Treść książki

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I.TheWarStarts
1.Sarajevo
Sarajevo,capitaloftheAustro-HungarianprovinceofBosnia-
Herzegovina,layontheperipheriesoftheHabsburgEmpireand
wasnotremarkableinanywayexceptforitspopulationofmany
culturesandreligions,anditsvariegatedarchitecture.Itsmodern
districtsheldacentralpositionandwerebuiltaccordingtoimpe-
rialstandards.Itwasacityoftheadministrativeandbusinessnou-
veaux,withacosmopolitanclassofstateofcials,representativesof
manynations,butdominatedbynativespeakersofGerman,loyalto
theHouseofHabsburgandtheRomanCatholicreligion.Tenew
townwithitscafésandrestaurants,theatreandcinema,fashionable
shops,elegantstreetsandpromenade,wasencircledbysqualidand
impoverisheddistricts,withnorunningwaterorsewerage,cluttered
upwithcheaptenementhouses,shacksandshanties,morereminis-
centoftheOttomanEmpire.Herdsofanimalsroamedthestreets,
womencoveredupfromheadtotoeintraditionalMuslimapparel
shufedalong,andchildbeggars,manyofthemdisabled,loiteredon
streetcorners,whilethemenfolk,cladinloose-fittingwoollentrou-
sers,spenttheirdaysinthecafés,drinkingTurkishcońee.Teland-
marksofeachdistrictweretheirplacesofworship.Muslimmosques
werethepredominantedifices,ofenincloseproximitytoOrthodox
ChristianchurchesusedbytheSerbs,andRomanCatholicchurches
whichservedtheCroats.
Buttheimpressionofdrowsinesswasonlysuperficial.Infact,
therewasastrongundercurrentoftensionbetweentheHabsburg
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