Franz Josef was born in 1830. At the age of eighteen he became Habsburg
Emperor and in 1867, ruler of Austria-Hungary.
Over the next few years his army subdued revolts in Hungary and Lombardy.
Franz Josef suffered several personal tragedies. His brother Maximilian
was shot by revolutionaries in Mexico and his only son, crown prince Rudolf, committed
suicide in 1889. Nine years later, his wife, Elizabeth of Bavaria,
was assassinated by an anarchist in Geneva.
After the death of Crown Prince Rudolf, the succession passed to Franz
Josef's brother, Carl Ludwig. When Carl Ludwig died in 1896, his son, Archduke
Franz Ferdinand became heir to the throne.
This created a problem as Franz Ferdinand wanted to marry Sophie Chotek
von Chotkova. Although Sophie came from a noble Bohemian family, she
was not considered suitable to marry the heir to the throne. To be
an eligibile partner for a member of the Austro-Hungarian royal family,
you had to be descended from the House of Habsburg or from one of
the ruling dynasties of Europe.
Franz Ferdinand insisted he would not marry anyone else. Emperor Wilhelm
II of Germany, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia
and Pope Leo XIII all made representations to the emperor on Franz
Ferdinand's behalf arguing that the the disagreement was undermining
the stability of the monarchies of Europe.
In 1899 the emperor agreed a deal with Franz
Ferdinand. He was allowed to marry Sophie but stipulated that
her "descendants are not members of the most high Archhouse and
possess no right to succeed to the Throne." Sophie was not allowed
to accompany her husband in the royal carriage nor could she sit by
his side in the royal box. Franz Josef and all of his family, marked
their disapproval by refusing to attend the wedding.
On 28th June, 1914, his heir, Archduke Franz
Ferdinand, was assassinated in Sarajevo. Josef accepted the advice
given by his foreign minister, Leopold
von Berchtold, that Austria-Hungary should declare war on Serbia.
On the outbreak of the First World War, Josef
allowed the military to take over the running of the country. Franz
Josef died on 21st November 1916 and was succeeded by his great-nephew
Karl I.
Created on ... août 20, 2003