WWI: A unoticed blip in history

[wkwillis]

The Serbs could just accept the Austrian demand to try those responsible, such as Apis. What could Austria do after they hung Apis, the guy responsible? Which is what the Serbs did after they tried him themselves, in OTL.
It was also serve as a cautionary example to other secret services, the way the assassination of Kennedy caustioned the CIA to stop assassinating foreign heads of state on the grounds that that worked both ways.

 

[The Ubbergeek]

The Serbs could just accept the Austrian demand to try those responsible, such as Apis. What could Austria do after they hung Apis, the guy responsible? Which is what the Serbs did after they tried him themselves, in OTL.
It was also serve as a cautionary example to other secret services, the way the assassination of Kennedy caustioned the CIA to stop assassinating foreign heads of state on the grounds that that worked both ways.

BTW, the exact guy(s) who wanted Kennedy's head is still an hotly, fiercely debated. It is very possible that it's an 'homeboy'....

 

[wkwillis]

Maybe it was Oswald, maybe someone else. I accept that I'm not going to know.

 

[Michael B]

I think you are right. Unless I am confusing textbooks here, was not the plan between Germany and Austria to attack Serbia before anyone could react? The ultimatium would reach Serbia, and of course no nation would ever accept what the Dual Monarchy wanted, so sweep in take out the serbs, and BAM Austria has more control in the Balkans. Plus Germany gets an ally all that closer to the sweet prize of the crumbling Ottoman empire.

I agree with this. If the Austro-Hungarians can contained the crisis by either modifying their terms or quickly stamping the Serbians into the ground, the other Great Powers would have yawned at another Balkan war then returned to business as usual.

Of course nothing this stops the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and Imperial Russian empires continuing to be become more unstable, but that's another story.