<Articles>Rethinking the Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in October 1908 : An Analysis of the Memoranda of Common Finance Minister Istvan Burian

The right of the Austro-Hungarian (Habsburg) Empire to occupy, not to annex, Bosnia-Herzegovina was recognized on the basis of Article 25 of the Berlin Treaty. The Habsburgs maintained this provisional status in both provinces until 1908. When the revolution of the Young Turks in Constantinople broke out in July 1908, the possibility that the new regime in Turkey would demand the restoration of sovereignty over these provinces arose, and the problem of the annexation by the Habsburg Empire became a matter of great urgency. Alois Lexa Aehrenthal, Common Foreign Minister of the Habsburg Empire (1906-1912), negotiated with Russia for a secret agreement in order to successfully annex the provinces. In order to secure the Habsburg's share of the bargain, he unilaterally declared the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina on 6 October 1908. From that time onward the relationship between the Habsburg Empire and Russia became aggravated, and this affair is regarded as the prelude to First World War in diplomatic history. But many researchers have ignored the impact of annexation on the Habsburg constitutional system. I point out that it was lstvan Burian, the Common Finance Minister of the Habsburg Empire (1903-1912), who proposed the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina for the first time, In other words, Burian presented memoranda proposing the annexation to Emperor Franz Joseph. I would like to emphasize the influence of both Burian's documents on Habsburg foreign policy as an imperial (common) affair, which was decided not only by Emperor and Common Foreign Minister, but also by the governments of Austria and Hungary. Also, historiographic studies do not pay sufficient attention to the anomalous status of Bosnia-Herzegovina under Habsburg Dualism. In short, these provinces formed a common administrative district, neither part of Austria nor of Hungary. If this status were to be changed, it would require special legislation on which both the parliaments of Austria and Hungary would have to agree. Based on such an understanding of the current scholarship, this article focuses on the development of the annexation that involved the emperor, common ministers, governments and parliaments of Austria and Hungary. In the first section. I describe the contents of the first Burian's memorandum of May 1907. His conception may be summed up in three main points. First, the transitional legal status of the occupation of Bosnia- Herzegovina allowed various underground and illegal activities by Serbia. Second, it was necessary to reduce public discontent with the central regime. As regards this matter, Burian intended to expand autonomy after annexation was achieved. Third, when these provinces were annexed to the Habsburg Empire, Bosnia-Herzegovina would be incorporated into Hungary to maintain Dualism. He intended to avoid radical change to the existing system of government, that is to say, to prevent falling into tripartism (Austria-Hungary-South Slav). The second section deals with differences regarding annexation between Burian and Aehrenthal. Aehrenthal approved in principle of the necessity of annexation at the ministerial conference of December 1907, but he opposed the immediate action and the alteration of the legal status of Bosnia- Herzegovina under the Habsburg government. That is why Burian presented a second memorandum to Franz Joseph in April 1908. The purport of second memorandum was similar to the first memorandum on the whole, but there were remarkable discrepancies between the two memoranda in the details. First, Burian pressed Franz Joseph more strongly to decide on annexation. Second, Bosnia-Herzegovina was to remain a common administrative district after annexation. Third, Burian made concrete plans for the political system of Bosnia-Herzegovina. On one hand, Bosnia-Herzegovina would participate in decision making on local affairs, but on the other hand, it would not have rights to decide imperial issues such as military and foreign po