AH Response to the Assassination

• On a personal level Emperor Franz Joseph was far from devastated by the death of his nephew; he didn’t think he was conservative enough and he disapproved of his marriage to the non-royal Sophie Chotek
• Austrians, however, were appalled by the assassination
• Chief of Staff Conrad von Hotzendorf led a group of anti-Serbs in the Austrian military in advocating the immediate invasion of Serbia
• They had no proof that the Serbian government was involved but they pointed out that the Serbs had allowed Princip and his associates to cross into Bosnia
• Austrian Chancellor knew that Russia wouldn’t stand by if their client state, Serbia, was attacked so Austria-Hungary sought a firmer guarantee of German support