Serbia stood little chance against the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This was not only Archduke Ferdinand's—Maximilian I's—view, but also the opinion of most European nations.
However, Ernst rebutted him. "Father-in-law, what you said is indeed correct. If it were Serbia alone, the Austro-Hungarian Empire could certainly rely on its national strength to gain the upper hand. But isn't this just like how most countries viewed the Ottoman before the First Balkan War?"
Archduke Ferdinand said, "How can the Ottoman be compared with the Austro-Hungarian Empire!"
Unhurried, Ernst explained, "Although the Ottoman was inferior to the Austro-Hungarian Empire overall, it was likewise a colossal giant to the Balkan League. Yet the Balkan League ultimately won."
"And one crucial reason was the support of other European nations behind the Balkan League. That gave the League the means to arm its forces. Otherwise, they would not even have had the startup capital."
"By the same token, Serbia and Russia now have quite a close relationship. If Serbia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire went to war, could Russia possibly stand by with folded arms?"
Of course not. As early as when the Austro-Hungarian Empire annexed Bosnia, Russia had already been deeply dissatisfied with it. After all, Russia had gained nothing at the time, leaving it frustrated for a long while.
The importance of the Balkan Peninsula to Russia was not the slightest bit less than its importance to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Several countries on the Balkan Peninsula were home to vast numbers of Yugoslavs. Serbia in particular regarded itself entirely as a Slavic nation. If Russia could make good use of this, it could establish a Pan-Slavic state spanning the Balkan Peninsula and break through the blockade between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
Furthermore, the Balkans had originally fallen within the territory of the Eastern