After Ferdinand set the tone, the Yugoslav National Unity Congress convened at the Bulgarian Parliament Building in Sofia on November 23, 1916.
As the leader of the Yugoslav peoples, Ferdinand appeared at the venue. What greeted him was not applause, but hundreds of people dropping to one knee in perfect unison, which pleased him greatly.
"Welcome to Sofia, everyone. You are all the elite of the Yugoslav peoples, and you must strive for this great nation. Our time is precious, and we cannot waste it any longer, so I will spare you the nonsense! I know you have all come for the future of the Yugoslav peoples. At this point in the World War, the Alliance's defeat is merely a matter of time. The moment that will determine the future fate of the Yugoslav peoples is almost upon us. What I hope to see is a Yugoslav people that strives forward and stands united. Of course, this does not mean, as the outside world has rumored, that Bulgaria intends to establish a Yugoslav Kingdom. I can tell you here and now that no such thing exists! Bulgaria merely seeks to unite the Balkan Peninsula. As for regions beyond the Balkan Peninsula, we respect your own choices. You may choose to remain within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, establish independent states, or join Bulgaria. I support all of those options! Most of you have surely read On the Origins of the Balkan Peoples. As times have changed, the various peoples have long since become so intertwined that you have me in you, and I have you in me—impossible to separate. Therefore, I hope you will not cling to extreme nationalist sentiments. Learn to tolerate one another, and your conflicts will be reduced considerably! ..."
After boasting to his heart's content and ladling out