The situation in Southern and Central Europe leads Austria to make this public declaration.
If German moves do not literally violate our treaty, Austria will still feel obliged to respect its terms, which includes not invading Warsaw. As a further concession, we do not consider German support to Italian attack as a violation of the treaty, if the attack does not aim to seize an Austrian home centre. We also do not object to direct German attack against Austrian units if the Austrian unit is stationed in Italian territory (Rom, Nap, Apu, Ven, Pie, Tus) or Tyrolia. We will even not revoke the treaty if Germany attacks Austrian units elsewhere, or helps Italy to attack Trieste or Vienna, if we are informed about the attack (and extent of its support) in advance, which means at least 2 hours before the official end of turn. This is as far as Austria can go. If German moves cross the described lines, Austria will feel entirely justified to renounce the peace treaty with Germany.
I remind all European leaders that I have been very clear about my intention to move against Italy when the treaty with Germany was made, and I got no warning from Germany that an agreement between Germany and Italy exists, or is being prepared. Therefore, I do not feel bound by any agreement between Germany and Italy, and if Germany attacks Austria, it should be interpreted as German betrayal. The concessions I have made in the paragraph above are meant as a gesture of good will, motivated by the fact that Austria does acknowledge that Germany may have interpreted the terms of our mutual agreement differently.
Austria has always observed all treaties we have signed, and never intended to sign two or more agreements whose terms are in conflict, and if this happened by accident, we would abandon all strategical gains that would follow from such situation, in order to minimise the damages to our reputation. We hope that German approach to truth and honour is the same.
The situation in Southern and Central Europe leads Austria to make this public declaration.
If German moves do not literally violate our treaty, Austria will still feel obliged to respect its terms, which includes not invading Warsaw. As a further concession, we do not consider German support to Italian attack as a violation of the treaty, if the attack does not aim to seize an Austrian home centre. We also do not object to direct German attack against Austrian units if the Austrian unit is stationed in Italian territory (Rom, Nap, Apu, Ven, Pie, Tus) or Tyrolia. We will even not revoke the treaty if Germany attacks Austrian units elsewhere, or helps Italy to attack Trieste or Vienna, if we are informed about the attack (and extent of its support) in advance, which means at least 2 hours before the official end of turn. This is as far as Austria can go. If German moves cross the described lines, Austria will feel entirely justified to renounce the peace treaty with Germany.
I remind all European leaders that I have been very clear about my intention to move against Italy when the treaty with Germany was made, and I got no warning from Germany that an agreement between Germany and Italy exists, or is being prepared. Therefore, I do not feel bound by any agreement between Germany and Italy, and if Germany attacks Austria, it should be interpreted as German betrayal. The concessions I have made in the paragraph above are meant as a gesture of good will, motivated by the fact that Austria does acknowledge that Germany may have interpreted the terms of our mutual agreement differently.
Austria has always observed all treaties we have signed, and never intended to sign two or more agreements whose terms are in conflict, and if this happened by accident, we would abandon all strategical gains that would follow from such situation, in order to minimise the damages to our reputation. We hope that German approach to truth and honour is the same.