Below is a collection of 5 articles from Dutch newspapers from January of 1918, covering the statement issued by Austria-Hungary through its military attaché in The Hague, Lt. Col. G. von Iszkowski.
Translated by Books of Jeremiah. Alterations include correction and modernisation in the spelling of Dr Tresić Pavičić’s name and links to academic materials about the camps mentioned.
Provinciale Drentsche en Asser courant of 17.01.1918.:
Atrocities in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Recently, a report from a Swiss newspaper circulated in the Dutch press regarding a speech by the delegate Tresić Pavičić in the Austro-Hungarian House of Representatives, addressing atrocities committed by Austro-Hungarian troops in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In response, the Austro-Hungarian military attaché in the Netherlands wrote:
“Unfortunately, it is true that in the turbulent days immediately before and shortly after the outbreak of war, due to the immense general agitation of the population against those responsible for the assassination in Sarajevo and those who collaborated with the enemy—where they repeatedly harmed our troops through espionage, sabotage, and ambushes—various excesses did occur. While these actions were not excused by the circumstances mentioned, they were at least explained in a comprehensible manner. Thanks to the decisive intervention of superior officers, order was soon restored. In this regard, Delegate Tresić Pavičić is correct. However, his further statements regarding specific incidents are either slanderous or at the very least greatly exaggerated.”
The attaché then discusses the events at the Arad camp, where 709 people died, rather than the 3,000 as claimed. Even this number was considered far too high, and the commandant was later demoted and sentenced to one year of hard imprisonment (which suggests that something serious had indeed occurred).
Regarding the reign of terror allegedly imposed by General Potiorek, and the claim that this commander alone sentenced 3,500 people to death, it was clarified that a total of 216 people were convicted and executed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The military tribunals in the field carried out approximately 250 death sentences.
Given that a large portion of the population in the districts along the eastern borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina actively harmed Austro-Hungarian troops in various ways and committed treason by joining the enemy forces after their retreat, the attaché argued that these numbers should not be considered excessive.
The claim that the entire male population between 14 and 60 years old was executed by the military was dismissed as slander. However, since the village in question was located near the southeastern border, it was acknowledged that some members of the treacherous population caught in the act may have been apprehended and executed by the troops.
The assertions that more than ten thousand people were imprisoned in Sarajevo’s garrison prison, and that countless individuals were executed by hanging, were described as pure fabrication.
Finally, it was noted that at the beginning of the war, numerous cases of murder driven by religious revenge had occurred among the population. The authorities, operating in an immense, roadless territory, were unable to prevent these events.
The excuses speak for themselves.
Link to the digitalised version (in Dutch): https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMDA03:000107165:mpeg21:a0006
De Tijd: godsdienstig-staatkundig dagblad of 21.01.1918.:
Foreign Affairs: Mixed Reports
Horrors in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Lieutenant Colonel of the General Staff G. von Iszkowski, Austro-Hungarian military attaché at the Austro-Hungarian legation in The Hague, writes:
“My government has instructed me to address the following in relation to the accusations made by the delegate Tresić Pavičić in the Austrian House of Deputies and subsequently disseminated by the Dutch press. These accusations concern various inhumane acts allegedly committed by troops of the Imperial-Royal army or by some commanders at the beginning of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It is unfortunately true that, in the turbulent days immediately before and shortly after the outbreak of the war, due to the immense general agitation of the population against those who bore responsibility for the murder in Sarajevo and collaborated with the enemy—harming our troops through espionage, sabotage, and ambushes—several excesses occurred. These cannot be excused by the aforementioned circumstances, but at least they can be explained from a human perspective. Thanks to the firm actions of the superiors, order was soon restored. Furthermore, all those guilty of crimes during that time, insofar as their actions could be proven, were punished with the full severity permitted by law. This can be verified by reviewing the reports from the trials that have taken place or are still ongoing.
In this respect, delegate Tresić Pavičić is correct. However, his further statements regarding other matters are either slanderous or, at the very least, vastly exaggerated. It is evident that these claims serve as acts of revenge for the fact that he was interned due to his state-dangerous convictions. They are calculated to make an impression on gullible individuals who are unfamiliar with the actual situation and therefore cannot form their own judgment.
First and foremost, emphasis must be placed on the following: Regarding the so-called events in the Arad camp. According to official figures, the total number of deaths amounts to 709 and not 3,000. This number, although still far too high, is due to the fact that, in the beginning, the camp indeed suffered from poor hygienic conditions. Moreover, some individuals were already ill upon arrival at the camp. As soon as the government became aware of these inadequate sanitary conditions in 1915, it immediately ordered a strict investigation. As a result, the camp commander was stripped of his rank and honors and sentenced to one year of severe imprisonment. The government promptly put an end to the various abuses.
The report then proceeds to refute or clarify some of the allegations further.
Overall, one gets a much better impression from this official Austrian statement—even though it may not be entirely satisfactory—than from, for example, the notorious German statements regarding the atrocities committed in Belgium. The German authorities denied all responsibility, flatly rejected the facts, disputed the murders and atrocities recorded by the Belgian Episcopate, and arrogantly dismissed them outright.
At least the Austrian communiqué acknowledges that, unfortunately, it is true that several excesses occurred in the turbulent days immediately before and after the outbreak of the war. And, “these were not excused by the aforementioned circumstances, but at least explained from a human perspective.” Moreover, the guilty parties were punished.
How favorably this stance compares to the self-righteous “Es ist nicht wahr” (“It is not true”) system, which out of national pride either denies or justifies all criminal acts! Truly, if Austria had taken the lead instead of Germany, the Central Powers would have fared far better in the world’s sympathies!”
Link to the digitalised version (in Dutch): https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010555383:mpeg21:a0079
Nieuwe Tilburgsche Courant of 23.01.1918.:
Mixed News.
THE AUSTRIAN HORROR STORY.
Lieutenant Colonel of the General Staff G. von Iszkowski, Austro-Hungarian military attaché at the Austro-Hungarian legation in The Hague, writes:
“My government has instructed me to address the following in relation to the accusations made by the delegate Tresić Pavičić in the Austrian House of Deputies and subsequently disseminated by the Dutch press. These accusations concern various inhumane acts allegedly committed by troops of the Imperial-Royal army or by some commanders at the beginning of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It is unfortunately true that, in the turbulent days immediately before and shortly after the outbreak of the war, due to the immense general agitation of the population against those who bore responsibility for the murder in Sarajevo and collaborated with the enemy—harming our troops through espionage, sabotage, and ambushes—several excesses occurred. These cannot be excused by the aforementioned circumstances, but at least they can be explained from a human perspective. Thanks to the firm actions of the superiors, order was soon restored. Furthermore, all those guilty of crimes during that time, insofar as their actions could be proven, were punished with the full severity permitted by law. This can be verified by reviewing the reports from the trials that have taken place or are still ongoing.
In this respect, delegate Tresić Pavičić is correct. However, his further statements regarding other matters are either slanderous or, at the very least, vastly exaggerated. It is evident that these claims serve as acts of revenge for the fact that he was interned due to his state-dangerous convictions. They are calculated to make an impression on gullible individuals who are unfamiliar with the actual situation and therefore cannot form their own judgment.
First and foremost, emphasis must be placed on the following: Regarding the so-called events in the Arad camp. According to official figures, the total number of deaths amounts to 709 and not 3,000. This number, although still far too high, is due to the fact that, in the beginning, the camp indeed suffered from poor hygienic conditions. Moreover, some individuals were already ill upon arrival at the camp. As soon as the government became aware of these inadequate sanitary conditions in 1915, it immediately ordered a strict investigation. As a result, the camp commander was stripped of his rank and honors and sentenced to one year of severe imprisonment. The government promptly put an end to the various abuses.
The report then proceeds to refute or clarify some of the allegations further.
Overall, one gets a much better impression from this official Austrian statement—even though it may not be entirely satisfactory—than from, for example, the notorious German statements regarding the atrocities committed in Belgium. The German authorities denied all responsibility, flatly rejected the facts, disputed the murders and atrocities recorded by the Belgian Episcopate, and arrogantly dismissed them outright.
At least the Austrian communiqué acknowledges that, unfortunately, it is true that several excesses occurred in the turbulent days immediately before and after the outbreak of the war. And, “these were not excused by the aforementioned circumstances, but at least explained from a human perspective.” Moreover, the guilty parties were punished.
How favorably this stance compares to the self-righteous “Es ist nicht wahr” (“It is not true”) system, which out of national pride either denies or justifies all criminal acts! Truly, if Austria had taken the lead instead of Germany, the Central Powers would have fared far better in the world’s sympathies!”
Link to the digitalised version (in Dutch): https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010224626:mpeg21:a0040
Het nieuws van den dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië of 06.05.1918.:
The Austro-Hungarian Troops in Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Fate of the Population
The Hague, January 15. Lieutenant Colonel of the General Staff G. van Iszkowski, the Austro-Hungarian military attaché at the Austro-Hungarian legation in The Hague, writes:
My government has instructed me to bring forward the following in response to the accusations made by the delegate Tresić Pavičić in the Austrian House of Representatives and subsequently spread by the Dutch press. These accusations concern various inhumane acts allegedly committed by troops of the Imperial-Royal Army or by certain commanders at the beginning of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Unfortunately, it is true that in the turbulent days immediately before and after the outbreak of the war, due to the immense general agitation of the population against those who were responsible for the murder in Sarajevo and who collaborated with the enemy, several excesses occurred. These acts, while not excused by the aforementioned circumstances, can at least be explained in a human sense. Thanks to the energetic intervention of the superiors, order was soon restored. Furthermore, all those guilty of misconduct during those days, insofar as their actions could be proven, were punished with all the severity permitted by law. In this respect, delegate Tresitsch Pavic is correct. However, his further statements regarding details are either slanders or at least greatly exaggerated.
Regarding the so-called events in the Arad camp:
According to official figures, the total number of deaths amounts to 709 and not 3,000. This number, although still far too high in itself, is due to the fact that, in the beginning, truly poor hygienic conditions prevailed in the camp, while, in addition, some of the individuals were already sick upon arrival. As soon as the government became aware in 1915 of the inadequate hygienic conditions in the Arad camp, it immediately ordered a strict investigation, as a result of which the commander was stripped of his rank and decorations and was also sentenced to one year of severe imprisonment. The government immediately put an end to the various abuses.
Regarding the reign of terror allegedly imposed by General Potiorek and the claim that this military commander alone sentenced 3,500 people to death, the following should be noted:
Since the outbreak of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a total of 216 people have been sentenced to death and executed, as evidenced by the continuous official daily records. These death sentences are categorized as follows: twice for criminal disturbance of public order, 71 times for high treason, and 134 times for crimes against the military. Additionally, based on charges of high treason, espionage, and actual assistance to the enemy, approximately 250 death sentences were carried out in the field by troops fighting on Bosnia-Herzegovina’s eastern borders, against individuals caught in the act.
The claim that in the village of Čelebić, in the Foča district, the male population aged 14 to 60 was executed by the military is slander. However, since the village lies near the southeastern border, it is not impossible that some individuals caught in the act of betrayal, as mentioned above, were captured and executed by the troops.
It is true that in the Doboj camp, 1,911 people died from infectious diseases and complete exhaustion. However, it must be considered that farmers who followed the enemy during its retreat fled through the mountains to Montenegro and Albania in the winter of 1915–1916, where they were found by our troops and returned to their homes. Having suffered severe hardships, they were completely exhausted and suffered from a state of physical collapse. Thus, if the health conditions in the Doboj camp left much to be desired, this was mainly due to the fact that those housed there carried the seeds of their ailments within them due to the circumstances they had endured.
With a clear conscience, the Austro-Hungarian government can declare that the authorities have honestly employed all means to combat diseases.
Link to the digitalised version (in Dutch): https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBDDD02:000199026:mpeg21:p013
