An ultimatum designed to be rejected

Austro-Hungarian ministers considered a surprise attack on Serbia, then chose to make demands that would provide a legal and diplomatic justification for war. Hungarian premier István Tisza feared that war could endanger the whole empire, while the Austrian premier hoped the criminal inquiry would supply grounds for action. German pressure made compromise appear dangerous: refusing to strike Serbia could weaken Vienna's standing with its principal ally. By 9 July, the proposed ultimatum was intended to contain demands that no Serbian government could accept. Vienna hoped that justification would keep Italy on its side, leave Romania and Britain neutral, and discourage Russian or French intervention. Italy's support was particularly uncertain because Italy and Austria-Hungary distrusted each other enough to direct their naval programmes against one another.