July Ultimatum facts for kids

The July Ultimatum was a very strong set of demands given by Austria-Hungary to the government of Serbia. This happened on July 23, 1914, right after the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.

Austria-Hungary didn't directly blame Serbia for the assassination. Instead, they accused Serbia of not doing enough to stop groups that were working against Austria-Hungary. These groups were causing trouble and even committing violent acts.

Serbia did not agree to one of the ten demands in the ultimatum. Because of this, Austria-Hungary got its army ready for war. This event, combined with a network of Alliances across Europe (like the Triple Entente and Central Powers), helped start World War I.

What the Ultimatum Demanded

The Ultimatum asked Serbia to promise to do several things. These demands were meant to stop any activities against Austria-Hungary.

• Stop all publications (like newspapers or books) that encouraged hatred or disrespect for Austria-Hungary. These publications were seen as threatening the country's borders.
• Immediately shut down the "Narodna Odbrana" group and take away all its propaganda materials. They also had to do the same for other groups in Serbia that were working against Austria-Hungary. The Serbian government had to make sure these groups couldn't just restart under different names.
• Remove anything from public education in Serbia that supported propaganda against Austria-Hungary. This included teachers and teaching methods.
• Fire any military officers or government officials who had been spreading propaganda against Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary said they would provide the names of these people.
• Allow officials from Austria-Hungary to help stop the movements in Serbia that were threatening Austria-Hungary's unity.
• Start a court investigation against anyone in Serbia who was involved in the assassination plot of June 28. Officials from Austria-Hungary would be allowed to take part in these legal proceedings.
• Quickly arrest Major Voislav Tankosic and Milan Ciganovitch, a Serbian official. The investigation had shown they were involved.
• Take strong actions to prevent Serbian officials from helping to smuggle weapons and explosives across the border. They also had to fire and punish border guards at Schabats and Losnitza who helped the assassins cross the border.
• Explain why high-ranking Serbian officials, both in Serbia and abroad, had been speaking in a hostile way towards Austria-Hungary since the assassination.
• Immediately tell Austria-Hungary that all these demands had been carried out.

Images for kids

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  Political cartoon titled "Der Stänker" ("The Troublemaker"), published in the German satirical magazine Kladderadatsch on August 9, 1914. It shows European nations at a table.

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  Dragutin Dimitrijević, a leader of the Black Hand group.

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  Wilhelm II of Germany was known for his strong personality.

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  Hungarian Prime Minister Tisza and Chief of the Army General Staff Hötzendorf in Vienna, July 15, 1914.

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  Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, Chief of the Austro-Hungarian Army's General Staff.

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  Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.

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  Ciganović and Tankosić, mentioned in Point 7 of the ultimatum.

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  Map of the Kingdom of Serbia in 1913.

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  Officers of the Imperial Russian Army, July 24, 1914.

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  Austria-Hungary's telegram declaring war on Serbia, July 28, 1914.

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  Cartoon titled "The Globe Trotter" in a U.S. newspaper, July 29, 1914.

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  Vladimir Sukhomlinov, Minister of War for the Russian Empire.

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  Cartoon titled "The Army Worm" in the U.S. newspaper Chicago Daily News, 1914.

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  A crowd in Berlin listens as a German officer reads Wilhelm II's order to mobilize, August 1, 1914.

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  British satirical magazine Punch showed Belgium blocking Germany, August 1914.