The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF

Germany showed Europe that solemn international treaties are to them mere scraps of paper, remorselessly thrown away whenever it suited their interests or ambitions. The readiness of Austria-Hungary and Germany to bring about a general European conflagration was demonstrated beyond any doubt. Fortunately the crisis subsided without an armed conflict. Austria-Hungary achieved a brilliant diplomatic victory, quite to the taste of Berlin and Vienna, greatly enhancing her prestige; but even that victory was not everywhere received as a complete success, and the rejoicing over it was not without the shadow of a cloud. There remained Serbia, and whoever spent some weeks in Vienna during those memorable days full of excitement and grave forebodings and had a key to the understanding of the psychology and resolutions of the high military and governing circles, would have felt and seen how deeply they regretted that the crisis subsided without giving them the long-sought opportunity to crush Serbia and to finish once and for all with that tiny State boldly obstructing their way. The annexation crisis was a kind of general mustering of forces, which proved to Vienna that Europe was not quite so ignorant concerning the importance of the position occupied by Serbia, and that the latter was not without European sympathy. But the crisis proved also that Serbia, at the risk of her own existence, was 98