25 July 1914-Serbia accepts almost all of Austria-Hungary's demands; Austria-Hungary breaks diplomatic relations with Serbia

The ultimatum which Austria-Hungary delivered to Serbia on 23 July 1914 had the tone of a victor nation to one that had been utterly vanquished; yet Serbia had not been vanquished by Austria-Hungary, and the Serbian government had no responsibility for the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand. Although the assassin, Gabriel Princip, was a Serb, and the terrorist group to which he belonged was composed of Serbian/Slavic nationalists, the government in Belgrade had absolutely nothing to do with the financing or organization of the group or Princip’s assassination. To put this event in the context of another famous 20th century assassination: Lee Harvey Oswald murdered President John F. Kennedy. Two days later, Oswald was murdered by Jack Ruby. To the casual observer it would appear that whoever wanted Kennedy dead also wanted Oswald dead, but unless there was direct evidence linking the murder of Kennedy to the murder of Oswald, all one has is coincidence.

Coincidence notwithstanding, Austria-Hungary was determined to obliterate Serbia and its “meddlesome influence” amongst the Slavic inhabitants of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The ultimatum demanded the suppression of any and all publications critical of Austria-Hungary; all schoolbooks presenting propaganda against Austria-Hungary must be withdrawn; Serbian officials holding feelings against Austria-Hungary must be dismissed from their posts, and that the judicial inquiry into the assassination must be overseen by Austro-Hungarian officials.

Unaware that Austria-Hungary, egged on by Germany, wanted nothing but war with Serbia, the United Kingdom and Russia pressured the Serbs to be as conciliatory as possible in responding to the ultimatum. Sazonov, the Russian foreign minister, even went so far as to say that if war came between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, Belgrade should not put up a fight but allow for occupation, then appeal for arbitration and settlement at either the International Court at The Hague, or by the Great Powers (Russia, France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom). With this type of pressure from Serbia’s main ally, Russia, Belgrade said that it would comply with all of Austria-Hungary’s demands except for the last: allowing Austro-Hungarian officials to oversee the judicial inquiry into the Archduke’s assassination.

On 25 July the Serbian government replied to the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum, giving in to all the demands except the participation into the judicial inquiry, protesting that to do so would violate their constitution and laws on criminal procedure. The Serbs also suggested that the entire matter be handed over to the International Court or to the Great Powers for arbitration. All the Great Powers were relieved that the Serbs had been so accommodating; all that is except Austria-Hungary and Germany. When the Austro-Hungarian ambassador to Serbia, Baron Giesl, was given the Serb reply to the ultimatum, he glanced at it just long enough to see what the Serbs had not agreed to. Finding the one refusal, he figured that his country now had sufficient grounds for war, and boarded the train from Belgrade to Austria-Hungary. Upon his arrival in Austro-Hungarian territory, he telegraphed the Serb “refusal”, which prompted Vienna to break diplomatic relations with Serbia. The headlong rush into war was gathering more steam.