The Pittsburgh Press (August 24, 1946)
Background of news –
Ultimatum
By Richard M. Boeckel
The apparently satisfactory reply by Yugoslavia to the United States ultimatum concerning attacks on American transport planes eases the tension in that situation for the time being. But the State Department was preparing to submit its case to the United Nations Security Council in the event Yugoslavia had rejected or failed to reply to the ultimatum before its expiration last night.
The ultimatum to the government of Marshal Tito was a very different document from past great-power demands with a time limit in that it carried no implication of immediate military measures against the offending state. If the demands had not been satisfied within 48 hours, “the United States government will call upon the Security Council of the United Nations to meet promptly and to take appropriate action.”
The words “48-hour ultimatum” nevertheless have an ominous connotation for the peoples of all countries; it was a 48-hour ultimatum from the great state of Austro-Hungary to the small Kingdom of Serbia that plunged Europe into World War I. After that war Serbia was expanded to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and 10 years later its name was changed to Yugoslavia.
Assassination at Sarajevo
The immediate occasion for Vienna’s ultimatum of July 23, 1914, to Serbia was the assassination at Sarajevo four weeks earlier of the Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand. The ultimatum was forwarded to Belgrade after Austria had received assurances of support from Berlin.
It contained eight demands: Suppression of publications hostile to Austria; dissolution of organizations engaged in anti-Austrian propaganda; cessation of propaganda in schools; dismissal of officials accused by Austria of propaganda; participation by Austrian officials in the investigation of the assassination; proceedings against those accessory to the plot; arrest of two Serbian officials known to have been involved; explanations and apologies.
The Serbian reply, July 25, appeared on the surface to be generally favorable, but it was actually evasive. During the 48-hour time limit, Serbia had received assurances from Russia of its support in case of war and had ordered mobilization of its forces against Austria.
Austria ordered mobilization and on July 28 declared war on Serbia. Belgrade was bombarded the next day. Russia, in the meantime, had received assurances of support from France in case of war. Great Britain promised no more than diplomatic assistance.
On July 29, Russia ordered a general mobilization. The next day she received a 12-hour ultimatum from Berlin demanding a cessation of military preparations along the German frontier.
Mobilization, then invasion
France ordered mobilization at 3:55 p.m. on August 1 and German mobilization was ordered five minutes later. No reply having been received from St. Petersburg at 7 o’clock that evening, Germany declared war on Russia. A German invasion of Luxembourg was followed, August 3, by a German declaration of war on France.
England declared war on Germany, August 4, when Belgium was invaded. Austria declared war on Russia, August 6, and World War I was in full swing.
The German invasion of Poland, which opened World War II, was preceded by an official broadcast from Berlin at 11 p.m., August 31, 1939, which made 16 demands. Although the Polish government later referred to this broadcast as “an ultimatum,” Germany’s demands had not been communicated to Poland in writing when German troops crossed the border and German planes began raining bombs on Polish citizens at 5 a.m. September 1.