There have been posted some threads about Franz Ferdinand recently. Here is another one, which I may move forward in due time.
THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE
Episode 1 – Sarajevo, Vidovdan (June 28th) 1914
‘Izmet! I missed him!’ thought Princip and tried to raise his weapon again.
But already strong hands were grabbing for him, forcing the pistol out of his hands. Then a fist smashed into his nose and he saw nothing more…
Franz Ferdinand d’Este watched in frozen fascination while security men and Sarajevo citizens overwhelmed the ugly little man that had dared to point a weapon at him.
‘That was close!’ he thought, turned to his beloved wife, Sophie, - and gaped…
Princip’s first shot, intended for Franz Ferdinand, had hit Sophie in the forehead. The second bullet, meant for Military Governor Potiorek, had struck her in the abdomen. She was still sitting upright, her eyes wide open – and was ultimately dead.
Franz Ferdinand needed no doctor to tell him that. It was obvious. Nobody could survive this. And nobody on the world could make Sophie alive again.
The love of his life was dead.
Franz Ferdinand started to cry. Those who heard it later said it had sounded like the howl of a ghost. He took Sophie’s hand, kissed her motionless lips, tenderly closed her unseeing eyes. And stopped crying…
These vermin had killed his one and only love! They were thoroughly going to regret that! He would avenge Sophie! – But… - Who were “They”?
“Potiorek!” he yelled.
“Your Imperial Highness?” Potiorek was sitting opposite him, staring at Sophie and him with wide eyes, still trying to determine what really had happened.
“Don’t sit around, you fool!” Ferdinand roared. “I must know who’s responsible for this. – Serbs? Or Magyars? – They shall regret it! I will smite them! I will destroy them! – Have the bastards interrogated. I don’t care whether they live or die! Find out who is behind this! Hurry up!”
While the interrogators went to work, Franz Ferdinand sat besides Sophie’s corpse in Potiorek’s headquarters, the Konak. He stroked her hands, which started to become cold, kissed her face – while his thoughts ran wild.
He had endured unbelievable insults and curtailments from his family, including first of all the “Mummy” (as he used to call the old Emperor, Franz Joseph I., in his mind). He had fought through all this, had married Sophie, although she never could become Empress on his side because of the Hapsburg house laws. He had been ridiculed and stigmatised, Sophie had been snipped by all the Arch Dukes, their pharisaic wives and their minions. But their love had been stronger than every adversity…
And now this little animal had killed her! But that one must die anyway! Who was behind him? Who had sent him out? - The Magyars hated him as he hated them. The Serbs feared him. The Austro-Germans didn’t like him. The Czechs had no reason to love him.
Impatiently he jumped up, walked some steps, returned to Sophie. Why did these bloody interrogators take so long?
Princip’s frail body did not last through the torture. But he only died after he had cried out everything he knew in utter pain… Čabrinović, who had unsuccessfully thrown a bomb earlier that day, was still alive after his confession, but only hardly so…
“The Serbs!” Potiorek shouted when he entered the room. “The Serbs are behind this!”
“Ah, I suppose there will be riots against the Serbs all over the country.” Franz Ferdinand growled, expressing it like an order. „Don’t care to suppress them. Get your soldiers ready! We are going to smash Serbia! – I will immediately drive to Vienna to get the mobilisation order! – Well, let it be known to the troops: Only a dead Serb is a good Serb!”
Episode 2 – Vienna and Ischl, June 29th, 1914
While in Belgrade Serbian Prime Minister Nikola Pašić paled when he heard the news and muttered: “This is the worst thing that could happen to us… - God damn Dimitrijević and his Black Hand murderers!”, in Vienna Franz Ferdinand had already arrived at the General Staff building. The Chief of Staff, Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, was awaiting him, having only just returned from the Bosnian manoeuvres himself.
“Get ready, we’ll attack Serbia!” Franz Ferdinand roared. “They shall learn to regret what they have done!”
“But, Your Imperial Highness, we are not ready for that… - It will take time.”
Franz Ferdinand towered above the tiny soldier like a bear about to strike out.
“Don’t try to play games with me! You have two weeks! Then the army must be ready! Do you understand!” He was now visibly in rage. Conrad looked up to his cold bright blue eyes and knew that resistance was hopeless.
“I’ll do what I can. – Yes, we will be ready. - But what about Russia?”
“I’ll go to the Germans, they must help us. Wilhelm must help me. – But for you, it’s Serbia first, we’ll care about Russia when Serbia has been destroyed! – And get all these big guns we have” he said, referring to the modern 30,5 cm Škoda mortars, “they will serve us well to crush Belgrade.”
Conrad nodded. The guns had been procured to deal with the Italian and Russian fortresses; now they would see first service against Serbia.
Conrad would have preferred a war against Italy anyway; but yes, Serbia was also a good choice. Perhaps Italy could come after Serbia?
“I’ll go to the Hofburg now to get the mobilisation order. – You can already start work.”
Franz Ferdinand turned and stomped out of the room. After few steps, however, Conrad rushed up behind him and informed him that Emperor Franz Joseph I. had already left for Bad Ischl.
Seething with impatience, Franz Ferdinand ordered a special train to Bad Ischl. In the late afternoon he arrived. The Emperor’s Villa was just opposite the rail station.
At the entrance, the aged Prince Montenuovo tried to stop Franz Ferdinand.
“You cannot see the Emperor right now!”
Franz Ferdinand just shoved his old enemy out of the way, smashing him against the wall.
Montenuovo sank down consciousness.
“You tell me, bloody bastard!” Franz Ferdinand whispered and entered the Emperor’s study.
EmperorFranz Joseph I. was sitting at his writing table reading and signing files as he did everyday from early morning until after dawn, even when on holiday in Bad Ischl – and not out hunting in the mountains.
Franz Ferdinand didn’t waste time, he put the mobilisation order in front of his uncle and said coldly: „Sign here!“
“No, I will not do that.” The ancient ruler said. “After all, you are alive. Only…”
“O yes, only Sophie is dead!” he yelled, shaking the frail old man in uncontrolled rage. “And they will pay for it! Sign this document – or I shall break your miserable neck!”
But that proved unnecessary: Franz Joseph just gaped, shuddered – and grew limp, his eyes wide open.
Surprised, Franz Ferdinand dropped his deceased uncle back into the chair.
“Typical,” he muttered, “Just too old for real life. – Well, I guess that makes me Emperor. – So, I can sign the mobilisation order myself…”
Because Montenuovo was still unconscious, one feared he might have had a stroke, Franz Ferdinand gave his orders to one of the underlings.
He needed a special train from Vienna to Berlin, immediately after he arrived back from Bad Ischl. Foreign Minister Count Berchtold was to come to Berlin with him. Ambassador Szögyeny was to herald his arrival and get him a date with Kaiser Wilhelm II. General Conrad was to see him at the Vienna train station.
Franz Joseph’s funeral and his coronation were to be scheduled for the 3rd and 10th of July respectively. Ah, yes, and three days of national mourning, of course...
THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE
Episode 1 – Sarajevo, Vidovdan (June 28th) 1914
When Gavrilo Princip opened his eyes while lowering his Browning pistol, he stared directly into the bright blue eyes of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The Austrian aristocrat gazed at him as if he was seeing some kind of particularly repugnant creature. There was no blood on him.
But already strong hands were grabbing for him, forcing the pistol out of his hands. Then a fist smashed into his nose and he saw nothing more…
Franz Ferdinand d’Este watched in frozen fascination while security men and Sarajevo citizens overwhelmed the ugly little man that had dared to point a weapon at him.
‘That was close!’ he thought, turned to his beloved wife, Sophie, - and gaped…
Princip’s first shot, intended for Franz Ferdinand, had hit Sophie in the forehead. The second bullet, meant for Military Governor Potiorek, had struck her in the abdomen. She was still sitting upright, her eyes wide open – and was ultimately dead.
Franz Ferdinand needed no doctor to tell him that. It was obvious. Nobody could survive this. And nobody on the world could make Sophie alive again.
The love of his life was dead.
Franz Ferdinand started to cry. Those who heard it later said it had sounded like the howl of a ghost. He took Sophie’s hand, kissed her motionless lips, tenderly closed her unseeing eyes. And stopped crying…
These vermin had killed his one and only love! They were thoroughly going to regret that! He would avenge Sophie! – But… - Who were “They”?
“Potiorek!” he yelled.
“Your Imperial Highness?” Potiorek was sitting opposite him, staring at Sophie and him with wide eyes, still trying to determine what really had happened.
“Don’t sit around, you fool!” Ferdinand roared. “I must know who’s responsible for this. – Serbs? Or Magyars? – They shall regret it! I will smite them! I will destroy them! – Have the bastards interrogated. I don’t care whether they live or die! Find out who is behind this! Hurry up!”
While the interrogators went to work, Franz Ferdinand sat besides Sophie’s corpse in Potiorek’s headquarters, the Konak. He stroked her hands, which started to become cold, kissed her face – while his thoughts ran wild.
He had endured unbelievable insults and curtailments from his family, including first of all the “Mummy” (as he used to call the old Emperor, Franz Joseph I., in his mind). He had fought through all this, had married Sophie, although she never could become Empress on his side because of the Hapsburg house laws. He had been ridiculed and stigmatised, Sophie had been snipped by all the Arch Dukes, their pharisaic wives and their minions. But their love had been stronger than every adversity…
And now this little animal had killed her! But that one must die anyway! Who was behind him? Who had sent him out? - The Magyars hated him as he hated them. The Serbs feared him. The Austro-Germans didn’t like him. The Czechs had no reason to love him.
Impatiently he jumped up, walked some steps, returned to Sophie. Why did these bloody interrogators take so long?
Princip’s frail body did not last through the torture. But he only died after he had cried out everything he knew in utter pain… Čabrinović, who had unsuccessfully thrown a bomb earlier that day, was still alive after his confession, but only hardly so…
“The Serbs!” Potiorek shouted when he entered the room. “The Serbs are behind this!”
“Ah, I suppose there will be riots against the Serbs all over the country.” Franz Ferdinand growled, expressing it like an order. „Don’t care to suppress them. Get your soldiers ready! We are going to smash Serbia! – I will immediately drive to Vienna to get the mobilisation order! – Well, let it be known to the troops: Only a dead Serb is a good Serb!”
Episode 2 – Vienna and Ischl, June 29th, 1914
While in Belgrade Serbian Prime Minister Nikola Pašić paled when he heard the news and muttered: “This is the worst thing that could happen to us… - God damn Dimitrijević and his Black Hand murderers!”, in Vienna Franz Ferdinand had already arrived at the General Staff building. The Chief of Staff, Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, was awaiting him, having only just returned from the Bosnian manoeuvres himself.
“Get ready, we’ll attack Serbia!” Franz Ferdinand roared. “They shall learn to regret what they have done!”
“But, Your Imperial Highness, we are not ready for that… - It will take time.”
Franz Ferdinand towered above the tiny soldier like a bear about to strike out.
“Don’t try to play games with me! You have two weeks! Then the army must be ready! Do you understand!” He was now visibly in rage. Conrad looked up to his cold bright blue eyes and knew that resistance was hopeless.
“I’ll do what I can. – Yes, we will be ready. - But what about Russia?”
“I’ll go to the Germans, they must help us. Wilhelm must help me. – But for you, it’s Serbia first, we’ll care about Russia when Serbia has been destroyed! – And get all these big guns we have” he said, referring to the modern 30,5 cm Škoda mortars, “they will serve us well to crush Belgrade.”
Conrad nodded. The guns had been procured to deal with the Italian and Russian fortresses; now they would see first service against Serbia.
Conrad would have preferred a war against Italy anyway; but yes, Serbia was also a good choice. Perhaps Italy could come after Serbia?
“I’ll go to the Hofburg now to get the mobilisation order. – You can already start work.”
Franz Ferdinand turned and stomped out of the room. After few steps, however, Conrad rushed up behind him and informed him that Emperor Franz Joseph I. had already left for Bad Ischl.
Seething with impatience, Franz Ferdinand ordered a special train to Bad Ischl. In the late afternoon he arrived. The Emperor’s Villa was just opposite the rail station.
At the entrance, the aged Prince Montenuovo tried to stop Franz Ferdinand.
“You cannot see the Emperor right now!”
Franz Ferdinand just shoved his old enemy out of the way, smashing him against the wall.
Montenuovo sank down consciousness.
“You tell me, bloody bastard!” Franz Ferdinand whispered and entered the Emperor’s study.
EmperorFranz Joseph I. was sitting at his writing table reading and signing files as he did everyday from early morning until after dawn, even when on holiday in Bad Ischl – and not out hunting in the mountains.
Franz Ferdinand didn’t waste time, he put the mobilisation order in front of his uncle and said coldly: „Sign here!“
“No, I will not do that.” The ancient ruler said. “After all, you are alive. Only…”
He didn’t get further, Franz Ferdinand grabbed him at the collar and lifted him out of his chair.
But that proved unnecessary: Franz Joseph just gaped, shuddered – and grew limp, his eyes wide open.
Surprised, Franz Ferdinand dropped his deceased uncle back into the chair.
“Typical,” he muttered, “Just too old for real life. – Well, I guess that makes me Emperor. – So, I can sign the mobilisation order myself…”
Because Montenuovo was still unconscious, one feared he might have had a stroke, Franz Ferdinand gave his orders to one of the underlings.
He needed a special train from Vienna to Berlin, immediately after he arrived back from Bad Ischl. Foreign Minister Count Berchtold was to come to Berlin with him. Ambassador Szögyeny was to herald his arrival and get him a date with Kaiser Wilhelm II. General Conrad was to see him at the Vienna train station.
Franz Joseph’s funeral and his coronation were to be scheduled for the 3rd and 10th of July respectively. Ah, yes, and three days of national mourning, of course...