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July 22, 1914

The final text of the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to Serbia is provided in advance to the German Embassy on July 22. The Germans refuse a request to be the bearers of the ultimatum to the Serbs, hoping to shield themselves from charges of having encouraged or approved the clear declaration of imminent invasion. 

Content of the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to Serbia

The Austro-Hungarian ultimatum demanded from the Serbian state to formally and publicly condemn the “dangerous propaganda” against Austria-Hungary, the ultimate aim of which, it claimed, is to “detach from the Monarchy territories belonging to it”. Moreover, Belgrade should “suppress by every means this criminal and terrorist propaganda”.

Moreover, the Serbian government should

  1. Suppress all publications which “incite hatred and contempt of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy” and are “directed against its territorial integrity”.
  2. Dissolve the Serbian nationalist organisation “Narodna Odbrana” (“The People’s Defense”) and all other such societies in Serbia.
  3. Eliminate without delay from schoolbooks and public documents all “propaganda against Austria-Hungary”.
  4. Remove from the Serbian military and civil administration all officers and functionaries whose names the Austro-Hungarian Government will provide.
  5. Accept in Serbia “representatives of the Austro-Hungarian Government” for the “suppression of subversive movements”.
  6. Bring to trial all accessories to the Archduke’s assassination and allow “Austro-Hungarian delegates” (law enforcement officers) to take part in the investigations.
  7. Arrest Major Vojislav Tankosić and civil servant Milan Ciganović who were named as participants in the assassination plot.
  8. Cease the cooperation of the Serbian authorities in the “traffic in arms and explosives across the frontier”; dismiss and punish the officials of Šabac andLoznica frontier service, “guilty of having assisted the perpetrators of the Sarajevo crime”.
  9. Provide “explanations” to the Austro-Hungarian Government regarding “Serbian officials” who have expressed themselves in interviews “in terms of hostility to the Austro-Hungarian Government”.
  10. Notify the Austro-Hungarian Government “without delay” of the execution of the measures comprised in the ultimatum.

The Austro-Hungarian Government, concluded the document, was expecting the reply of the Serbian Government at the latest by 5 o’clock on Saturday evening, July 25th, 1914.

An Appendix to the main text listed various details from “the crime investigation undertaken at court in Sarajevo against Gavrilo Princip and his comrades on account of the assassination”, which allegedly demonstrated the culpability and assistance provided to the conspirators by various Serbian officials.[96]