DBWI: Franz Joseph reputation without a win in the Great War?

Franz Joseph ruled for 68 years. One of his last acts was avenging the death of Franz Ferdinand who was assassinated by Serbian terrorists. This triggered a European wide war. Even though Germany failed to eliminate France in 1914, Austria-Hungary defeated Serbia and Russia lost armies against both Germany and Austria-Hungary. Even with Italy’s betrayal the following year, Austria persevered and pushed Russia back while holding the Italians down. By early 1917, the war was over with Austria and Germany imposing terms and backing virtually all of each other’s claims.

Let’s say Joseph does not manage to modernize the army starting in 1909, consequently they lose or draw their opening battles with Russia and fail to take significant ground against Serbia. Things spiral from there, maybe someone like Romania joins the Entente because of Transylvania, Austria loses or maybe the war ends in a stalemate. Had that been the case and Joesph did not set them up with the victory to knock out their rivals, how would Joseph be remembered in a stalemate or defeat scenario? When surrounded by Hyenas, what if Joseph did not turn the KuK into Lions?

How would he be viewed by historians and the public at large today?
 

Dolan

Banned
While Austrian troops did successfully pin down and castrate the Italian traitor, the utter defeat of Russia only happens due to Ottoman invasion of Caucasia and Crimea, that forces Russia to fight an unwinnable three front war.

Yes, Franz-Joseph will be forever remembered as the old man who refused to die until Russia was forever broken. While it was German and Ottoman soldiers who enforce most of the breakup, the plan to create independent Finland, Lithuania, Ukraine, and (East) Turkestan out of Russia.

Without Franz Joseph though, we won't have the awkwardness of the TWO TURKEYS, having Ottoman Turkic Sultanate together with Sultanate of Turkestan, who also have Ottoman cadet branch, as Sultan Mehmed V let his half brother, who also named Mehmed, to become Sultan Mehmed I of Turkestan.
 
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