In other words, what were the reasons that prevented us from ending the war and becoming neutral--reasons which only left one possibility open to us: to change our adversary, and instead of fighting the Entente, together with Germany, to join the Entente and with her fight against Germany?
It must, above all, be kept in mind that up to the last days that I held office the Eastern front was manned by Austro-Hungarian and German troops all mixed together, and this entire army was under the Imperial German Command.

We had no army of our own in the East--not in the true sense of the word, as it had been merged into the German army.

That was a consequence of our military inferiority.

Again and again we resorted to German aid.

We called repeatedly for help in Serbia, Roumania, Russia, and Italy, and were compelled to purchase it by giving up certain things.