for the people; after all, there is a large gap in size between the two countries, and you, a small Serbia, should at least give the Austro-Hungarian Empire some face.

It just so happens that the problem occurred at this last step. Regardless of Serbia's comprehensive strength for the moment, they indeed did not intend to give the Austro-Hungarian Empire face on such a matter.

Because as long as they gave the Austro-Hungarian Empire face, it would be equivalent to slapping themselves in the face and destroying all their previous strategic plans.

The Serbian government is quite ambitious, and they cannot back down to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After all, Serbia also has the super power of Russia behind it; if we talk about strength alone, Russia's comprehensive strength is stronger than that of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Austro-Hungarian army did not expect that Serbia would reject their demands so decisively; upon hearing the other side's refusal, the leading commander was obviously a bit annoyed.

But the matter at the border is of great importance, and he, a small officer, could not order the firing on the Serbian army. After looking at the Serbian army with resentment, the commander of the Austro-Hungarian army ordered a retreat and reported the incident at the border to the country. As the news was reported back to Vienna, this matter immediately attracted the attention of the Austro-Hungarian government at all levels.

Although it seems that Serbia only refused the Austro-Hungarian Empire's request for the people, looking deeper, the meaning represented by this matter is more than that.

First of all, the rebel army itself has the support of Serbia and the Russians. Supporting the rebel forces within the Austro-Hungarian Empire so blatantly is in itself a provocation to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

A small country dares to provoke a powerful major power; if the Austro-Hungarian Empire does not have a strong counterattack, this one thing alone is enough to deal a heavy blow to the international prestige of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The day after this incident, the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I summoned the Serbian ambassador to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, sternly questioned the Serbian government about its attitude toward this incident, and demanded that the Serbian government hand over the high-ranking members of the rebel army within three days and express its apologies to the Austro-Hungarian side regarding this incident.

The attitude of the Serbian ambassador was ambiguous; he neither showed an overly tough attitude of refusal nor agreed to any of Franz Joseph I's demands.

Just as Franz Joseph I was still waiting for a response from the Serbian side, a piece of news completely angered Franz Joseph I.

On the very day he summoned the Serbian ambassador, the Serbian ambassador sent the relevant news back to the country and conveyed the questions related to Franz Joseph I intact.

The Serbian government not only did not agree to any of Franz Joseph I's demands, but instead informed the Serbian public of Franz Joseph I's demands through news.

This immediately ignited the anger of the Serbian public. The relationship between the two countries was already full of contradictions, and coupled with a news summary from the Serbian government that removed the cause and effect, it directly made Franz Joseph I the most hated European ruler by all Serbians.

The purpose of the Serbian government was also achieved. Under the situation where the whole nation hates Franz Joseph I, the Serbian government will not, and has no reason to, agree to the demands of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

When Franz Joseph I received such news, it was already the second day after he summoned the Serbian ambassador.

Since the Serbian side does not intend to give the Austro-Hungarian Empire and him any face, then Franz Joseph I does not intend to show any mercy either.

On February 11, 1889, the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I summoned the two prime ministers of Austria and Hungary and demanded that the Austro-Hungarian army prepare for war.

On February 12, the Austro-Hungarian Empire issued an ultimatum to the Serbian government. If the Serbian government does not hand over the high-ranking members of the rebel army to the Austro-Hungarian Empire within three days, the Austro-Hungarian Empire will forcibly attack Serbia and capture these high-ranking rebel members on Serbian soil.

With the ultimatum from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the eyes of all Europeans immediately shifted to the situation in the Balkans.

To be honest, even the allies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy and Germany, did not expect that Franz Joseph I's ultimatum would be so swift.

But thinking about it, it is normal; Franz Joseph I's only son, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had just passed away half a month ago.

Franz Joseph I suffered such a heavy blow, and Serbia still wanted to provoke the Austro-Hungarian Empire at such a juncture; isn't this courting death?

In order not to let cracks appear in the alliance relationship, Germany expressed its support for the Austro-Hungarian Empire and condemned the Serbian government for harboring the high-ranking members of the rebel army in the Bosnia and Herzegovina region and inciting civil unrest in other countries.

When the Austro-Hungarian Empire issued an ultimatum to Serbia, Gao Da also sent a telegram to Franz Joseph I at the first opportunity.

Perhaps it was a correction of history; Gao Da once wanted to save Crown Prince Rudolf, but in the end, he could not change his fate.

This prince, who had been the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne since birth, eventually lost his life because of a suicide pact for love.

This is a huge scandal for the Austro-Hungarian royal family and a huge blow to Franz Joseph I.

The few kings in Europe who love beauty more than the country are already very sigh-worthy, and nobles like Crown Prince Rudolf who do not even want the country and their own lives for beauty are absolutely few and far between.

When she learned that Crown Prince Rudolf had committed suicide for love, Queen Sophie cried for a whole night.

Her relationship with her younger brother, Crown Prince Rudolf, was very good; the three sisters grew up together, and their relationship with each other was very close.

Gao Da once wanted to save the fate of Crown Prince Rudolf, which was also to maintain a long-term alliance relationship with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

If Crown Prince Rudolf were still alive, in the future period of the two world wars, Spain would at least have a firm ally, which is very precious.

Even though Crown Prince Rudolf has passed away now, Gao Da still does not want to give up the good relationship with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

After the Austro-Hungarian Empire issued an ultimatum to Serbia, Gao Da sent a telegram to Franz Joseph I in a private capacity, stating that the Spanish royal family would stand on the side of the Austro-Hungarian royal family in this incident and provide all possible support to Franz Joseph I.

Although this telegram was not issued in the name of the Spanish government, those with discerning eyes actually know that this is already a very clear expression of Gao Da's attitude.

Although Spain is a constitutional monarchy, Gao Da's influence in the government is unquestionable. Gao Da's stance is no different from the Spanish government's stance; if a war really breaks out, the Spanish government will certainly stand on the side of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Gao Da's stance also made the situation of this incident look one-sided. On the surface alone, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had the support of Germany and Spain. The strength of these three major powers combined, although not as good as the former Three Emperors' League, is definitely the most powerful force in the world today.

And on the Serbian side, at most there is only one Russia; whether Russia can still support Serbia under the pressure of three major powers is a question worth thinking about.

(End of this chapter)