Postcard of Kaiser Wilhelm II and Kaiser Franz Joseph, in the Secessionist style. Kaiser Wilhelm is wearing the uniform and shako of the Death's Head Hussars.
Völkerkrieg (people's war)1914; In Treue FestPeople's WarFirm in Loyalty
". . . The Royal Servian Government further undertake:1. To suppress any publication which incites to hatred and contempt of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the general tendency of which is directed against its territorial integrity; . . .3. To eliminate without delay from public instruction in Servia, both as regards the teaching body and also as regards the methods of instruction, everything that serves, or might serve, to foment the propaganda against Austria-Hungary;4. To remove from the military service, and from the administration in general, all officers and functionaries guilty of propaganda against the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy whose names and deeds the Austro-Hungarian Government reserve to themselves the right of communicating to the Royal Government;5. To accept the collaboration in Servia of representatives of the Austro-Hungarian Government for the suppression of the subversive movement directed against, the territorial integrity of the Monarchy;. . . 10. To notify the Imperial and Royal Government without delay of the execution of the measures comprised under the preceding heads.The Austro-Hungarian Government expect the reply of the Royal Government at the latest by 6 o'clock on Saturday evening, the 25th July."
Excerpts from the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to Serbia on Thursday, July 23, 1914, delivered to the Serbian Government in Belgrade. Austria-Hungary required 'the execution the measures' in full, and expected Serbia to reject the ultimatum. Austria-Hungary had delayed delivering the note until 6:00 in the evening to assure that French President Poincaré would have left Russia after his state visit of the last several days.The ruler of a nation composed of the Empire of Austria, the Kingdom of Hungary, and many ethnic groups, some striving for union with neighboring nations, some for independence, played a role in holding together the 'ever disintegrating composition of nations beside the Danube.' Emperor Franz Joseph had approved the text of the ultimatum to Serbia.
Collected Diplomatic Documents Relating to the Outbreak of the European War, 7, 8, publisher: His Majesty's Stationery Office by Harrison and Sons, publication date: 1915
Franz Joseph, Kaiser Franz Joseph, Emperor Franz Joseph, Franz Josef, Kaiser Franz Josef, Emperor Franz Josef
