Thirteen Days by Clive Ponting

Author:Clive Ponting
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781407093154
Publisher: Random House

Rome

The main development in the Italian capital was a message from Berlin to Flotow telling him ‘we support Italian wishes for compensation in so far as we have already pointed out to Vienna the need for an understanding and still do so’.21 This declaration of German support, which was passed on to San Giuliano, encouraged the Italians to submit a formal note (written in French) to Merey, the Austro-Hungarian ambassador. It stated that for Italy Article VII was a central part of the Triple Alliance and the basis for all its relations with Austria–Hungary. Therefore negotiations on compensation were now urgent and without agreement Italy would be unable to give diplomatic support to its ally.22 There was still a huge gulf between the two countries – the most Vienna was prepared to concede under German pressure was that talks on compensation could start after occupation, not in advance as Italy wanted.

In the afternoon San Giuliano saw the British ambassador, Rodd. Neither knew that Germany had rejected the idea of a four-power conference and that Vienna had declared war. The Italian foreign minister was still influenced by the misleading information from the Serbian chargé, Mihailjović, that Serbia might still accept the ultimatum. His idea for mediation was based on indications that Austria–Hungary might be willing to explain exactly what it intended in points five and six of the ultimatum, in particular that these demands did not in fact infringe Serbian sovereignty because they only involved Austria–Hungary in the inquiry and not in the judicial process. San Giuliano accepted that Austria–Hungary could not give this explanation direct to Serbia but could do so to the ambassadors at the conference. On this basis, ‘The Powers might then advise Servia to accept unconditionally’.23 This was a reasonable proposal and, in conjunction with the Kaiser’s ‘halt in Belgrade’ idea, could have been the basis for a settlement if Austria–Hungary and Russia had been willing to compromise. Rodd agreed to see if this idea was acceptable in London.

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