Berchtold, Leopold, Graf von definition of Berchtold, Leopold, Graf von in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Berchtold, Leopold, Graf von (lā`ōpôlt gräf fən bĕrkh`tôlt), 1863–1942, Austro-Hungarian foreign minister (1912–15). During the Balkan Wars Balkan Wars, 1912–13, two short wars, fought for the possession of the European territories of the Ottoman Empire. The outbreak of the Italo-Turkish War for the possession of Tripoli (1911) encouraged the Balkan states to increase their territory at Turkish
..... Click the link for more information. he successfully worked for the creation of an independent Albania to block Serbian access to the Adriatic Sea. After the assassination (June 28, 1914) of Archduke Francis Ferdinand at Sarajevo, he directed the reckless policy that precipitated World War I. Although Serbia made a conciliatory reply to his harsh ultimatum, Berchtold pressed for full acceptance; he probably even magnified a border incident in order to secure Emperor Francis Joseph's signature to the declaration of war on Serbia.