Russian society and the Serbian-Austrian conflict of 1912–1913: Did the Russians want war

Abstract

In the autumn of 1912, the first Balkan war began, in which Serbia sought access to the Adriatic sea. However, Belgrade's claims came across the tough position of Vienna, which advocated the creation of Albania, putting an end to Serbian plans. None of the parties was unwilling to concede, the Austro-Hungarian government passed to demonstratively threats. This article deals with the attitude of different strata of Russian society to the possibility of war in the defense of Serbia and analyzes the reasons for their positions. It is stated that the society became more and more ready for war, however not because of the protection of Serbia, but because of the preservation of a sense of dignity before the aggressive actions of Austria-Hungary.