Pig War (Serbia)
Encyclopedia
The term Pig War is used to refer to an economic conflict (1906-1909) in which the Habsburg Empire imposed a customs blockade on Serbia
. It is known as the Customs War (Serbian
: Царински рат or Carinski rat) in Serbia.
and France
, Vienna decided to punish the Serbs with economic sanctions. Specifically, in an attempt to reduce its economic dependence on the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1904 Serbia began to import French
rather than Austrian munitions and established a customs union with Bulgaria in 1905, making tariff-laden Austrian goods unsalable in Serbia.
, gained French investment to build new packing plants for international trade, began to order materials from the Austrian rival Germany
, and pressured the Austrian-administrated provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina for a trade outlet on the Adriatic Sea
. This can be seen in the trade statistics of the period in question, as published in the 1911 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Russia
supported Serbia's actions, and war between Austria-Hungary and Russia was averted only because of a German ultimatum in 1909 demanding the cessation of Russian aid to Serbia.
.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. It is known as the Customs War (Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
: Царински рат or Carinski rat) in Serbia.
Background
At the beginning of the twentieth century Serbia was (economically at least) little more than a satellite of the Habsburg empire, its major export being pork, most of which was bought by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When Serbia started trying to evade economic and political control by the Habsburgs, and build links with other countries, particularly BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Vienna decided to punish the Serbs with economic sanctions. Specifically, in an attempt to reduce its economic dependence on the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1904 Serbia began to import French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
rather than Austrian munitions and established a customs union with Bulgaria in 1905, making tariff-laden Austrian goods unsalable in Serbia.
The "war"
Long used to setting economic policy, Austria responded in 1906 by closing its borders to Serbian pork. These failed, and Serbia found other markets for its pork. Serbia refused to bow to ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, gained French investment to build new packing plants for international trade, began to order materials from the Austrian rival Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and pressured the Austrian-administrated provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina for a trade outlet on the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. This can be seen in the trade statistics of the period in question, as published in the 1911 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
| Foreign Trade of the Kingdom of Serbia Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911 Edition: Volume 24, pp. 688 |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | |||||
| Exports (thousand GBP): | 2,486 | 2,879 | 2,864 | 3,259 | 3,019 | ||||
| Imports (thousand GBP): | 2,437 | 2,224 | 1,773 | 2,823 | 3,025 | ||||
| Trade Balance (thousand GBP): | 49 | 655 | 1,091 | 436 | -6 | ||||
| Exports/Imports (%): Rounded to the nearest % |
102 | 129 | 162 | 115 | 100 | ||||
Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
supported Serbia's actions, and war between Austria-Hungary and Russia was averted only because of a German ultimatum in 1909 demanding the cessation of Russian aid to Serbia.
Consequences
This conflict was crucial in running up to the decision of the Habsburg Empire on a final (and ultimately unsuccessful) military strike at Serbia in 1914. It therefore is one of the causes of World War ICauses of World War I
The causes of World War I, which began in central Europe in July 1914, included many intertwined factors, such as the conflicts and hostility of the four decades leading up to the war. Militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism played major roles in the conflict as well...
.