GERMANY AND THE BLACK HAND WERE COLLABORATING

Reading extracts from a book For God and Kaiser : The Imperial Austrian Army by Richard Bassett. There is a section exposing just how much cooperation there was between Germany and The Black Hand.

The printing presses for Pijemont were supplied and paid for by German 'well wishers'. Dedijer quotes the evidence that German 'Freemasons' had supplied the presses for the editor, Jovanovic Cup, a well-known Serbian Freemason.

Germany was courting The Black Hand and The Black Hand were courting Germany: they both wanted Russian influence out of Serbia.

And Franz Ferdinand was apparently hated in Germany too:

It is clear from just these few quotes that, for many Germans, Franz Ferdinand's policies were a direct threat not only to Magyar hegemony but also to the ambitions of German financiers, soldiers and statesmen. His removal would be far more in the interests of Germany or Hungary than of Serbia. Indeed, the death of Franz Ferdinand removed the most formidable obstacle to the realisation of German plans.

This book looks at how Germany was looking to expand into Serbia in early 1914 following Serbia gaining new territory.

Franz Ferdinand had a friend in Kaiser Wilhelm II, but not in the rest of Germany, particularly the financiers of Germany.