Die Annexion von Bosnien-Herzegowina und István Burián || Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and István Burián

The Habsburg Empire was approved of temporary occupy Bosnia-Herzegovina on the Berliner Conference. Accordingly to the Article 25 of the Berliner Treaty and the agreement between Vienna and Istanbul on April 1879, Bosnia-Herzegovina was still under sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire. The Habsburgs executives maintained this provisional status in both provinces until 1908. Furthermore, Bosnia-Herzegovina was a common administrative district (in German, Reichsland) between Austria and Hungary. The Habsburg Empire finally declared the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina on 6 October 1908. Alois Lexa Aehrenthal, Common Foreign Minister of the Habsburg Empire, become the focus of researcher for this theme. But I point out that it was István Burián, the Common Finance Minister of the Habsburg Empire (1903–1912), who proposed the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina for the first time. Burián presented memoranda proposing the annexation to Emperor Franz Joseph in May 1907 and April 1908. But the revolution of the Young Turks was a decisive opportunity to annexation. Therefore we should not overestimate Burián’s role in the annexation attempt. But his memoranda not only stimulated leading circles of the Habsburg Empire to consider annexation but also helped matters develop more smoothly in Vienna after the revolution of the Young Turks. As Burián himself later wrote, we should regard him as the true proponent of annexation. However the analysis about an annexation law, that was founded on the Habsburg’s succession law (in German, Pragmatische Sanktion), proves that the decision-making process for imperial affairs through the common cabinet and the minister conference was very complicated and lacked a coordinating function. A full account of annexation reveals the pluralistic and inefficient policymaking of the Habsburg Empire under dual system