Serbia's alternatives when answering the July Crisis ultimatum

Clive Ponting's 13 Days examines the diplomatic choices between the Sarajevo assassination and the outbreak of war. One proposed Serbian response was to accept Austria-Hungary's ultimatum in principle, then negotiate its complex details while other governments applied pressure to Vienna. In the book's account, Belgrade faced humiliation, anger from extreme nationalists, and the risk of revealing connections between parts of the government and the Sarajevo conspiracy. Uncertainty about Russian support also affected how far Serbia was prepared to concede. The cabinet instead sought to appear as accommodating as possible while openly rejecting the participation of Austro-Hungarian officials in the judicial inquiry. Qualifications on most of the other points would have left room to avoid implementing demands even if Vienna accepted the reply.