"The Great War" #7 | Austria-Hungary vs Serbia (1878-1908)

Shadow Game: Austro-Hungarian and Serbian Relations Between 1878–1908

The foundations of the crisis that would eventually ignite the First World War were laid at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the thirty years of growing tension, clashing interests, and the shrinking diplomatic space in the Balkans between Austria-Hungary and Serbia.

Austria-Hungary occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina as a result of the Congress of Berlin, leaving Serbia deeply disappointed. As a small kingdom dreaming of uniting the southern Slavic peoples, Serbia’s ambitions were increasingly seen as a serious threat by the rulers in Vienna. Economic dependency, political pressure, customs wars, and battles for regional influence gradually pushed the two countries into open confrontation. The Secret Treaty of 1881, the Bulgarian Crisis of 1885, and the 1903 Coup were all key moments in the overt and covert struggle between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. This was not merely a bilateral conflict—it was a complex diplomatic chess match that drew in major powers like Germany, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire. In this episode, we trace how the path to World War I was paved and how a small Balkan kingdom managed to unsettle a mighty empire—step by step.

This video focuses on the bizarre events that took place on the night of June 11, 1903, in the royal palace of Belgrade. What began with officers silently approaching the palace and blowing open its gates with dynamite turned into a tangled web of historical mysteries. This historical documentary vividly reveals the details of that dramatic night.

Credits:
Music: Dead Sign by ArcticFoxMusic
Link to Video:    • Cinematic Horror Background Music No Copyr...  

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