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Conrad von Hötzendorf, Chief of the Austro-Hungarian General Staff, Vienna, 1914. By the end of that year he had lost as many as one million men, much of his country's rolling stock, and the northeastern region of %+%Location%m%85%n%Galicia%-%. His forces had also been defeated by Serbia three times. Text: Generalstabschef Conrad von Hötzendorf Ch. Skolik jun. Wien, 1914 I. Wallfischg. 11 Reverse: Postkartenverlad Brüder Kohn Wien I

Conrad von Hötzendorf, Chief of the Austro-Hungarian General Staff, Vienna, 1914. By the end of that year he had lost as many as one million men, much of his country's rolling stock, and the northeastern region of Galicia. His forces had also been defeated by Serbia three times.

Image text

Generalstabschef Conrad von Hötzendorf

Chief of the General Staff Conrad von Hötzendorf



Ch. Skolik jun.

Wien, 1914

I. Wallfischg. 11



Reverse:

Postkartenverlad Brüder Kohn Wien I

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Sunday, July 19, 1914

"The Presiding Minister [Berchtold] then opened the Council of Ministers and proposed that the note should be presented to the Royal Serbian Government on 23 July at five in the afternoon, so that the term of 48 hours would expire on Saturday, 25 inst. at five in the afternoon and the order for mobilisation could be published, in the night from Saturday to Sunday."

Quotation Context

Excerpt from the protocol of the July 19, 1914 meeting of the Austro-Hungarian Council of Ministers for Common Affairs, chaired by Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Berchtold.

The subject under discussion was 'the forthcoming diplomatic action against Serbia.' The Council voted unanimously to present the ultimatum to Serbia on 5:00PM on July 23. The time was based on the scheduled departure of French President Poincaré from Russia so that there would be no time for France and Russia to develop a common plan while in a celebratory mood after sharing champagne.

Chief of the General Staff Conrad was in favor of speeding the 'impending action' because he was concerned by reports of Serbian troop movements already under way.

The protocol was kept by the Secretary of the legation and Chief of the Cabinet Count Hoyos. Also present were Imperial and Royal Premier Count Stürgkh, the Royal Hungarian Premier Count Tisza, Imperial and Royal Common Minister for Finances Ritter von Biliňski, Imperial and Royal Minister of War F.Z.M. von Krobatin, the Imperial and Royal Chief of the General Staff G. d. I. Baron von Conrad, the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral von Kailer.

Source

July, 1914; the Outbreak of the First World War; Selected Documents by Imanuel Geiss (Editor), 139, 140, copyright © 1967 Imanuel Geiss, publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons, publication date: 1967

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Conrad von Hötzendorf, Conrad