![]() The question why was Franz Ferdinand killed by the Black Hand is a pertinent one after all, he seemed to be far more sympathetic towards the Slavs in the empire than his uncle ever was. Why Was Archduke Franz Ferdinand Assassinated? The assassins, some of whom had been trained in Serbia, were armed with bombs and pistols, and were lying in wait to murder the heir to the Austrian throne. With hindsight, this lack of security was extremely foolhardy, as the assassination of the archduke had actually been in the planning since March of that year.Ī team of six assassins had been assembled in Sarajevo on the day of the archduke’s visit, by Danilo Ilić, a Bosnian Serb, who was a member of the Black Hand secret society. A proposal that troops line the route was dismissed out of hand, as it was believed that this would offend the loyal citizens of Bosnia. The security provided for Franz Ferdinand while he was in Sarajevo was altogether quite lax. Driving through the streets of Sarajevo in an open-top car However, despite the known risks, Franz Ferdinand and his wife drove through the streets of Sarajevo on the 28th June 1914, in an open sports motorcar with its top folded down. His uncle had been the subject of a failed assassination attempt by the Serbian secret military society, Unification or Death, also known as the ‘Black Hand’, a few years earlier, in 1911. The archduke must have been aware of how dangerous such a trip was. Moreover, the trip was a rare opportunity for Sophie to accompany her husband on state business. It was on one such engagement, in the summer of 1914, that he found himself in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. In 1901, Franz Joseph did finally allow the marriage to go ahead, thanks in part to a request from Kaiser Wilhelm, who was a close friend of Franz Ferdinand, but only if the archduke accepted that the marriage would be morganatic, which meant that his descendants would not have any succession rights to the throne.Īll in all, Sophie would actually have a good influence over Franz Ferdinand’s life and over time even the rift with his uncle had healed enough that he began to take an active role in the government and carry out official engagements. Archduke Franz Ferdinand with his friend, Kaiser Wilhelm II ![]() Franz Ferdinand, who was totally besotted with Sophie, ignored his uncle’s wishes and was intent on pursuing the marriage. The Emperor had made it quite clear that his nephew was not to marry Sophie, a mere countess, as it was contrary to the rules of the Habsburg family, who were only permitted to marry a member of one of the European royal dynasties. However, it was Franz Ferdinand’s marriage to Sophie Chotek, which particularly infuriated his uncle. The two did not see eye to eye on politics either, and were frequently arguing over how they saw the future direction of the empire. Emperor Franz Joseph with his nephew, Franz Ferdinand The Emperor Franz Joseph had always considered his nephew to be somewhat of an embarrassment, thanks in part to his playboy lifestyle, and so he was not particularly pleased with the fact that Franz Ferdinand had now become his heir. Then, when his father also died, in 1896, of typhoid fever, Franz Ferdinand effectively became heir-presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. ![]() In 1889, Franz Ferdinand’s cousin, the Crown Prince Rudolf, committed suicide at his hunting lodge, in Mayerling, which meant that Franz Ferdinand’s father had become first in line to the throne. Meanwhile, in his private life, Franz Ferdinand had two obsessions-hunting and antiques and many of his hunting trophies and antiques can still be seen today, at Konopiště Chateau, in the Czech Republic. ![]() He was the eldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, who was Emperor Franz Joseph’s younger brother.Īt the tender age of eleven, Franz Ferdinand became one of the wealthiest people in Austria, when he was left most of the huge estate of his first cousin twice removed, Francis V, Duke of Modena, on the proviso that he subsequently used the title Archduke of Austria-Este.Įducated by private tutors throughout his youth, Franz Ferdinand began his military career at the age of 12, and was promoted rapidly through the ranks, becoming a major general in the Austrian army, in 1894, aged only 31. Test Your Knowledge with our FREE WebQuestįranz Ferdinand was born in Graz, Austria, on the 18th December 1863.Why Was Archduke Franz Ferdinand Assassinated?.Table Of Contents for this Archduke Franz Ferdinand Biography ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |