June 1916-May 1917

Abstract

With the onset of the Russian Brusilov Offensive in June 1916 began a period of change for Austria-Hungary. Rumania intervened and was defeated, Franz Joseph I died, and the remaining ‘old guard’ personalities were replaced by the new emperor Karl I. Prior to the old emperor’s death, the Entente attacks threatened the very existence of the Monarchy for the first time since 1914, yet Burián and Conrad continued to treat the Balkans as the central issue in Austro-Hungarian war-aims policy and planning. Even though Austria relied on Germany for help, Burián adopted maximum war aims in an effort to retain parity in the alliance. However, Berlin lost confidence in its ally and began to impinge on Austria-Hungary’s core interests in the Balkans. Until the death of Franz Joseph and the end of his term, Burián sought to maintain the Balkans as the principal war-aims focus of the Monarchy, limit the extent of AOK interference, and pursue border rectifications that could strengthen the Monarchy without upsetting the Dualist balance.