Why Austria‑Hungary Opposed a Greater Serbia

Austria‑Hungary resisted the idea of a Greater Serbia for several strategic reasons:

1. Preserving dominance in the Balkans: A unified Serbia would shift the regional balance and threaten Austro‑Hungarian control of Bosnia‑Herzegovina (annexed 1908).
2. Fear of Slavic nationalism: Serbian nationalism inspired other Slavic groups within the multi‑ethnic empire, risking separatist movements.
3. Protecting ethnic minorities: A Greater Serbia would incorporate Bosniaks, Croats, Albanians; Vienna feared discrimination and instability.
4. Russian rivalry: Russia championed Pan‑Slavism; a Greater Serbia aligned with Russian influence, worsening Austro‑Russian tensions.
5. Maintaining the status quo: Vienna preferred existing borders; altering them could trigger a cascade of territorial disputes.

These factors escalated tensions, contributing to the 1914 outbreak of World War I.