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The '''Spa conference of 13–15 August 1918''' was a critical meeting between the German and Austro-Hungarian monarchs during [[World War I]]. This conference was significant as it marked a shift in the [[Central Powers]]' approach, with civil officials beginning to recognize the improbability of a military victory. The [[German Empire]]<ref group="N">Between 1871 and 1945 the official name of the [[Unification of Germany|German national state]] was Deutsches Reich.</ref> and its allies were increasingly exhausted, and recent offensives had failed on the [[Second Battle of the Marne|Marne]] and the [[Second Battle of the Piave River|Piave]] in Italy. This situation, coupled with the massive arrival of American troops reinforcing the Entente forces, led the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian [[Austria-Hungary|dual monarchy]] to seriously consider the prospect of a compromise peace.<ref>{{Harvtxt|JSTOR|1920}}</ref>
This was the third such conference held in [[Spa, Belgium|Spa]], the headquarters of the [[Oberste Heeresleitung]] (OHL),<ref group="T">Supreme Command of the Army.</ref> since the beginning of 1918. It followed previous meetings on [[Spa Conference (12 May 1918)|12 May 1918]], and a second conference on 2 July 1918.
== Participants ==
[[File:Copy of a photograph taken from a German Officer showing Kaiser, Hindenburg and Ludendorff at G.H.Q., Spa (4688602510).jpg|thumb|[[Paul von Hindenburg|Hindenburg]], [[Wilhelm II]] and [[Erich Ludendorff|Ludendorff]] ''(left to right)'', in Spa in 1918]]
{{Main|Wilhelm II|Erich Ludendorff|Paul von Hindenburg|Charles I of Austria}}
The Spa Conference consisted of two distinct meetings. The first meeting, held on 13 and 14 August 1918, was a Crown Council of the German Empire, presided over by Emperor Wilhelm II. This council included key political and military leaders such as the military commanders Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff (then First Quartermaster General), Chancellor Georg von Hertling, State Secretary of Foreign Affairs Paul von Hintze, and Imperial Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia. This meeting was convened in response to the defeat suffered on 8 August 1918. The second meeting, a German-Austro-Hungarian conference, took place on 15 August 1918.<ref name=":0" />
=== Crown Council: 13 and 14 August ===
{{Main|German Empire}}
Summoned in response to the defeat on August 8, 1918,<ref group="N">For Erich Ludendorff, it is a “day of mourning for the German army”.</ref> the Crown Council convened on 13 August 1918, under the presidency of Emperor Wilhelm II. The council included key figures such as the military leaders Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff (then First Quartermaster General),<ref group="N">The position of first quartermaster general was created especially for Erich Ludendorff on 28 August 1916.</ref> Chancellor [[Georg von Hertling]], [[Federal Foreign Office|State Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Reich]] [[Paul von Hintze]], and [[Crown prince|Imperial Crown Prince]] [[Wilhelm, German Crown Prince|Wilhelm of Prussia]]. The meeting was held amid growing concerns about the military setbacks experienced by the German Empire.<ref name=":0">{{Harvtxt|Renouvin|1934|p=598}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Harvtxt|Bled|2014|p=399}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Fischer|1970|p=13}}</ref>
=== German-Austro-Hungarian Conference: 15 August ===
[[File:Arz Arthur von Straussenburg 1.jpg|thumb|351x351px|[[Arthur Arz von Straußenburg]], Chief of Staff of the Army of the Dual Monarchy.]]
The second meeting occurred on 15 August 1918, following the arrival in Spa of [[Charles I of Austria|Emperor-King Charles of Austria]], accompanied by his Minister of Foreign Affairs, [[Stephan Burián von Rajecz]], and the Chief of Staff of the Joint Army, Arthur Arz von Straußenburg. Upon their arrival, Emperor Wilhelm II donned an Austro-Hungarian uniform, while Charles wore a German uniform. This meeting marked the first and final direct engagement between the two monarchs since their previous conference in May.<ref name=":11">{{Harvtxt|Laparra|2011|p=70}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Harvtxt|Renouvin|1934|p=602}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Harvtxt|Fischer|1970|p=626}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
The participants from the Crown Council on 13 August also took part in the discussions between the two principal figures of the Central Powers.<ref name=":4" /><ref group="N">The Quadruple brought together the Reich and its allies, [[History of Austria-Hungary during World War I|Austria-Hungary]], the [[Ottoman Empire in World War I|Ottoman Empire]] and [[Bulgaria during World War I|Bulgaria]].</ref>
== Context ==
=== Military failures of the Central Powers ===
{{Main|Second Battle of the Piave River}}
During the spring and early summer of 1918, the Central Powers experienced a series of setbacks. In Italy, June saw significant failures, and by July, the situation on the French front also deteriorated.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Fischer|1970|p=622}}</ref> Over the months, the other fronts weakened as well.<ref group="N">Erich Ludendorff issues on 20 July a directive aimed at prohibiting the vagrancy of [[Desertion|soldiers breaking their ban]] behind the front lines.</ref> On the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]], German forces faced increasing difficulties as desertion rates rose among their troops. The army, struggling with shortages, resorted to looting food supplies discovered during the spring offensives.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Jardin|2008|p=3}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Harvtxt|Le Naour|2016|p=286}}</ref>
Efforts to bolster the [[Imperial German Army|Imperial Army]] through the conscription of the 1920 class and the reactivation of suspended workers failed to compensate for the substantial losses. Between March and July 1918, the German army suffered 226,000 casualties and nearly 750,000 wounded. Each month, since the spring, the Imperial Army experienced the loss of approximately 80,000 soldiers, after accounting for the new recruits and subtracting those who were wounded, killed, or ill.<ref name=":7">{{Harvtxt|Le Naour|2016|p=285}}</ref><ref name=":6" /> In response to these challenges, the German command decided to shift its strategic approach, reverting to a defensive strategy that had been prevalent before the start of 1918.<ref name=":8">{{Harvtxt|Fischer|1970|p=627}}</ref>
=== Discrepancy between politics and military ===
In Germany, the civilian population faced severe hardships due to reduced food rations. In June 1918, the daily ration of "war bread" was reduced to 160 grams.<ref name=":7" /> The black market thrived amidst these shortages, and the war economy was significantly impacted by the scarcity of raw materials. The army suffered from hunger and increasing desertion, while the [[Cisleithania|Austrian imperial government]] extended its influence over German territories, including [[Lands of the Bohemian Crown|Bohemia]] and [[Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria|Galicia]], challenging the [[Dual Alliance (1879)|alliance]] between Germany and the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg dynasty]].<ref>{{Harvtxt|Bled|2014|p=379}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Bled|2014|p=393}}</ref><ref group="N">In the countryside, deserters quickly organized themselves into armed bands, living off the inhabitants, calling into question security in the [[Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen|Hungarian]] countryside.</ref>
Following the military setbacks of 8 August 1918, Erich Ludendorff, a key military leader of the German Empire, acknowledged that the [[Central Powers]] could not secure a decisive victory against the Allies.<ref group="N">This policy of concealing the extent of the defeat resulted in a growing gap over the days between the military and civilians.</ref> Despite this admission, Ludendorff concealed the extent of the failure from Emperor Wilhelm II, who continued to advocate for the cessation of hostilities and the initiation of negotiations with the Allies.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Tulard|1997|p=441}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Le Naour|2016|p=290}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Harvtxt|Bogdan|2014|p=228}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Harvtxt|Renouvin|1934|p=601}}</ref> Ludendorff sought to mitigate public alarm about the dire military situation by presenting a revised strategy of defense aimed at gradually undermining the enemy's will to fight.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Harvtxt|Fischer|1970|p=625}}</ref>
While military leaders sought to downplay the situation, civilian officials, particularly Vice-Chancellor Paul von Hintze, recognized the deteriorating state of the German Empire's allies and the increasing exhaustion of the German economy.<ref group="N">The vice-chancellor is informed through multiple channels of the existence of multiple factors of internal disorganization, threatening the existing social order.</ref> Hintze and other government officials were deeply concerned about the severity of the military situation.<ref name=":13">{{Harvtxt|Jardin|2008|p=4}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref group="N">Initially, however, Vice-Chancellor Paul Von Hintze saw the shift from offensive to defensive as a simple change in strategy.</ref><ref name=":0" /> On 13 August Ludendorff informed German political leaders, including Wilhelm II, that the German Empire no longer possessed the military capability to achieve victory over the Allied forces.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Schiavon|2011|p=224}}</ref> In response to civilian shock, the military downplayed the gravity of the situation while emphasizing the necessity of negotiating an agreement with the Allies.<ref name=":2" />
=== Negotiations in progress ===
{{Main|Salzburg negotiations|Treaty of Berlin (August 27, 1918)}}
At the beginning of August 1918, the German Empire was engaged in negotiations with both its allies and [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Bolshevik Russia]]. Following the Spa agreements of May 1918, discussions between Germany and Austria-Hungary commenced on 9 July 1918, in [[Salzburg]]. These negotiations aimed to clarify the implementation of the political and economic terms outlined in the spring agreements.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Soutou|Duroselle|1989|p=718}}</ref> The Austro-Hungarians succeeded in diluting the economic provisions of the May agreements, while the financial authorities of the German Empire expressed concerns regarding the economic ramifications of these provisions.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Soutou|Duroselle|1989|p=720}}</ref>
Additionally, since March 1918, negotiations had been underway between representatives of Russian power and the central powers, primarily Germany, to detail the economic terms of the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk|German-Russian peace treaty]]. By early August, these negotiations were nearing completion, with [[Treaty of Berlin (August 27, 1918)|additional treaties]] being signed on 27 August 1918. During this period, the Allies publicly recognized various national committees, including the [[Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovak]] committee.<ref name=":14">{{Harvtxt|Schiavon|2011|p=226}}</ref>
== The last major Austro-German conference ==
[[File:Stephan Freiherr von Burian 1915 Charles Scolik.png|thumb|[[Stephan Burián von Rajecz]], then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the [[Austria-Hungary|Dual Monarchy]], assisted Emperor-King Charles I to bring their country out of the conflict.]]
On 14 August 1918, Emperor-King Charles I of Austria arrived in Spa, accompanied by his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stephan Burián von Rajecz.<ref name=":4" />
This second phase of the conference followed the discussions that had taken place earlier that day during the Crown Council. The Crown Council convened under the presidency of Wilhelm II and brought together the key German and Prussian ministers.<ref name=":13" />
=== Austro-Hungarian positions ===
From the outset, [[Austria-Hungary|Emperor-King]] Charles I of [[Cisleithania|Austria]]-[[Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen|Hungary]], supported by his Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced the impossibility of the dual monarchy continuing to endure a fifth winter of war.<ref name=":4" /> Charles I expressed a strong desire to initiate peace negotiations as soon as possible, indicating his intention to extricate his empire from the conflict.<ref name=":9">{{Harvtxt|Bled|2014|p=400}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Schiavon|2011|p=225}}</ref><ref name=":12" />
=== War aims during the summer of 1918 ===
During the Crown Council held on 13 and 14 August, Paul von Hindenburg asserted that German forces could maintain their occupation of significant portions of French territory.<ref name=":5" /> Chancellor Georg von Hertling and his State Secretaries aimed to negotiate a white peace in the West while preserving the status quo in the East, as defined by the peace treaties with [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk|Russia]], [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (Ukraine–Central Powers)|Ukraine]], and [[Treaty of Bucharest (1918)|Romania]] concluded in 1918. The [[Kingdom of Poland (1917–1918)|Polish question]] was also revisited during the Crown Council.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" />
On 14 August, the fate of the territories under the control of the Quadruple Alliance was also discussed. Paul von Hintze proposed retaining German troops in Belgium as a bargaining chip, to be evacuated in exchange for the restitution of Germany's [[German colonial empire|colonies]] upon the signing of a peace treaty. This context included provisions for war damages to be paid to [[Belgium]]. Additionally, discussions touched on the future of Poland, including the restoration of the Polish crown and the distribution of the kingdom's industrial assets.<ref name=":10">{{Harvtxt|Le Naour|2016|p=292}}</ref><ref name=":4" />
=== Negotiations ===
During the discussions between military leaders, the German and Austro-Hungarian generals presented their respective operational plans, which were the subject of intense negotiation. The Austro-Hungarians aimed to launch a new offensive with [[Genoa]] as the final objective, while the German representatives emphasized the need to support the French front.<ref name=":14" /> The Germans favored waiting for a more advantageous moment, whereas the Austro-Hungarians advocated for the immediate initiation of peace negotiations to end hostilities. The policy adopted in the subsequent days involved waiting for a defensive success before proposing the commencement of peace negotiations.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Le Naour|2016|p=297}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Le Naour|2016|p=298}}</ref>
== Issue ==
After the Crown Council of 13 and 14 August, and the conference on 15 August, the prevailing sentiment among German political leaders differed from that of the Austro-Hungarian officials.<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":8" /> The German participants in the meetings were not aligned with the outlook of their Austro-Hungarian counterparts. The German imperial government contemplated a significant propaganda campaign aimed at both the German public and allied nations. This initiative was to be managed by a "propaganda committee" composed of prominent figures, tasked with projecting the German Empire's determination to continue fighting until achieving victory.
One of the first actions of this committee occurred on 21 August 1918, when Paul von Hintze sought to address the concerns of the political leaders in the [[Reichstag (German Empire)|Reichstag]]. Meanwhile, Wilhelm II opted to retreat to [[Wilhelmshöhe Palace]] near [[Kassel]] for rest on 16 August.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Le Naour|2016|p=288}}</ref><ref group="N">This stay in [[Hesse]] was not unanimous among his close advisors, who suggested that he show up in [[Berlin]].</ref><ref name=":8" /> Despite this, German statesmen largely ignored the Austro-Hungarian declaration on 15 August that the situation was "absolutely finished" for them. Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister Stephan Burián advocated for an "immediate and direct" resolution, but he returned to Vienna with the understanding that the Germans were attempting to buy time.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":14" />[[File:Paul von Hintze 1915.jpg|thumb|Paul von Hintze (photograph, 1915), then Reich State Secretary for Foreign Affairs.]]
=== Sending a request for negotiations ===
{{Main|Peace efforts during World War I}}
Despite the discord between the German Empire and its Austro-Hungarian ally, German representatives endeavored to influence Austro-Hungarian policy, albeit without success. From 15 August onward, Vice Chancellor and State Secretary Paul von Hintze, following the directives from the Crown Council, prepared and dispatched separate peace proposals to the United States. According to Hintze, these proposals were to be presented at an "opportune time" following the stabilization of the front, which German officials anticipated would result from a significant defensive victory on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]].<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":10" />
On 21 August, with support from Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister Stephan Burián sent the proposed text of a peace offer to Berlin. German leaders attempted to obstruct this approach but were unable to address the concerns raised by Emperor-King Charles I in person. Consequently, on 14 September, after a month of negotiations between the two principal Quadruple powers, Burián issued a statement calling for the initiation of negotiations without a cessation of hostilities. The Allies rejected these terms.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Le Naour|2016|p=299}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Renouvin|1934|p=603}}</ref><ref>{{Harvtxt|Renouvin|1934|p=604}}</ref>
German diplomacy sought to engage the Allies regarding the cessation of hostilities, but the Netherlands, under Allied pressure, refrained from mediating. This led Germany to pursue direct negotiations for an armistice. Simultaneously, the German government worked to prevent Austro-Hungarian officials from submitting a formal request for negotiations to the Allies.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Le Naour|2016|p=303}}</ref><ref name=":9" />
== See also ==
* [[Mitteleuropa]]
== Notes ==
<references group="N" />
=== Translations ===
<references group="T" />
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite journal |date=1920 |title=The Spa Conference: Results of the First Direct Verbal Negotiations Between the Allies and Germany |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/45328978 |journal=Current History |volume=12 |issue=5 |pages=765–772 |jstor=45328978 |issn=2641-080X|ref={{SfnRef|JSTOR|1920}} }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Renouvin |first=Pierre |date=1934 |title=La Crise européenne et la Première Guerre mondiale |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/rbph_0035-0818_1935_num_14_2_1520_t1_0500_0000_2 |journal=Presses Universitaires de France, Coll. Peuples et Civilisations |volume=19 |issue= |pages=500–502}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bled |first=Jean-Paul |title=L'Agonie d'une monarchie: Autriche-Hongrie, 1914-1920 |date=2014 |publisher=Tallandier |isbn=979-10-210-0440-5 |location=Paris}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bogdan |first=Henry |title=Le Kaiser Guillaume II: dernier empereur d'Allemagne: 1859-1941 |date=2014 |publisher=Tallandier |isbn=979-10-210-0517-4 |location=Paris}}
* {{Cite book |last=Fischer |first=Fritz |title=The War Aims of Imperial Germany (1914-1918) |date=1970 |publisher=Éditions de Trévise |location=Paris |translator-last=Migeon |translator-first=Geneviève |trans-title=Griff nach der Weltmacht |translator-last2=Thiès |translator-first2=Henri}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Jardin |first=Pierre |date=2008-06-15 |title=La fin de la guerre en Allemagne |url=https://journals.openedition.org/rha/293 |journal=Revue historique des armées |volume=251 |language=fr |issue=251 |pages=35–46 |doi=10.3917/rha.251.0035 |issn=0035-3299}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Laparra |first=Jean-Claude |date=2011 |title=The other side of the parades: The command of the German army: realities and intersecting destinies 1914-1918 |journal=14-18 Editions |isbn=978-2-916385-77-8}}
* {{Cite book | language=fr | first1=Jean-Yves | author-link1=Jean-Yves Le Naour | last1=Le Naour | title=1918 : L'étrange victoire | publisher=Perrin | location=Paris | year=2016 | isbn=978-2-262-03038-4 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Schiavon |first=Max |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/770601364 |title=L'Autriche-Hongrie dans la Première Guerre mondiale: la fin d'un empire |date=2011 |publisher=Éditions SOTECA 14-18 |isbn=978-2-916385-59-4 |series=Collection "Les nations dans la Grande Guerre" |location=Paris |oclc=770601364}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Soutou |first1=Georges-Henri |title=L'Or et le sang: les buts de guerre économiques de la Première guerre mondiale |last2=Duroselle |first2=Jean-Baptiste |date=1989 |publisher=Fayard |isbn=978-2-213-02215-4 |location=Paris}}
* {{Cite book |last=Tulard |first=Jean |title=Les Empires occidentaux de Rome à Berlin |date=1997 |publisher=Presses universitaires de France |isbn=978-2-13-047852-2 |editor-last=Bérenger |editor-first=Pierre |edition=1. éd |series=Histoire générale des systèmes politiques |location=Paris }}
=== External links ===
* [http://www.sparealites.be/guerre-14-18 The First World War in Spa]
[[Category:1918 in Europe]]
[[Category:1918 in Belgium]]
[[Category:Austria-Hungary in World War I]]
[[Category:Spa, Belgium]]