Isonzo had thrown the heroism of the Austro-Hungarian troops into particularly clear relief. But the number and military efficiency of their enemies increased, and since Great Britain commanded the sea and the United States supported them more and more lavishly, the Entente armies had at their dis- position vast masses of arms and munitions of every kind and also immense supplies of foodstuffs. The Central Powers, thrown back upon their own industrial resources, and ham- pered in the import of foodstuffs and the production of weapons by the British blockade, could not keep pace in the race. For this reason the desire to put an end to this internecine struggle of the nations grew from month to month, especially in Austria- Hungary, where from the beginning of the war a great part of the population had only fought unwillingly for interests which were not regarded as their own. In the course of the year 1914 Francis Joseph, for his part, had not refused to listen to sug- gestions for a peace which should take into account the most important interests of his empire; he had approved the numer- ous proposals for peace which in the years 1915-6 had come from more or less authoritative quarters; but he had always insisted most strongly that these negotiations must be conducted in full agreement with his allies, and especially with Germany. But all these peace proposals had proved abortive, since neither Germany nor Austria-Hungary saw the possibility of ending the war on any terms commensurate with the military situa- tion and their desires. But in Oct. 1916, in order to prove to the public opinion of the world that it was not the insatiability of the Central Powers which stood in the way of peace, Burian proposed to the German Imperial Chancellor, at the general headquarters at Pless, that the Quadruple Alliance should inform their enemies, through neutral channels, of their condi- tions of peace, and also publish them, in order to enlighten their own peoples as to their war aims and win over the neutral Powers to an active intervention with the enemy Governments. Bethmann Hollweg and the other German statesmen agreed in principle with Burian's idea. But they declined, for their part, to communicate their concrete peace conditions, since they felt themselves bound, especially in the Belgian question, to advance demands which their enemies, and especially Great strained Britain, could not possibly accept. On this point Relations excited debates took place and serious conflicts be- with tween the Vienna and Berlin Cabinets, in the course of
' aay ' which the Austrians demanded the recall of Tschirsch- ky, the German ambassador at the Court of Vienna, who repre- sented the German point of view with uncompromising harsh- ness. Even the sovereigns of Austria-Hungary and Germany took part in this conflict. The Emperor William sought insist- ently to convince his ally that Germany could not fall in with Burian's plan. It was one of Francis Joseph's last acts to invoke every means in order to accomplish a settlement of the outstanding difficulties. It was only after long negotiations Francis Joseph having in the meantime died on Nov. 21 1916 that it was possible to reach a compromise. It was agreed to submit the proposal of the Quadruple Alliance to their ene- mies through the neutral Powers, and immediately to enter upon deliberations as to a peace, in which the peace conditions of the Quadruple Alliance should be exactly defined.
The death of Francis Joseph and the accession of the Emperor Charles to the throne of Austria-Hungary notably reinforced the peace party at Vienna. In his very first declarations Charles emphasized his firm intention of doing everything in his power to put an end to the terrible world conflict. In this attitude he was most strongly confirmed by his wife, Zita, by her mother, the influential Maria Antonia of Parma, and by his brothers-in- law, Sixtus and Xavier. On Dec. 12 1916 the peace offer of the Quadruple Alliance was made public. It contained a promise
to submit to a conference of the Powers proposals Peace Pro- w hich should aim at assuring to their peoples existence, "oec.1916. honour, and freedom of development, and at laying
foundations calculated to establish a lasting peace. In conversations with Germany, Austria-Hungary defined her stand- point as follows: She claimed the integrity of her territory, tri-
fling frontier rectifications as against Russia, a more favourable strategic frontier against Rumania, the cession to Austria- Hungary of a small portion of the territory of the Serbian Mon- archy and of larger portions to Bulgaria and Albania, and a more favourable strategic frontier against Italy; in addition to this the economic union of Serbia with the Habsburg Monarchy, and Albanian autonomy under an Austro-Hungarian protector- ate. Independently of the peace activity of the Quadruple Alliance, Mr. Woodrow Wilson, who had shortly before been re-elected President of the United States, on Dec. 18 1916 invited the belligerent Powers to communicate their peace terms, and had a note handed in at London in this sense on Dec. 21. Both proposals, however, were declined by the Entente Powers. On Dec. 30 1916 Briand, on the part of France, declared the peace offer of the Quadruple Alliance to be a war manoeuvre, and that all negotiations were useless, so long as no security was given for the restoration of violated rights and liberties and the recog- nition of the right of peoples to self-determination. In the note drawn up in concert by the Entente Powers on Jan. 12 1917, i:i answer to President Wilson's communication of Dec. 18, all the blame for the outbreak of war was imputed to the Central Powers, and the demand was formulated, among other things, for compensation for all war damages, the restoration of Alsace- Lorraine to France, and from Austria-Hungary in particular proportionate cessions of territory to Italy as well. The German Government, which had by now fallen into more and more obvious dependence on the higher army command, thereupon resolved to carry on the war by the employment of the most extreme measures, the most important and most promising of which was indicated in authoritative quarters to be unlim- ited submarine warfare.
Baron Burian, meanwhile, had ceased to be Austro-Hungarian foreign minister on Dec. 22 1916, being succeeded by Count Otto- kar Czernin, the former ambassador at Bucharest. Austro-Hungarian statesmen generally did not share Czernia the exaggerated expectations of German military Burian. circles as to the effects of the submarine campaign, and Czernin in particular gave open expression to his doubts about the subjugation of England within a few months, which the German authorities seemed to regard as certain. He drew attention to the danger of an active intervention of the United States, if unlimited submarine warfare were entered upon. The Emperor Charles shared his minister's views. But the con- tinual pressure of German statesmen and the German higher command, powerfully supported by the Emperor William, at last succeeded in obtaining the consent of the Austro-Hungarian Government to the unlimited submarine warfare. The war was resumed by Germany and her allies by land, by sea and in ths air. But the hope of forcing their enemies to their knees by decisive successes was not realized. During the year 1917 there were indeed moments in which it looked as if the final decision would be in their favour. But their enemies, in spite of all the successes of the Central Powers and their allies, rejected all thoughts of a peace unsatisfactory to them.
The opening of unlimited submarine warfare was followed immediately by the rupture of diplomatic relations between the Cabinets of Berlin and Washington, and on April 6 American 1917 by the declaration of war on Germany by the Dedara- United States. It was not till Dec. 7 1917 that the '*J BO/ United States declared war on Austria-Hungary. Meanwhile, since the successes of the submarine warfare, though in themselves considerable, did not produce the result foretold by Germany, the Emperor Charles's inclination towards peace grew from month to month. Under the influence of his entourage he determined, by secret negotiations with the enemy, to work for a peace which should include a guarantee of the integrity of the Habsburg Mon- Proposals. archy by the Entente Powers. His brother-in- law, Prince Sixtus of Bourbon Parma, undertook the r61e of mediator. On March 24 the Emperor Charles empowered him, by letter, to declare to M. Poincare, President of the French Republic, that in order to obtain peace he would
