The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF

and prohibited its introduction into BosniaHercegovina, because previous to the occupation he could not but say the truth that Bosnia and Hercegovina were purely Serbian provinces inhabited solely by Serbian people of the purest stock. But now it was dangerous that the Bosnian youths educated in the schools under Austrian administration should know the truth about their origin or the first elements of the history of their own nation. Of course Serbia proper was not lost sight of. Exploiting the vanity of an unbalanced prince, Vienna encouraged the anti-national and anti-democratic policy pursued by the unhappy King Milan and his son Alexander in return for the barren promise of ensuring the maintenance of their dynasty upon the Serbian throne. During their reign the Austro-Hungarian Minister of Belgrade was not only a persona grata but wielded a power justifiable only if Serbia had been really a protectorate of Austria-Hungary, whilst the energy and resources of the country were exhausted in a fruitless struggle between the people and the dynasty. Thus the Vienna Cabinet had sanguine hopes that one fine day Serbia like a ripe fruit would fall of her own accord into Austria’s lap.

Thanks to German “organisation’’ the Southern Slavs were methodically deprived of their natural leaders, and every little resistance was used as a pretext for condemning their nobles on a charge of high treason and for con-

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