That failed attempt didn’t get the message across, and it was Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian member of the Black Hand that eventually shot and killed Ferdinand and his wife on June 28th 1914. It was reported that Serbian terrorist group Black Hand was put in place to stop specific reforms by Ferdinand similar to these, and failed in their first attempt to kill him with a hand grenade. This did not sit well with the elites in power, and his ideas were constantly scrutinized. He also suggested the idea of federalism made up of 16 states, which was actually beneficial to the Austrian-Hungarian Empire in the long run, but would also split the power equally among others. It would have given the empire’s Slavs an equal say in matters of the government. Of the controversial ideas that he would’ve put in place, Trialism, or a triple monarchy was considered dangerous ideals at the time. He was of royal blood, but had more in common with regular people than he did with royalty. Ferdinand’s rise to power would endanger a lot of the policies that were already in place. Political reasons are the main culprit for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, something that he had to deal with early in his reign. Imperial members that decided on their own to attend the wedding were Ferdinand’s stepmother Princess Maria Theresa of Braganza and her daughters. The same goes for archdukes and any high ranking title holder, who also declined to attend. Even after attaining the senior title of Duchess of Hohenberg, she was still considered below other archduchesses.įor reference, at their wedding on July 1st 1900, Ferdinands brothers and Franz Joseph did not attend. Of the many penalties associated with this type of marriage, Sophia could not appear in public with her husband nor ride with him in the royal carriage. Even after having children, they were considered of unequal social rank. The marriage was also considered morganatic, meaning all of her husband’s privileges, titles, rank and even social status was not passed on to her. The penalty was high for the marriage, as their descendants would have no right to the throne. It was forbidden unless the lady was a member of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty in Europe.įerdinand was in love, and with the blessing of Emperor Franz Joseph, married Sophie. This resulted in a long and secretive relationship between the two, as she was not eligible to marry anyone in the Imperial House of Habsburg. The first bit of controversy in his life was in 1894, when he met his first love Countess Sophie Chotek in Prague. Ferdinand became just as famous for his adventures traveling as he did for his royalty and wealth. Despite the royalty that followed his great name, he was more interested in the simple things in life. Upon acceptance, it made the 11 year old Ferdinand one of the wealthiest men in the world, and all of Austria.Ī series of events led to Ferdinand being groomed for the throne, including his father Karl Ludwig dying of typhoid fever in 1896. The stipulation was a small one, and required the young prince to add the name Este to his own. In 1875 Duke Francis V of Modena died and named Ferdinand as his heir when he was only 11 years old. He was the oldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, with two younger siblings by the name of Franz Joseph and Maximillian. Relying heavily on archival and family sources, they look at the evidence with clear, compassionate eyes and clear away some myths, resulting in a moving and compelling read.Assassination of Franz Ferdinand Backstory of Franz Ferdinand Born in 1863, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was the Prince of Hungary and Bohemia. King and Woolmans do a good job of explaining the complex political situation behind the tragic denouement to the couple’s love story. Even though romance carried the day, the couple’s children would be barred from the succession, and Sophie made to endure official snubs. Royal historians King and Woolmans show us the man behind the history, especially in his startling marriage to Countess Sophie Chotek, whose impressive pedigree was nonetheless not impressive enough to qualify her as a bride for the archduke. To many readers, Franz Ferdinand is known only as the man whose assassination triggered the First World War. His misgivings were proved well-founded on June 28, when Gavrilo Princip, a revolutionary, shot the couple dead as they rode through the streets of Sarajevo. In June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, accompanied by his wife, Sophie, reluctantly paid a visit to Bosnia, having tried his best to avoid the obligation imposed upon him by his uncle, Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria. The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance That Changed the World
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