"Better to perish swiftly"
Austria-Hungary’s diplomacy on the eve of World War I
THE ROYAL AND IMPERIAL DIPLOMACY AND THE OUTBREAK OF WAR IN 1914
Austria-Hungary's declaration of war upon Serbia on July 28, 1914, is mostly considered the decisive step on the way to the „great seminal catastrophe of the 20th century”. What brought the royal and imperial leadership to declare war on Serbia? Was it a long-entertained plan or an overhasty reaction to the assassination of the heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand? Alma Hannig introduces the acting players of the Habsburg monarchy in lively biographical sketches, discloses the diplomatic networks of the time, and reconstructs the actions of the Austro-Hungarian decision makers. For the first time, a comprehensive book on the royal and imperial diplomacy is presented, and the question about its responsibility regarding the outbreak of war is raised anew.
Alma Hannig studied history, political science, psychology, and Spanish. Her dissertation‘s topic were the foreign affairs of Austria-Hungary before World War I. Since 2009, she has been teaching modern and recent history at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Bonn, Germany. She mainly researches the history of Austria-Hungary as well as the diplomatic history and aristocracy in the long 19th century. Amalthea most recently published Franz Ferdinand. The biography (2013).
THE ROYAL AND IMPERIAL DIPLOMACY AND THE OUTBREAK OF WAR IN 1914
Austria-Hungary's declaration of war upon Serbia on July 28, 1914, is mostly considered the decisive step on the way to the „great seminal catastrophe of the 20th century”. What brought the royal and imperial leadership to declare war on Serbia? Was it a long-entertained plan or an overhasty reaction to the assassination of the heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand? Alma Hannig introduces the acting players of the Habsburg monarchy in lively biographical sketches, discloses the diplomatic networks of the time, and reconstructs the actions of the Austro-Hungarian decision makers. For the first time, a comprehensive book on the royal and imperial diplomacy is presented, and the question about its responsibility regarding the outbreak of war is raised anew.
- New sources and archive findings
- The current research on the background of World War I
Alma Hannig studied history, political science, psychology, and Spanish. Her dissertation‘s topic were the foreign affairs of Austria-Hungary before World War I. Since 2009, she has been teaching modern and recent history at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Bonn, Germany. She mainly researches the history of Austria-Hungary as well as the diplomatic history and aristocracy in the long 19th century. Amalthea most recently published Franz Ferdinand. The biography (2013).
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