Our textbook ?The Western Heritage, Seventh Edition? states that it is speculated that Germany was secretly preparing for war. I don?t believe any nation state realized the sheer amount of devastation and loss of human life as a result of these alliances. Perhaps this document was created on the belief that Triple Alliance was intimidating enough to prevent Russia from intervening in the affairs of Serbia. Once Austria-Hungary received the German ?Blank Check? pledge they issued their ultimatum to Serbia understanding that the Serbs would reject their demands.
Conclusion:
On July 23rd 1914, following the murder of Archduke Ferdinand, the Austria-Hungarian Empire issued an ultimatum to Serbia. The terms and conditions of the ultimatum were so severe that the likelihood of Serbia yielding to their demands was improbable. In retrospect the assassination, the negative propaganda, and the continuing dispute over the Baltic Peninsula were extreme problems. However these were not issues that warranted the Globe to become involved in a war with heavy casualties. Had Austria-Hungary been more yielding while writing their ultimatum it is possible that the Alliances could have maintained their uneasy truce, if not indefinitely peace may have been possible, at least for a while.
A secret, patriotic society, the Narodna Odbrana or ‘Defense of the People’ was founded in Serbia in approximately 1908. Its intent was to strengthen a spirit of nationalism. As well, volunteer cells prepared to take ’special and independent military action’ were part of its organizational structure. Gavrilo Princip apparently held membership in this society.
The following was a description of the society’s program, which appeared in the Narodna Odbrana, published by the Central Committee of the Narodna Odbrana Society.