Fall Of Habsburgs (Austro-Hungarian Royal Family)

Fall of House Habsburg

Emperor Franz Joseph

The House of Habsburg is the third great Royal Family that fell in the year of 1918. This great ancestral line ruled the Austro-Hungarian Empire – one of Europe’s grand Houses, steeped in glory and history. All this would end in 1918, when the Hohenzollerns and the Romanovs fell from monarchic power; so too, would the Habsburgs. The Great War would claim these grand houses and confine them to echo’s in eternity.

I can’t say why, but I find the Habsburg House more sorrowful, even though it is not, when compared to the terrible fiat of the Romanov Tsar and his family. I think it is because I find the old Franz Joseph a more agreeable Emperor. I feel sorry for him even though he was an absolutist - believing monarchist rule was proper for his Empire. He was a man set in his ways and would appoint ministers to run his Empire, but they did his bidding and if they could not or would not conform; they were easily replaced by people that would.

These Royal families of Europe all ruled supreme and the monarch had the final say. This went for The Austro-Hungarian Empire, The German Empire and the Tsar’s Russias.

The United Kingdom had changed after the Civil War in England of the 1640s. Its Parliament ruled and the monarch had no say in government at all. They were just figure heads encouraged not to get too involved with the workings of state. Perhaps that is why it has managed to survive so long.

These mainland European powers lived under monarchs that could dictate to politicians that were appointed by Kings or Emperors and they alone decided a minister’s fiat. Even when the world was changing and ordinary people were becoming more enlightened; these old monarchists tried to keep a firm grip on their absolute power.

When I think of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph; I imagine that it is 1914 and would like you (the reader) to indulge me for a moment. He is 84 and the Great War has not yet started, so let us believe it is spring. He has ruled the grand Austro-Hungarian Empire for 66 years since 1848. He has another 2 years to go before he will pass away at 86 ruling for 68 years – the third longest serving monarch in European history.

By 1914, the Emperor has become an old man set in ways. He goes about his affairs of state in the palace – perhaps Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna – where he was born and would die in 2 years time.

He gets up early in the morning and does the day’s stately formalities - getting them out of the way leaves him time for a walk in the palace grounds. There is a place near by where his mistress called Katherina Schratt lives. She was an actress in her youth and the old Emperor has known the lady for 30 years. He has built places for her to live close by and he likes to keep his meetings with his mistress as discreet as possible. His palace guard probably know this and so would his ministers. In fact generally it is known but tolerated, though not spoken of by the old Emperor.

On the way he might stop and reflect the long years he has ruled and how everything has come to be so on this spring morning of 1914. He might look up to a clear blue sky or look at garden plants while lost in reminiscence of his past life. He might even have found solace chatting to his mistress Katherina about such things – who knows.

The sad old Emperor was a man that few other men would want to trade places with because his life had been marred by tragedy. Again, I would add, not like the Tsar’s would be, but the old Austro-Hungarian Emperor was still alive knowing that some of his dear and younger ones were gone.

Sophie of Bavaria
Franz Joseph's mother

The year of 1914 must be a far shot from 1848 when he had become Emperor at the age of 18. He would have been full of hope for his grand Empire even though he had to put down the Hungarian nationalists who objected to Austrian rule. His mother, Princess Sophie of Bavaria wanted the best for him and was determined that he should marry properly and choose a young woman who would provide an heir for his Empire and ensure the strength and continuation of the great bloodline.

In this matter, he left the match making for his mother to do for she was said to be a lady of strong determination. She wanted to forge a link between the Habsburgs and the Royal house of Wittlsbach in Bavaria. She arranged a gathering where by a young Bavarian Duchess called Helena (affectionately known as Nene) might be presented to him, Franz Joseph – ruler of Austo-Hungary and her Empire.

To the embarrassment of all; he, young Franz Joseph, showed no interest in Duchess Helena. Instead he showed all his attention to the Duchess’ younger sister who had accompanied her to the social gathering (Maybe a Ball). The younger sister was called Elisabeth (affectionately known as Sissi)

Empress Elisabeth
(Sissi)

The Emperor’s mother tried to rearrange things with him afterwards, but the young Emperor stuck to his guns on this issue and was determined to wed Elisabeth and not the older sister Helena. In the end, Princess Sophie relented as it was still a union with the Bavarian House of Wittlsbach.

The happiness of the Royal couple did not last too long because the new young Empress found it hard to adjust to the confines of her Royal life in the Palace. She did not get on well with Princess Sophie, her mother in law. She found her far too intrusive. Sissi had given birth to two daughters – one of which, sadly died in infancy aged 2. Finally the third child to be born was a son and heir who Franz Joseph named Rudolph.

Princess Sophie intervened in the infants' tuition and well being, having their nursery moved to her quarters of the Palace. This angered Sissi but she could not do much about it and her confinement grew more stressful. She threw herself into a number of interests including speaking Hungarian and learning of that nation’s resentment of Austria’s influence. She also became widely travelled – an indulgence allowed to her because her confinement was making her ill. She became famous for her travelling life style and her sense of fashion and her good looks. The Empress of Austria (Sissi) was one of the first iconic Royals who people all over Europe liked to hear stories about. She travelled widely and became most popular. In time, she and her husband Emperor Franz Joseph developed an understanding and tolerance of one another’s different needs. They had a brief reconciliation which produced another daughter and together were crowned King and Queen of Hungary. Again, they went their separate ways but remained married and watchful of one another. Emperor Franz Joseph constantly wrote letters to her and it is said that in later life, Sissi encouraged Franz Joseph to see Katherina Schratt in 1885 after the Emperor saw the young actress perform in theatre.

Perhaps the old Emperor looked back from this year of 1914 and smiled with affection for the memory of his dear wife Sissi, as he wandered through his Palace grounds on route to his mistress’ house - knowing that Sissi might be looking down approvingly. Maybe he would gulp and hold back a tear for the memory of his independent and beautiful wife – his strong willed Sissi that he knew, would not be confined in Palace rooms.

Then he might drift upon the more dreadful memory of his son and heir, Crown Prince Rudolph. The dreadful Mayerling Incident in 1889 when his only son was found dead in the hunting lodge beside the body of 17 year old Baroness Mary Vistera. The dreadful memory of Sissi devastated by the death of their only son - his angry and panic stricken daughter-in law, Princess Stephanie of Belgium – King Leopold’s daughter, remonstrating on how such a thing could be outside of their marriage.

Such bitter memories would be hard to recall, but happen they must – his son and heir, gone at the age of 30. Then 9 years later in 1898, his dear wife Sissi would die violently while on one of her many travelling experiences. She was walking along by Lake Geneva in Switzerland, about to board a steamship when a young Italian anarchist stabbed her. She managed to walk onto the steamship, but was unaware of just how fatal the wound had been and died moments later, much to his grief - her estranged husband, Emperor Franz Joseph.

He might look up into the sky and wonder how it had all come to be by this spring morning of 1914 – so far removed from the days when he was a young Emperor full of hope with a beautiful wife, his children and even his interfering mother, Princess Sophie. They were all gone now. Even his younger brother Maximillian had been executed by Mexican revolutionaries - stood before a firing squad in 1867. 

It was to his nephew, Archduke Ferdinand, he now looked reluctantly as his successor. Ferdinand would have to rule the Austro-Hungarian Empire when he was gone.

From this moment in history – his spring morning of 1914, he would not for see that his nephew would be assassinated in Sarajevo. That he would be forced to mobilize his forces to move upon Serbia – a nation that was angered because Bosnia had been annexed in 1908 and incorporated into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He would know that Tsarist Russia would aid the Serbs, and also, that the German Empire would support him. Then that France would aid Russia and Great Britain would also move against Germany. None of these things, that were a few months away, could be seen. That his beloved Austro-Hungarian Empire had but 4 years left, was not known on this fine spring morning. So I, for one, hope he enjoyed his tea and chat with Katharina Schratt.

 

He would not see the end of the Great War because he would die while it was still ragging on all fronts in the year of 1916. He would be succeeded by another nephew Charles I of Austria and IV of Hungary. He would only reign until 1918 when the house of Habsburg fell in the defeat of the Central Powers during the Great War. Nephew Charles would go into exile and try to restore the monarchy, but without success. He would die in exile in 1922. The last and short lived Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, unlike his sad Uncle, Franz Joseph.

Emperor Franz Joseph's Funeral