Franz Ferdinand von Habsburg is an Austrian Archduke and heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. He was assassinated in 1914 in Sarajevo by the Serbian nationalist terrorist Gavrilo Princip. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand became the formal reason for the outbreak of the First World War.
Childhood and youth
Archduke Franz Ferdinand von Habsburg was born in Graz on December 18, 1863. His father was the brother of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph, Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, and his mother was the daughter of the Sicilian king, Princess Maria, the second wife of Karl Ludwig. The first marriage with Margaret of Saxony did not bring children to the Archduke of Austria, and Franz Ferdinand became his first-born. Franz had two younger brothers and a sister, Margarita Sophia.
Franz's mother died early from tuberculosis, and Karl Ludwig married for the third time - to the young Maria Teresa of Portugal. The stepmother turned out to be only eight years older than Franz. The slight difference in age contributed to the fact that warm relations were established between Maria Teresa and her young stepson. friendly relations, which ended only with the death of Franz Ferdinand at the age of fifty.
Heir to the throne
Franz Ferdinand began preparing for his accession to the throne at the age of 26, after the only son and direct heir of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, Crown Prince Rudolf, committed suicide at Mayerling Castle. So Franz Ferdinand found himself next in line after his father to inherit the throne. And when Karl Ludwig died in 1896, Franz became a contender for the throne of Austria-Hungary.
The young Archduke's future required a good knowledge of what was happening in the world, so in 1892 he set out on a long trip around the world. The route ran through Australia and New Zealand to Japan, and from there, changing ships, Franz Ferdinand went to the west coast of Canada, from where he sailed to Europe. During the trip, the Archduke took notes, on the basis of which a book was later published in Vienna.
The Archduke was also entrusted with the role of the emperor's deputy in matters of supreme command of the troops. By the will of Franz Joseph, the Archduke from time to time went abroad on representative missions. At the residence of Franz Ferdinand - the Belvedere Palace in Vienna - the Archduke's own office, consisting of advisers and associates, operated.
Personal life
The Archduke married Sophia Chotek, a countess from the Czech Republic. The future spouses met in Prague - both were present at the ball, where their love story began. The chosen one was lower in origin than the Archduke, which entailed a difficult choice - the Archduke had to renounce either his right to the throne or his plans for marriage. According to the law on succession to the throne, members of the imperial family who entered into an unequal marriage lost their rights to the crown.
However, Franz Ferdinand managed to come to an agreement with the emperor and convince him to reserve the rights to the throne in exchange for the renunciation of these rights, which the Archduke would give for his own unborn children from this marriage. As a result, Emperor Franz Joseph gave permission for the marriage of Sophia Chotek and Franz Ferdinand.
The Archduke had two sons and a daughter, who, like her mother, was named Sophia. The Archduke's family lived either in Austria or in a Czech castle southeast of Prague. The court elite treated Sofia Chotek unkindly. Emphasizing the “inequality of the clan,” Sophia was forbidden to be near her husband during official ceremonies, which negatively affected Franz Ferdinand’s relationship with the Viennese court.
Murder and its consequences
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the revolutionary nationalist organization “Young Bosnia” operated on the territory of Serbia, whose members decided to kill the Austrian Archduke while visiting the city of Sarajevo. For this purpose, six terrorists were selected, armed with bombs and revolvers. The group was led by Gavrilo Princip and Danilo Ilic.
Franz Ferdinand arrived in Sarajevo with his wife on the morning train. The couple got into the car, and the motorcade moved along the route. Along the entire route, the Archduke was greeted by crowds of people, and for some unknown reason there was little security. The terrorists were waiting for their victim on the embankment.
When the car with Franz Ferdinand inside approached the place where the conspirators were hiding, one of them threw a grenade at the motorcade. However, the terrorist missed, and the explosion injured bystanders, police officers, and people who were traveling in another car.
Having happily escaped the first assassination attempt, Franz Ferdinand and his wife went to the city hall, where the Archduke had a meeting with the burgomaster. After the official ceremonies were over, one of the Archduke's close associates advised, for the sake of safety, to disperse the people who were still crowding the streets.
The Archduke planned to go further to the hospital, and from there to the Sarajevo Museum. After the assassination attempt, it seemed unsafe for the Archduke's associates to move along the route surrounded by a crowd. To these concerns, the Hungarian governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Oscar Potiorek, responded that Sarajevo was not at all infested with murderers and there was nothing to be afraid of.
As a result, Franz Ferdinand decided to go to the hospital to visit people who were wounded during the assassination attempt, and his wife wanted to go with him. On the way, a strange incident occurred: it was decided to change the route, but for some reason the driver followed the previously agreed route, and this mistake was not immediately noticed. When the driver was asked to turn onto the embankment, he braked sharply and stopped the car at the corner of Franz Josef Street, and then began to slowly turn around.
Exactly at that moment, terrorist Gavrilo Princip came out of a store nearby, ran up to the car with a pistol and shot Franz Ferdinand’s wife in the stomach, and then shot the Archduke himself in the neck.
After committing a double murder, the terrorist tried to poison himself potassium cyanide, but nothing happened - he just vomited. After this, Gavrilo Princip tried to shoot himself, but did not have time to do this, because the people who ran up disarmed him. There is an opinion that the driver in the Archduke’s car was somehow connected with the conspirators and helped them, but there is no reliable and convincing information on this matter.
The Archduke's wife died on the spot, and Franz Ferdinand himself died a few minutes after being wounded. The bodies of the couple were taken to the governor's residence. After the death of the Archduke due to the fault of Serbian nationalist revolutionaries, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia. Russian empire provided support to Serbia, and this conflict marked the beginning of the war.
Memory
Now the Archduke is remembered by the Sedm Kuli beer brand, produced by the Ferdinand brewery. The Archduke himself was at one time the owner of this brewery, and the name of the beer refers to the seven bullets that the terrorist fired at the Archduke.
In 2014, celebrating the centenary of the First World War, the postal departments of the countries participating in the war issued thematic stamps dedicated to this event. Several stamps depicted portraits of the Archduke and his wife.
A rock band from Great Britain was named after Franz Ferdinand in 2001.
On June 28, 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, were killed in the center of the Bosnian city of Sarajevo. The assassination attempt led to a chain of events that a month later plunged all the leading states of the world into a protracted war that buried the old patriarchal Europe. Despite the fact that the details of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand are thoroughly known to researchers, there are a huge number of “blank spots” associated with it. It is still unclear who pushed the “Black Hand”, for what reason minimal security measures were not taken in Sarajevo and, finally, who benefited from disturbing the peace of “old Europe”.
I. Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who became heir to the Austrian throne after the death of his father Karl Ludwig in 1896, was during his lifetime and remained after his death one of the most mysterious political figures. The Austrians themselves express the most conflicting views regarding the supposed intentions and influence of this sphinx. Many considered him the head of the Austrian militarists who were seeking a preventive war against Italy or Serbia; others, on the contrary, believed that his direct influence on Austrian politics was small. There were also those who believed that the heir to the throne was almost a pacifist.
The same divergence was observed regarding his views on domestic policy. It was usually believed that he hated the Magyars and was inclined to patronize the Serbs. He was credited with the intention of reviving the monarchy by granting the Slavic nationalities the same political rights that the Germans enjoyed in Austria and the Magyars in Hungary. In other words, he was considered a supporter of the federalist organization of the monarchy on the basis of so-called trialism, instead of the existing dualism.
But the fanatical Serbs had a blind hatred of him as a powerful and determined enemy and oppressor and believed that he should be killed in the name of creating a “Greater Serbia.” Indeed, at the trial of the Sarajevo murderers in 1914, Gabrinovic, who threw the bomb, frankly stated: “The heir to the throne was a man of action - I knew that there was a clique on Baalplatz called the military party, whose goal was the conquest of Serbia. It was headed by the heir to the throne. I believed that by choosing him as the object of revenge, I would take revenge on them all.” The principle who fired the fatal shots defiantly declared at the trial: “I have no regrets, for I have removed an obstacle from our path. He was a German and an enemy of the South Slavs."
The Russians also considered him their enemy and were glad that the Tsar got rid of him thanks to the Sarajevo murder. “Not only in the press, but also in society one hears almost nothing but hostile reviews about the murdered Archduke; indicate that Russia has lost a fierce enemy in him,” reported the German ambassador from St. Petersburg. Meanwhile, the German emperor wrote in the margins of this report one of those notes in which he freely expressed his innermost thoughts and immediate impressions: “The Archduke was the best friend of Russia, he wanted to revive the alliance of the three emperors.”
But the erroneous and contradictory judgments about the Archduke that were widespread during his lifetime are nothing compared to what was expressed about him after his death. They said that he was hatching a plot to overthrow his uncle from the throne, that he, in alliance with Emperor Wilhelm, wanted to destroy the dual monarchy, seize Poland and Venice and create two new states, which were subsequently to be ruled by his sons, but German Austria was to withdraw German Empire as a reward for services rendered by Emperor Wilhelm. Dark hints were made that his tragic death was caused by the connivance of the Austrian authorities, who wished to prevent the implementation of these fearful intentions, or at least wished to compromise Serbia and thus obtain a pretext for the destruction of the neighboring kingdom. According to other rumors, his murder was caused by the fact that, being a zealous Catholic, he was going to attack Italy and restore the temporal power of the Pope. One very popular German author devoted half a chapter of his book to proving that the murder of the Archduke was decided by the Freemasons of the Scottish Lodge, which carried out this decision through the Masonic Lodge in Belgrade.
But where is the truth about this among these contradictory gossip and rumors? mysterious man, whose death was the spark that ignited the European fire?
Franz Ferdinand was born on December 18, 1863, the eldest son of Karl Ludwig, brother of Emperor Franz Joseph. His consumptive mother, the daughter of Ferdinand II, the last Bourbon king of the Two Sicilies, died when he was still a child, but he was raised with great love by his stepmother, a Portuguese princess. When he was young, he was not looked upon as a possible heir to the throne until the tragic death of Crown Prince Rudolf at Meerling in 1889 left Franz Joseph without a direct heir in the male line.
Therefore, Franz Ferdinand initially received no training in political matters. Like most Austrian archdukes, he was assigned to the army and intended for a military career. He was never particularly in good health, perhaps due to a predisposition to consumption that he inherited from his mother. At times this predisposition took on a threatening character, and more than once he had to spend several months in Brijuni or Miramar, on the warm shores of the Adriatic. Here he became very interested in the problem of creating an Austrian fleet. To improve his health, he also traveled to Switzerland, to Davos, and in 1892–1893 he undertook a 10-month trip around the world. In the fateful spring of 1914, some predicted that the elderly emperor, who was 84 years old, would still outlive his nephew, who had just turned 50 years old.
The diseased lungs seem to have affected to some extent the lifestyle and character of Franz Ferdinand. The painful condition did not have a softening effect on his character. It seemed to him that fate had treated him unfairly, and this developed in him a desire to avoid society. The undisguised haste with which many, especially from the court circle, abandoned the Archduke when the heir became seriously ill and it seemed that he would no longer be able to take the throne, embittered him, although he was not by nature friendly. He developed even more distrust of others and contempt for people in general.
It is also possible that his painful condition further strengthened his deep devotion to the Catholic Church - especially after he married a devout Catholic. And this strengthened his iron determination to overcome all obstacles and prepare for the task of governing the Habsburg state. He learned the languages of the nationalities he was to rule. He also listened to lectures by scientists on various fields of knowledge, and over time, a rather impressive museum was formed from his collections in natural history and art. He dealt with issues of organizing and improving the army, and subsequently the creation of the fleet, with persistent energy and showed remarkable abilities in this area.
After the Archduke married and had to take care of his family, he spent a significant part of the year in Konoshipt, where he created an exemplary farm, which, like Wallenstein, he ran with quite a lot of profit for himself. It is possible that this firm determination to live contributed to the fact that in recent years his health has improved somewhat. But he never managed to free himself from the desire to stay away from society and the general public.
He had very few close friends, and he did not try to make any. In this regard, the remark he made to Konrad von Hetzendorff is very characteristic. The discussion was about how to organize the production of officers in the army. The Chief of the General Staff said that he considered it necessary to maintain a good opinion of a person until he learned something about him that discredited him, and that therefore he sometimes gave promotions to young officers too recklessly. The Archduke responded to this: “We hold different views. You start by thinking that every person is an angel, and then you are sadly disappointed. I consider everyone I see for the first time to be the most mediocre person and wait for him to do something that could earn me a better opinion.”
With such an attitude towards people, it was, of course, difficult to acquire a good reputation; this can partly explain the hostile and malicious gossip that circulated so widely in Vienna regarding the Archduke and his wife and was repeated in many reports from representatives of the powers of the Entente. But the few friends with whom he was close, who saw him sitting on the floor and playing with children, like his secretaries or Emperor William, were deeply devoted to him.
The article we bring to your attention is dedicated to the heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose murder served as the formal occasion to the outbreak of the First World War. The article is written somewhat tendentiously, with a clear monarchical bias, but is of some interest, as it briefly describes the life path of a difficult person who was going to inherit the imperial Austrian and royal Hungarian thrones.
Throne of Austria-Hungary
Archduke of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine Franz Ferdinand Carl Louis Maria d'Este ( Franz Ferdinand Karl Luis Maria Habsburg-Lotaringen d’Este) was born in Graz on December 6 (19), 1863, and was the first-born in the August family of Archduke Karl Ludwig - the youngest August brother of the Emperor and Knight of St. Andrew Franz Joseph I (1830–1916).
Like many other Habsburgs, he was destined for a military career, which he, serving regularly, gradually built. No one imagined that he could become the heir to the throne, because the August son of the Emperor, Rudolf, was young and healthy.
The first big event in the life of Franz Ferdinand occurred in 1875. Suddenly the young Archduke, who did not have much wealth, became very rich. After much debate, he received the fabulous inheritance of the extinct family of Italian princes d'Este and the title of the last Duke and St. Andrew's Knight of Modena-Este, Franz V. Together with the family name, he gained a fortune, becoming one of the richest people in Austria-Hungary.
After 14 years, another event happened, immeasurably more important for him. On January 30 (February 12), 1889, the favorite of Austria, Crown Prince and Knight of the Imperial Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, Rudolf (1858–1889), committed suicide in Mayerling Castle. The august father of Franz Ferdinand was declared heir to the throne, but everyone understood that the Archduke and Cavalier Karl Ludwig (1833–1896), three years younger than the 59-year-old Emperor Franz Joseph I, had no chance of becoming the new emperor. And therefore, Franz Ferdinand, already in 1889, actually became the successor to the throne, which he immediately felt from the emperor’s changed attitude towards him. He was quickly promoted to major general, then received the rank of field marshal and, in addition, the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In the 1890s, the Archduke traveled a lot around the world. In 1891 he paid a visit to St. Petersburg, where he was wonderfully received. Sovereign Emperor Alexander III The peacemaker met Archduke Franz Ferdinand at the station; he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called by the Most High.
This was followed by a multi-month voyage around the world on the warship Empress Elisabeth, during which Archduke Franz Ferdinand distinguished himself as an excellent hunter and as an outstanding writer (he left an interesting travel diary).
At the age of 30, the Archduke suffered from a serious illness - tuberculosis. He had to leave his service and undergo persistent treatment for several years, mostly staying at climatic resorts. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, with the help of God, managed to cope with an illness that was then considered almost incurable. He recovered sharply - from 67 to 97 kg; all his life he then had to beware of bad weather and colds, but the heir to the throne preserved himself for his loved ones and Austria.
After the death of the August Father on May 19 (June 2), 1896, 35-year-old Franz Ferdinand was declared heir to the Austrian and Hungarian thrones.
Because of his inherent coldness and caution, Emperor Franz Joseph I did not spoil his nephew very much with his affection and very carefully allowed him to approach state affairs. The cool relations established between them were also facilitated by the unexpected self-will shown by the heir in matters of the heart.
August family
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was in no hurry to get married, but when he was ready for marriage, his choice shocked everyone. Once, even before his illness, he saw a representative of the old Czech nobility, Countess Sofia Chotek von Chotkow-und-Woinin - and immediately fell in love. The story was romantic: the lovers met secretly for many months; then, when everything was revealed, the emperor did not give the heir consent to the morganatic marriage for almost a year. In the end, he gave in to the persistent August nephew.
On June 28 (July 11), 1900, the 36-year-old Archduke entered into a morganatic marriage with Sophia Maria Albina Countess Chotek von Hotova und Wognin (1868–1914), who came from an ancient Bohemian family. The Emperor did not come to the wedding, but granted the crowned bride the title of Princess, and in 1909 - Duchess of Hohenberg. However, the August children from this marriage did not have the right to occupy the Austro-Hungarian throne in the future.
The couple lived in perfect harmony. A few years later they already had an August daughter and two August sons. In Vienna, Princess Hohenberg was openly bullied by her Habsburg in-laws, so the couple preferred to live outside the capital, especially since the Archduke had plenty of castles. As a permanent residence, he chose Konopiste Castle in the Czech Republic, which he bought back in 1887 from Prince Lobkowitz for 6 million guilders. The historic building, which once belonged to Wallenstein, was extensively rebuilt to house the numerous collections collected by Archduke Franz Ferdinand around the world.
The heir's favorite pastime was hunting. The legend that he shot 300,000 animals during his life is unlikely to have any basis, but it is true that tens of thousands of pheasants lived in the Konopišti lands, and that once 2,140 partridges and pheasants were shot during his hunt is true. It was assumed that Konopiste and his other Czech estate, Chlumec, would go to the August Sons, but history decided otherwise: after 1918, both estates were confiscated by the Czechoslovak government. Between the wars, the August sons of Archduke Franz Ferdinand fought a long process for the return of family property, but lost it.
Political Views
The Archduke's political views were moderately conservative and very balanced.
He was inclined towards the idea of trialism, i.e. wanted to enhance the Slavic component in the dual monarchy; he was very respectful towards Russia and believed that fighting with her would be disastrous; did not overestimate the importance of the alliance of his Catholic power with Protestant Germany. It is paradoxical that the Habsburg who was most inclined towards the Slavs was killed by the Serbs. He did not experience any fear of a possible assassination attempt, and everyone understood that anything could happen in Bosnia, stating more than once that his life was constantly in danger.
Austrian statesman Ernest von Plener wrote about Franz Ferdinand: “ Cruel, domineering, intolerant, capricious, hot-tempered, however, despite all the shortcomings, this was not a prince seeking pleasure, a waster of life; Franz Ferdinand is a strong personality, he had great political ambition».
On March 29 (April 11), 1898, he was appointed deputy commander-in-chief of the Austro-Hungarian army, commanded by the emperor himself.
From 1906 the Archduke received Active participation in resolving foreign policy issues, placing people from his circle in important positions. He was one of the initiators of the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, which should be discussed in detail.
Austria-Hungary, under the pretext of building a railway through the Novo-Bazarsky Sanjak, was the first to violate the status quo in the Balkans, to which Russia reacted painfully. Sovereign Emperor Martyr Nicholas II the Long-Suffering, receiving the Austrian Ambassador Ehrenthal on February 15 (28), 1908, told him that He values the friendship of Emperor Franz Joseph, although this friendship has never been popular in Russia, but He intends to continue it in the future, “ although this task is made very difficult for Him" This meant public opinion in Russia, the actions and attacks of the press, etc. At this time, “by the way,” the Young Turk revolution took place in the Ottoman Empire, the proclamation of a constitution, which created a legal precedent for the revision of the conditions of the world powers to Turkey, in particular to governance its provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
At this very time, Baron Ehrenthal on September 24 (October 7) announced the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary, explaining this step by the need to give these provinces representative bodies so that the local population would not be at a disadvantage compared to the Turkish possessions. At the same time, Prince and Cavalier Ferdinand of Bulgaria proclaimed the complete independence of Bulgaria and assumed the title of Tsar. Both of these acts were undoubtedly unilateral refusals to comply with the obligations contained in the Berlin Treaty.
The annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was perceived painfully in both Russia and Serbia, considering this action the first step towards establishing Austrian hegemony in the Balkans and the unauthorized annexation of Slavic lands by Austria. The Slavic movement in Russia and the Balkans has noticeably revived. France and England also reacted negatively to Austria's decision. Serbia was waiting for Russia to intercede, and the Sovereign Martyr avoided aggravating the further conflict in Europe, which threatened world war.
Austria-Hungary decided to take the opportunity to assert its dominance in the Balkans by force, and began to threaten Serbia with war if it did not recognize the annexation. Serbia responded that this issue should be resolved by an “international tribunal.” The situation was becoming threatening. At this moment, Germany made a proposal for mediation, informing Russia about it. After some deliberation, Russia agreed to annexation, which resolved the conflict. However, the Bosnian crisis left a deep mark on international relations and, ultimately, became the detonator of a future war.
At this very time, the head of his military chancellery, A. Bron von Aarenau, had great influence on Archduke Franz Ferdinand. It was he who carried out a number of reforms in the Austro-Hungarian Army and was one of the founders of the Austro-Hungarian Navy. The Archduke himself was a categorical opponent of the creation of an independent Slavic state in the Balkans. He put forward the idea of trialism - the transformation of a dual Austria-Hungary into a triune - Austro-Hungarian-South Slavic state under the rule of the Habsburgs.
He believed that the Hungarian ruling circles had too much power in the country, and trialism was supposed to limit the rights of the Hungarian nobility, which inevitably led to a conflict with the Hungarian Prime Minister I. Tisza, who stated: “ If the heir to the throne, having become emperor, opposes Hungary, I will raise a national revolution against him" So the Archduke made enemies in his own country.
Opponent of war
In December 1912, the Archduke achieved the appointment of General F. Conrad von Getzendorf, a supporter of decisive and aggressive actions against Serbia, to the post of Chief of the General Staff. However, Franz Ferdinand himself was a supporter of the peaceful position of Austria-Hungary, considering the war with Serbia to be madness.
A proud German, a deep conservative and guardian of the centuries-old foundations of the Habsburg Monarchy, the Archduke unexpectedly showed an essentially revolutionary initiative. Being a wise politician, Franz Ferdinand foresaw that the Slavic peoples, who were citizens of his empire, would undoubtedly lead it, sooner or later, to collapse, dismembered into shreds. To prevent this, he began to insist in Vienna on equal rights for the Slavs, on an equal basis with the Austrians and Hungarians, hoping to finally tie the Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Galicians, Croats and Serbs to the Habsburg throne.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand showed himself to be an excellent geopolitician. He did not tolerate Russians, but said: “ I will never wage a war against Russia. I will sacrifice everything to avoid this, because the war between Austria and Russia would end with either the overthrow of the Romanovs, or the overthrow of the Habsburgs, or perhaps the overthrow of both dynasties... A war with Russia would mean our end. If we do anything against Serbia, Russia will side with it and then we will have to fight the Russians».
Warning the Chief of the Austrian General Staff, Konrad von Gotzendorf, who was eager to fight, the Archduke directly pointed out those who benefited from the war: “ War with Russia must be avoided because France is inciting it, especially the French Freemasons and Anti-Monararchists who seek to cause a revolution to overthrow the Monarchs from their thrones».
And so it happened. The organizers of the assassination knew well who they decided to eliminate and what consequences this murder would cause.
By the way, back in 1912, in one of the Western publications, a prediction of a certain Masonic figure appeared ahead of time: “ The Archduke is condemned and will die on his way to the throne».
On August 17 (30), 1913, he was appointed by the Emperor as Inspector General of the Armed Forces of Austria-Hungary, thus occupying the highest military post in the country. The opponent of the war with Russia and Serbia at the head of the army, you see, is a clear target for the other party.
For decades, Emperor Franz Joseph managed to maintain imaginary prosperity in his huge multinational, but collapsing empire from year to year, pitting competing regions against each other. However, in 1914, the elderly emperor was already 84 years old, and most of His powers were transferred to the hereditary Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The Archduke, being the inspector general of the armed forces of the empire, intended to visit the capital of Bosnia, the city of Sarajevo, in this capacity.
Traveling through the Balkans, Archduke Franz Ferdinand could not help but feel the hostility towards his person on the part of the local Orthodox population, and he must have understood the riskiness of such a trip, especially since there were rumors about his planned murder. Even Jovan Iovanovic, the Serbian Minister in Vienna, found out about them. Iovanovic warned the Archduke about the danger threatening him, but he, as one would expect from his character, shrugged it off and on June 24 (July 7), together with his wife, Duchess Sophia, went south.
Major maneuvers in Bosnia were scheduled for June 1914, and this was tied to St. Vitus Day - the anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, when Turkish troops defeated the Serbs, and Serbia fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Such a demonstration was a clear insult to the national feelings of the Serbs. However, without this, the fate of the heir was sealed by many supporters of the war in Europe.
The Archduke and his retinue spent the night of June 28 (July 11), 1914, at the Bosnia Hotel in Ilidce, fifty kilometers southwest of Sarajevo. In accordance with the program, the distinguished guest was to attend a reception at the city hall, and then a trip around the city was planned to explore its sights.
Plan and execution of the murder
As it turned out later, in the crowd that greeted Archduke Ferdinand as he passed by (June 28) on July 11, 1914, there were no less than seven terrorists who belonged to the secret Serbian society “Black Hand”, whose motto read: “ Unification or death».
The charter of the Black Hand society was published at one time. I quote the first two points (there are 37 in total): “ 1) This organization is created for the purpose of achieving the national unity of all Serbs. Every Serb can join it, without distinction of gender, religion or place of birth, as well as all persons who sincerely sympathize with its goals. 2) This organization prefers terrorist activities to ideological propaganda. Therefore, it must remain completely secret to people outside of it..."According to Article 35, members of the Black Hand swore allegiance to it." before God, who warms me with the sun, who nourishes me with the earth and the blood of my ancestors" According to Article 33, death sentences imposed “ Supreme Central Government", were carried out, " whatever the method of execution may be"; this obviously means the knife, the bomb and the poison on the society's seal.
The charter and seal sufficiently clarify the character of the “Black Hand”. It was a society of the Carbonarian type, but it did not trace itself back to Adam or Philip of Macedon and did not set itself world goals. It was led by determined people, who apparently used skulls and daggers to influence the romantic nature of youth. The task of the society was purely national: to liberate Bosnia, which had recently been forcibly captured by the Austrians.
The physical killer of the Archduke, 19-year-old high school student Gavrilo Princip, also belonged to the Black Hand. The society was headed by Colonel Dragutin Dimitrievich, who at the same time headed the intelligence service of the Serbian General Staff. Members of the Black Hand knew him under the pseudonym Apis.
As soon as Dimitrijevic-Apis received a message about the Archduke's intention to visit Sarajevo, he decided to carry out the assassination attempt, easily finding three students (Nedeljko Kabrinovic, Trifko Grabec and Gavrilo Princip) who were eager to take part in it, since terrorism was in fashion at that time among the youth of Europe.
Apis presented this opportunity to the members of the “Black Hand”, and forced them to repeat the full oath of the secret society: “ With the sun that warms me, with the earth that nourishes me, with the Lord, with the blood of my ancestors, with my honor and life, I swear allegiance to the cause of the Serbian national idea and the readiness to give my life for it" Each was given a pistol and a grenade, and a little later six more bombs, four Brownings and a dose of potassium cyanide to commit suicide to avoid arrest. Apis organized their passage across the Bosnian border. There they holed up for some time in the house of Danilo Ilic, a member of the society's branch in Sarajevo.
Following Apis' instructions, Ilic accepted four more volunteers who volunteered to kill the Archduke. According to historian Robert Ergang, " several members of the Serbian cabinet, including the prime minister, knew about the plot, and if they had the intention of stopping the assassination attempt, they would have easily dealt with it».
Tragedy Day
On June 25 (July 8), 1914, the heir to the Austrian throne, 50-year-old Archduke Franz Ferdinand d'Este, arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina on a warship. Maneuvers were held here, at which he was supposed to be present as Inspector General of the Austrian Army.
The maneuvers went well; On June 28 (July 11) the political part of the visit was supposed to take place: the heir’s ceremonial passage through Sarajevo and a visit to self-government bodies.
That day, the Archduke and his wife Countess Sophia Chotek got up early and managed to attend morning mass before leaving. At 9:30 a.m., four open cars drove off from the hotel; at the beginning of eleven, the motorcade slowly moved along the Appel embankment along the Milyachka River.
Franz Ferdinand, who wanted the people to be able to get a good look at the future emperor, was dressed in the uniform of a cavalry general (blue uniform, black trousers with red stripes, a high cap with green parrot feathers), his August wife was wearing an elegant white dress and a wide hat with an ostrich feather.
Everything was solemn and festive. 24 volleys of welcome fireworks had already thundered over the city, people on the embankment were waving their hands, shouting greetings in German and Serbian languages. The ringing of bells floated in the air: the churches celebrated St. Vitus Day.
The cortege, heading to the town hall, had already reached the Tsumurya Bridge, when suddenly a certain young man from the crowd waved his hand and threw some object at the heir’s car. The object either hit the folded canvas roof or was deflected by the Archduke's hand - in any case, it flew under the wheels of the escort vehicle and exploded there with a deafening roar. It was an assassination attempt. The thrown bomb was filled with nails, which wounded twenty people in the crowd and two officers from the heir's retinue. He himself was not injured at all; the Countess's neck was slightly scratched.
There was confusion on the embankment. The cars stopped, shrouded in dust and acrid smoke, and some of the victims screamed wildly. One of the officers rushed at the young man who threw the bomb; for some reason, a policeman who happened to be nearby began to interfere with him. Meanwhile, the terrorist (he turned out to be Nedeljko Gabrinovic) managed to take poison out of his pocket, swallow it and throw himself into the river. The poison had no effect on him, and he was eventually captured right in the shallow water.
Before ordering them to quickly move on, the Archduke also inquired about the condition of the wounded. He was beside himself with anger, and when in the town hall the city mayor Fehim Curcic, unaware of the assassination attempt, began a flowery speech, abruptly interrupted him with the words: “ Mister Headman! I came to Sarajevo on a friendly visit, and here I was greeted with bombs. This is unheard of! Okay, continue".
After welcoming Curcic, Franz Ferdinand regained control of himself and delivered his prepared speech, improvising at the end in German: “ I am heartily grateful for the joyful ovation that the population prepared for me and my wife, especially since this is how they express their joy on the occasion of the failed assassination attempt", and in Serbian " Please convey my heartfelt greetings to the people of your beautiful city and testify to my affection and gratitude" Then he inspected the columned hall of the town hall and ordered to go to the hospital to visit the wounded officers.
This time the cars were going faster. Next to the heir still sat the August Consort and the military governor of Bosnia, General Potiorek. Count Harrach jumped onto the left step of the car with his saber drawn. At the corner of Franz Josef Street, Potiorek noticed that they were going the wrong way and abruptly ordered the driver to change the route. The car slowed down and, hitting the sidewalk, stopped.
By an unfortunate coincidence, the next of the trained terrorists (there were six of them on the embankment in total) - 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip - was standing right in this place, a couple of meters to the right of the car. After Gabrinovich’s failure, he rushed feverishly through the streets, managed to swallow a cup of coffee in a coffee shop, and now looked numbly at the Archduke’s carriage. He recognized the heir to the throne and, grabbing a revolver from his pocket (there was no time to fiddle with a bomb), began to shoot. It was 10:50 am.
The first bullet tore the Archduke's carotid artery, the second interrupted his wife's abdominal aorta. The cap with the green plume flew off, the white dress was stained with blood. The Countess, not at all aristocratic, slid to the floor like a lifeless doll. Both passed away. Last words heir were: " Sophie, Sophie! Don't die for your children!" The Countess was brought to the Government Palace already dead, Archduke Franz Ferdinand breathed unconsciously for another fifteen minutes.
Meanwhile, Princip, the shooter, was captured on the embankment. The first to rush at the killer was a random Serbian student, then the gendarmes and officers came running. Princip desperately resisted, tried to swallow poison and shoot himself; they didn't give it to him. It was only by chance that the bomb he was carrying did not explode in the dump. Princip was beaten a lot, struck several times with a saber (later in prison he had to have his arm amputated). Miraculously, an amateur photographer who happened to be nearby filmed almost the very moment of the assassination attempt - but no one yet knew that the Sarajevo shots meant the beginning of a big war.
Emperor Franz Joseph I buried his August nephew and his wife very restrainedly, if not dispassionately. He placed two white gloves on Duchess Sophie's grave. This meant that he considered her only a lady of the court. However, the Austrian government decided to make the most of the murder.
The apologies made by the Serbian side could well have satisfied the Austrians (at least at that moment), but Vienna was firmly determined to defeat Serbia, and no longer paid attention to anything. Germany was unable to reason with the Austrians.
Investigation and verdict
The police arrested many conspirators. 25 people were brought to trial, and among them were Ilić, Grabec and Popović.
The trial lasted a week, after which the verdict was announced. Ilic, recognized as the leader of the conspirators, was sentenced to death penalty; Principe, Kabrinovic and Grabec - to twenty years of hard labor, Popovic - to thirty years' imprisonment. For most of those convicted, this meant a slow death. And so it happened. Kabrinovic and Grabec died of tuberculosis and malnutrition two years later. Princip, who fired the fatal shots, lived until 1918. And only Popovich managed to serve his entire sentence and be released as an elderly man.
Princip, as a minor, was not sentenced to death by an Austrian court. The sentence given to him was strange and complex: twenty years in prison, with one day of complete fasting per month and imprisonment in some special punishment cell on each anniversary of the Sarajevo case. This sentence is alien in spirit to Russian or French legislation. However, in the vast majority of countries Princip would probably have been executed. He was tried in a public court, to which journalists were allowed. He was not subjected to torture either during the investigation or later in custody. On the contrary, he was treated, in his own words, well.
He was not naturally in poor health. During his arrest, he was wounded; later the wound opened and became serious: his arm had to be amputated. The dungeon in which he sat before being transferred to the hospital was cold and damp. Princip developed consumption. The conditions were quite favorable for her. During the war, especially at the end of it, all Austrians, with the possible exception of very rich and very clever people, were in a state of chronic malnutrition. It is not difficult to imagine how they fed in prisons, especially those convicted in such a case. It is unlikely that Princip died of hunger; he died from a combination of hunger, wound and severe moral suffering.
Sad news reached him about the Great War. The news of the retreat of Russian troops in 1915 made a terrifying impression on Princip. With the thought that everything was lost, Princip died in April 1918, at the time of the highest - last - successes of German weapons, three months before the start of the offensive of Marshal Foch.
The killer died completely alone, completely unnoticed - there was no one in the cell. The next morning the sentry noticed that this prisoner, so sensational in the world, was lying very motionless on his bed. They called the commandant, the doctor, everything was as it should be. " The man who started the world war" was dead.
They buried him at night, somewhere in a field. An Austrian soldier, a Slav by origin, who was present at this night funeral, wrote down, as best he could, where exactly in the field the murderer of the heir to the Austrian throne was buried. Based on the soldier's note, the body was subsequently found. Princip's remains were transported to his homeland. His second funeral was completely different.
On the very street in Sarajevo where the crime was once committed, there is the Gavrilo Princip Museum - a museum in honor of the killer who gave rise to the outbreak of the First World War. There is also a bridge in honor of him.
Echo of tragedy
In connection with this murder, 25 days later - July 23 (August 5), Austria-Hungary presented an ultimatum to Serbia, which contained demands that violated its sovereignty - the introduction of a limited contingent of troops into the territory of Serbia to protect the Austrian citizens who were there, as well as access to investigate the murder Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his August wife investigators from Vienna.
Serbia expressed its readiness to accept the main points of the ultimatum, but on July 27 (August 9) Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Thus, with the assassination in Sarajevo, the Great World War of 1914–1918 began, the first conflict on a global scale, in which 38 of the 59 independent states that existed at that time were involved.
About 73.5 million people were mobilized; of these, 9 and a half million were killed and died from their wounds, more than 20 million people were wounded, 3.5 million were left permanently crippled. But the main thing is that three Christian empires, which had been in family ties for more than one century, were destroyed. The greed and pride of some destroyed everything that was created with such efforts of the Monarchs.
They do not like to remember the day of July 11 in Europe, including in fraternal Serbia, which is an unacceptable insolence and frivolity. And this at a time when the smoke of subsequent wars has not yet cleared and threatens to once again envelop the peoples of this God-protected land of Christian martyrs.
In the year of the 90th anniversary the beginning Great War 1914–1918 We should especially pray for the souls of all the killed and tortured Christians, whose sorrowful count began with the gunshot on July 11th.
Sarajevo and Archduke Franz Ferdinand
"Your Highness, follow you in better world an unprecedented retinue will follow...” The drawing with this inscription, which appeared at the beginning of the war, is probably memorable to most readers of the older generation. The man whose death entailed the greatest catastrophe in world history was not particularly outstanding people. The few friends of Archduke Franz Ferdinand say that he was honest, hardworking, conscientious and naturally possessed good abilities. Apparently, this is close to the truth, and this is not so little; and all the rulers of that Europe benefit from comparison with the majority of the present ones. But almost nothing else can be said about Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He was, of course, not the most brilliant of the Habsburgs and was significantly inferior in talent to the Austrian Emperor Maximilian. He also did not have that style that makes Franz Joseph such a picturesque figure in a purely artistic sense.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwik Joseph Maria (he used only his first two names) was born in Graz on December 18, 1863. His father, Archduke Karl Ludwig, the emperor's younger brother, was married three times. Franz Ferdinand was the son of Charles Ludwig's second wife, Archduchess Maria Annunziata (of the House of Bourbon); She died early, and he was raised by his father's third wife, Archduchess Maria Theresa. He received an ordinary, Habsburg upbringing - I won’t talk about it again - he studied mainly history and genealogy: Franz Ferdinand had 2047 ancestors belonging to 112 ruling families - I will add that, as stated in their genealogy, we are talking only about “historically proven ancestors”: there were also unproven ones.
He became the heir to the throne only much later, already as an adult. During Franz Ferdinand's childhood and adolescence, no one had any idea that he could become Franz Joseph's successor; Crown Prince Rudolf, the general favorite of Austria, was young, healthy and strong. Franz Ferdinand, like most Habsburgs, was destined for a military career. But his military career did not go too quickly - for an Archduke. True, he received his first officer rank when he was fifteen years old, but then in 10 years he only rose to the rank of major. A peculiarity of his service was that, for reasons unknown to me, he constantly changed both the regiment and the type of weapon: first he served in the 32nd Infantry, then in the 4th Dragoons, then in the 102nd Infantry and, finally, in the 9th hussar All these were provincial and not very aristocratic regiments. In his service, the Archduke was distinguished by his serviceability. General Voinovich, in his later work, “The Heir to the Throne as a Soldier,” speaks with great praise of his military talents. However, Franz Ferdinand could not demonstrate these talents anywhere, and in this regard he was no exception. Apart from some Russian generals who participated in the Japanese war in command posts, and even partly Hindenburg, almost all the commanders of 1914-1918 had never seen a real war before.
His brothers, Archdukes Otto and Ferdinand Karl, were brought up with Franz Ferdinand. In their early youth they were connected by the closest friendship; they later separated forever. In the Habsburg family, the “genius” of children was much less mandatory than in ordinary bourgeois families: Franz Joseph could not stand geniuses. In any case, in the house of Karl Ludwig, it was not the eldest son who was considered a candidate for genius, but the second, Otto, “child of the sun,” “das Sonnenkind”: apparently, a very capable man indeed. Subsequently, he greatly occupied the Viennese gossips with his countless novels, as if he surpassed Crown Prince Rudolf himself in this. “Champagne, gypsies and ballet, this is Otto every evening,” writes a contemporary. The Archduke died in an atmosphere, if not tragic, then at least painful; Only the artist, who was his last love, visited the dying man.
In the fate of all three brothers, love played a decisive role. The third son of Karl Ludwig, as a young man, arbitrarily married the daughter of a professor at the Vienna Institute of Technology, Chuber. This caused the greatest scandal. Franz Joseph, who clearly did not want to become related to the Chuber family, became completely furious. The criminal archduke was deprived of his orders, title, name and rights as a member of the reigning dynasty. By order of the emperor, the very mention of him was erased from the Habsburg genealogies, there is no such Habsburg! He was left with an annual rent of 45 thousand crowns and a castle in Meran, without the right to live in any other city in Austria. Ferdinand Karl settled abroad and took the name Ferdinand Burg. According to Nikisch-Bulles, who was close to the sons of Karl Ludwig, the unequal marriage turned out to be unhappy, and “the Archduke, in despair, began to seek oblivion in alcohol.” He never met the imperial family again. Much later, after the Sarajevo murder, Ferdinand Burg turned to Franz Joseph with a request for permission to come to his brother’s funeral. The elderly emperor gave this permission - for one day! - and he also specifically ordered that no one should title his disgraced nephew as Archduke (that’s what this strange man was thinking about the day after the murder of the heir to the throne, on the eve of the World War, in his ninth decade of life). According to an eyewitness, the Austrian officers disobeyed the order and pointedly called the criminal “Your Highness” that day.
I will say more about the marriage of Franz Ferdinand himself further. As you know, this marriage was also unequal: but, unlike Ferdinand Charles, the heir to the throne did not dare to confront the emperor “with a fait accompli” and in the most respectful form filed a petition for permission to marry Countess Chotek. After much trouble on the one hand, after exhortations and incantations on the other, Franz Joseph agreed to the morganatic marriage of Franz Ferdinand, although he did not show much mercy here either. This will be discussed further. Before that, we need to touch on another event, which also had great significance in the life of the Archduke. Not yet heir to the Austrian throne, he suddenly became the owner of the name, titles and wealth of the last Duke of Modena.
From time immemorial, the ruling family of the princes d'Este thundered in Italy. It was extremely difficult to outdo them in antiquity: probably, in order to kill the possibility of any competition, they traced their family back to the Trojan king Priam - such a genealogy, indeed, cannot be surpassed by anything. About the clan d" Este has written more than one book. The history of Italy and Italian art is closely connected with this family. Their reputation was much better than that of Sforza, Gonzaga or Borgia (as is known, one of the d'Este was the last husband of Lucrezia Borgia), although among them there were ferocious tyrants: for example, Nicolo III, having learned about the sinful affair of his wife Parisina , ordered to cut off her head, and at the same time all the women of Ferrara convicted of adultery. But in general, cultured and enlightened people prevailed among them. Perhaps the first large printing house in Europe was established by the princes d'Este. They also founded the University of Ferrara. Petrarch was a friend of Nicolò II. Ariosto was less fortunate: Cardinal d'Este, brother of Hercules I, rejected the manuscript of "Orlando furioso", and even allegedly called the poet a "fool". The favor and disgrace, the successes and misfortunes of Torquato Tasso at the Ferrara court are quite well known. They enjoyed the patronage and orders of this almost all the great artists, sculptors, and architects of the Renaissance were in the courtyard.
The immense wealth of the family is associated with this, partly as a cause, partly as a consequence. The famous Villa d'Este in Tivoli, near Rome, with its gardens and fountains, which Michelangelo considered the best in the world, was not cheap for the son of Alfonso I, but the tens of thousands of ducats spent on it turned into many millions of lire over the centuries. In addition to collecting art treasures, The prosperity of the historical family was greatly facilitated by the financial transactions of its Jewish bankers and even more happy marriages: it became related to the Habsburgs, the Valois, and the Bourbons. The Este princes knew how to get along with everyone. Thus, Borso I received the Duchy of Modena from the emperor for “the wonderful reception given to Frederick III in Ferrara.”
The family of Este, in fact, died out in the 18th century with the death of Hercules III, who left no male offspring. But the daughter of this last descendant of Priam was married to Archduke Ferdinand, brother of Emperor Joseph II, and the duchies of Modena, Reggio, Mirandola passed to the new one, of the Habsburg branch of the family. Their last sovereign was Francis V, who actually ruled in the Duchy of Modena until the war of 1859. After this war, he lost his possessions, but retained enormous wealth scattered throughout. different countries Europe.
In 1875, Francis V died childless, leaving a will of 500 pages, “the most complex will of the era,” “incredibly casuistic,” says a German memoirist. Several kings, princes and pretenders to the throne could lay claim to the centuries-old wealth of the d'Este family (the Count of Chambord was married to the sister of the Duke of Modena). In addition to general civil laws, the testator took into account very complex rules, which determined the order of inheritance in various reigning houses, and in particular in the Habsburg family. It’s difficult to understand all this, and even if I did, I wouldn’t bore readers with the thoughts of the best lawyers in Europe. Apparently, the disputes soon ended in amicable agreements, and most of the wealth passed to the young Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He had enough titles of his own, but from then on he began to be called Franz-Ferdinand von Oesterreich-Este.
Chapter 7. Franz Ferdinand Karl Ludwig Joseph von Habsburg Archduke D'Este
Lovers and mistresses. A cheeky boy. The Crown Prince is without trousers. Threesome. Tragic ending. Pay.
A most wonderful man, they said, kind and benevolent - in a word, noble.
These are the words from the notes of the collegiate assessor Kondraty Filimonovich Voropaev, sent to the Archduke’s retinue with an assurance of friendship from the Moscow Governor-General.
Bright, kind, tender-hearted, my friend and beloved husband.
This is what his wife Sophia wrote about Franz.
And here is the story that was told to me when I arrived in Austria to find the origins of the rumors that Franz Ferdinand was a man of not the most noble impulses and very ambiguous actions. But since for the Austrians the figure of their precious Archduke is akin to the face of the Mother of God, I did not expect to find anything reprehensible in the archives. I knew that the archive and library were plundered after the First World War, and some of the documents surfaced in private collections. Countess Palenskaya, known among private lovers of all kinds of correspondence, once let it slip that she was ready to talk about her collection of letters (which, as I understand it, includes personal letters from Franz and Sophia), but for a decent reward. I was a little surprised: what else was the reward? But Jerry reassured me - you should just sleep with the lady. I opened my mouth. Ruben laughed at me:
Did you think that only girls get their way through bed?
I swore.
Nothing, nothing, maybe she won’t like you yet, although,” he looked at me with an appraising glance, “most likely, get ready to be a gentleman.”
It was, in fact, in such an “elated” mood that I arrived in Austria. Sitting in a tiny cafe, I waited for a man to come to a meeting, whom I had been recommended to in Paris in a closed society of hound hunting lovers. I didn’t go into the details of the “non-disclosure of rules and recommendations,” but I realized: the dogs there hunt not only for hares or deer. But I was told to be silent, and I was silent. In the end, my interest lay solely with Franz Ferdinand.
Hello,” I looked at the man who approached and stood up, answering the handshake. He introduced himself:
Orlov, Andrey Ignatievich.
Bale Chris. Shall we sit down?
Orlov turned out to be completely unlike any of his illustrious ancestors. Slouched. Stocky. And only in the eyes is the greatness of the ancient noble family. Sighing, I thought: “Here are the nobles for you.” We ordered coffee, a couple of cakes, and somehow I immediately got down to business without my usual shyness about the fact that I was communicating with someone of special noble blood.
Andrei Ignatievich,” I had difficulty pronouncing the complex name, “when I read Churchill’s correspondence, the legendary hunt in the spirit of
Actually, I didn’t really count on a detailed story, naively believing that the archive had really been completely destroyed, and that what was saved would not be sold to a simple reporter. And I was wrong.
People were poisoned by dogs. - Orlov began without preamble. His voice was dull, deep, and pleasant to the ear. I immediately remembered the night DJs who managed to inspire frankness with just their voices. - They hired all kinds of rabble, ready to die for a copper coin, and let the pack loose. The main requirement is the ability to run fast.
They were specially checked - there were people in the service of the Archduke who received salaries precisely to make the hunt exciting. For hunters, of course. The victims were often buried afterwards. Who will look for a tramp about whom not a single living soul cares?
Most often we went out on Fridays. There were a lot of guests at the estate, no one wanted to refuse. Although, apparently, many were against such fun. Whatever you say, people are people, and even dogs can’t get sympathy out of some of them. At least to serfs, or to equals. Some people opened schools for the children of their yard servants. I tried to teach somehow, supported a doctor again. This was especially true for women. Often they found self-realization in this. Some were even proud of their role as village educators. True, Franz did not invite women to such hunts. At least this was part of his nobility. Or maybe he just didn’t want to listen to a woman’s squeal, who knows. The Archduke borrowed a joke from a Russian friend. The friend was about sixty years old at that time, and he still remembered the times of serfdom in Russia.
I didn’t specifically invite, but some still came on their own. Wearing elegant Amazons from the best tailors, some of them took real pleasure from such a hunt. They returned from the performance flushed, happy, and did not refuse the offered glass.
What about your ancestor? Still hunting, excitement? Or was he turning away? - I sarcastically, unable to resist. And he got what he deserved.
Why did he turn away? It was impossible to turn away. Turn away, show weakness - that's it. Although some had nothing to lose. He was.
My interlocutor ended the conversation that day. He probably didn’t like the fact that I didn’t speak very politely about his ancestor. I had to call and apologize. “Here,” I think, “is a stubborn Russian bear!” And he still paused - he waited while I chose my words. But he agreed to come to the meeting. And now I have already decided that I will not tell him anything unnecessary: the Russian hereditary nobleman’s temper, it turns out, was very strong.
I suppose that Orlov himself was haunted by the information about hunting, and he wanted to use it somehow, but did not know how. I decided that I would definitely help him come up with something. Andrei Ignatievich chose a good evening, needless to say - the last thunderstorm of the year broke out, the rain lashed the window, creating that very atmosphere of a “scary story”.
Was the pack big? - I bring up a burning topic.
Thirty greyhounds. And it’s all like a choice - Franz loved and took care of dogs more than any other person.
Still, I don’t believe in such fun. Is it really that simple: dogs, travel - and people who can be bullied at any moment, shot, in the end?
“You want me to describe the details to you,” he nods, not even bothering with a questioning intonation. - Well, there will be details for you. I know your journalistic bread - you would just like something hotter, wouldn’t you?
All I could do was remain modestly silent, and, apparently, my interlocutor was content with this.
The departure was scheduled for the morning. We had been gathering at the Archduke's since the evening. An ordinary evening. Quiet, almost homely, except for the number of guests. Cards. Cigars. A little schnapps. No frills.
Franz, judging by Orlov’s notes, was a neat guy. He didn’t like laxness, lack of obligation - what we now call carelessness. There was no talk about weakness as a phenomenon of human character. And he considered the state of a hangover to be a weakness.
Everything happens for the first time. My ancestor once went on such a hunt for the first time. You know, no one told newcomers what kind of sacrifice it was. They called the person on whom the pack would later be unleashed a hare, sometimes a fox if it was a woman. But foxes visited very rarely, literally several times in four years. Apparently, there was still something of a noble man left in the Archduke.
It was strictly forbidden to mention before the hunt who exactly would be hunted. Talking about the peculiarities of the Archduke's hunts in society is the same. Franz Ferdinand’s company was valued by many, and there were no people who wanted to be known as an unreliable person or a source of gossip.
Count Orlov described his first hunt of this kind in great detail.
Frankly, I’m even sorry that I don’t have a photographic memory; my nanny can accurately reproduce every word for you. And I regret much more that the diary, along with many of my documents, was lost in a fire. I have no idea who wanted to set my house on fire. I never did harm to anyone. I have nothing to envy - I didn’t have much money. Apparently, there are people for whom causing grief and pain to another is already a reason for joy. By the way, the Archduke was not a sadist. Rather, he was too gambling a person for whom baiting an animal no longer brought proper moral satisfaction. Pale. Ordinary. It's boring in the end. Although I myself am a fan of hound fox hunting, I could never understand what the joy of baiting a person could be, no matter what that person might be. But everything is in order.
It was dawn. The departure was planned early - the fog had not yet had time to clear, if the day promised to be sunny. That day turned out to be sunny after the overnight rain, which had started to pick up since the previous afternoon. It was autumn, and the yellow leaves were probably crushed under the horses’ hooves and trampled into the mud of the well-trodden roads.
The Count was filled with curiosity. Not knowing anything specifically about the upcoming hunt, I was incredibly intrigued by the mystery that surrounded the departure. The hunters shared their impressions with joy, but everything was somehow general, without details, stopping short and stopping themselves. The count, who was only about twenty years old at that time, even stood up in the saddle to look at possible game. And then the horn blew. The huntsmen raised the "hare". And in an instant the hunt took off. Everything was drowned in a loud barking of dogs, the greyhounds almost crawled over the ground, sensing the trail. And people followed them - the horses flew at a trot through the open forest, the riders did not notice the thin branches whipping, occasionally touching their clothes, they only squeezed the reins tighter, completely submitting to the general excitement. The Oryol trotter did not let the Russian count down, and he was soon almost ahead of the entire hunt - almost on a par with the last greyhounds of the pack. Standing up in his stirrups again, he tried to make out the hunted game.
After the count examined the picture that presented itself to his eyes, he rushed forward, spurring the trotter. The pack, instead of a hare, attacked some tramp and now chased him through the underbrush. The tramp stumbled, fell, got up covered in mud and again ran as fast as he could. Several linden leaves stuck to his coat. The man ran barefoot and, judging by the way the dogs behaved, his feet bled. The greyhounds did not rush yet - they only drove further and further through the underbrush. Apparently, they were strictly trained not to tear the victim before the command. The Count was about to raise his blackamoor over the first dog of the pack when he heard an angry shout. Turning around, he saw that it was the Archduke himself who was shouting. Having approached closely, he mockingly inquired what the Russian count was going to do and whether he wanted to deprive the entire society of the pleasure of hunting, and the Archduke himself from the best greyhound of his pack? Franz Ferdinand ordered his guest, if he did not want to completely quarrel with him, to take further part in the hunt, “which, judging by the current hare, promises to be exciting.”
You know. - Andrei Ignatievich suddenly turned away from his story. - Diaries are such a funny phenomenon. For example, the graph quotes this phrase exactly. And I remembered it the first time, word for word. Although there is nothing aphoristic in it. I for a long time I read and re-read Count Orlov’s diary, thought about what was written there, but it was this scene, the scene of the hunt for a man, that for some reason was most strongly etched in my memory. And of course, who am I to judge my ancestor? But sometimes it seems to me that he was in vain to stay hunting then. But he stayed.
The Russian count set his horse at a trot, keeping pace with the pack, which was chasing the exhausted man through the forest in circles and from side to side. No dog ever got close enough to the victim to vomit. Only deafening barking and chattering of teeth surrounded the tramp. And then one greyhound couldn’t stand it—apparently, the smell of blood excited her more than the others, and she grabbed the edge of what looked like an overcoat in which the skinny little man was wrapped. She grabbed it and knocked the victim to the ground. He rushed, rolling, slipping out of his shabby clothes like a snake, and again began to run, stupidly waving his arms, wobbling from side to side. Hunters circled around him, trying not to miss a single detail of the spectacle. Finally the little man fell, covering his head with his hands, curled up into a ball. The dogs crowded around, growling. Just about - and they will rush and begin to gnaw on the exhausted victim.
And only then was Franz Ferdinand’s sharp, abrupt command heard. The huntsmen ran up and took the dogs away. The horn sounded, signaling that the persecution was over. The hunters excitedly discussed how hardy the “hare” was this time and whether to use his services in the future, the next time the man lay down. The lively hubbub died down only when one of the huntsmen leaned over the still motionless man. He turned it over and, rising, looked at the Archduke. The hardy and nimble “hare” was dead. My heart couldn't stand it.
But probably such incidents often happened on hunts organized by Franz Ferdinand. Because the huntsmen quickly carried away the body. The conversation, having died down for a while, soon resumed, and only the Russian count still could not come to his senses.
But has he been on similar hunts since?
Been there. But understand, this is the first impression. No one else died under him, and some things smooth out over time.
He fell silent. I was silent too. The picture was too vivid before my eyes. Until you feel the taste of blood on your lips and the smell of hounds:
Don’t consider me cynical, Andrei Ignatievich, but I would advise you to sell this story to Hollywood.
Cold look.
If the diary reaches the Archduke's heirs, an international scandal may break out.
But you're going to use these materials, aren't you?
The look is the same.
I will use a lot of information, Mr. Orlov, but I have a reliable rear, so I am not afraid of persecution.
Orlov squinted and finally grinned:
You are a typical journalist, Mr. Bale, the life of information in any reliable or unreliable form is important to you, right?
I smiled slightly in response and nodded.
That’s it,” Orlov stood up. - I prefer to do without Hollywood nonsense.
I stood up too and shook the outstretched hand.
Thanks for the story and sorry if I offended you in any way.
Empty, Mr. Bale, we Russians are not very touchy, only mindful,” and, having paid for the coffee, he left the cafe. I sighed involuntarily. I suspect I won’t have to write about hound hunting now. Or just cover it outside of Europe.
The next day I sat in the library and reread for the hundredth time the meager lines from the encyclopedia:
Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Austrian Archduke and Prince of Este, heir presumptive of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, whose assassination sparked World War I. Born on December 18, 1863 in Graz, the eldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig, younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph.
I took the following encyclopedia, dictionary, research materials and read the same lines everywhere, that the murder of Franz unleashed the First World War. The Archduke, of course, is not the last figure on the political arena of the early 20th century, but this figure was by no means installed in order to keep powers on the brink of war. Historians have long ago proven the inevitability of war, but it was not the murder of a playboy and, essentially, a very short-sighted politician that became its cause. The division of influences was inevitable, and the minutes counted. Then they exchanged the figure of the cruel, despotic and outspoken Archduke. After all, it was Franz Ferdinand who could tell any of the ladies at a reception that her dress made her look fat or, on the contrary, that her breasts had become more seductive thanks to a well-chosen corset. It was he who, when meeting with the ambassadors of Great Britain or Russia, smiled an all-knowing smile and, with his eyes twinkling mockingly, asked:
Well, gentlemen, when is the war?
It was he who appeared with his mistress, the Polish Zosia Zamoyska, on his favorite hunt, publicly kissed her on the mouth, and then could openly lag behind the cavalcade and make love to the girl right by the road.
And it was he who loved to poison the peasants with dogs.
Isn’t it true that such a person is too common a name to be called a bone of discord?
Deliberately, the same Countess Palenskaya told me, who wanted some kind of reward for secret correspondence, but I gained access to the correspondence through her assistant, an enterprising girl, young and flexible in her choice of means in all respects.
Among the letters I found several romantic messages from Sophia to her husband and quite frank ones that Franz exchanged with Zamoyska before her marriage. For example, “hills topped with delicate strokes of pink chocolate” were discussed in great detail, which led me to assume that the Polish girl’s nipples were pink. And other little things that are exchanged in confessions with sex partners. Naturally, the secret of the Archduke’s death was not revealed in these letters.
And according to the official version, Franz Ferdinand and his wife were shot dead on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo (Bosnia). The Archduke wanted to cover his wife with his body, but as a result both were killed. I could have wondered endlessly why the scandalous Franz was killed if one day I had not received a letter from Jerry. When I printed it out, I read only one name in it - Rudolf.
Of course, Rudolph! How could I forget that there was also Rudolph! In 1889, tragedy occurred at Mayerling Castle. Crown Prince Rudolf - son of Emperor Franz Joseph - was found shot dead along with his mistress Maria Vetera. Doctors declared suicide. Frankly speaking, judging by the way the crown prince was described by his contemporaries, he could have committed this act because he was famous for his frequent depression, increased susceptibility and gullibility to the most ridiculous rumors and gossip. Constantly under pressure from his father, Rudolf, unlike Franz, was unable to refuse the imposed marriage and was forcibly married to the Belgian Princess Stephanie, a girl who was by no means pleasant in appearance and had a rather meager mind. Of course, the emotional and ardent young man was not happy, and this marriage eventually fell apart, depriving Belgium of its authority in the political arena late XIX century.
Rudolf received a terrible scolding from his father. Franz Joseph, it must be said, was a man of such an unbridled temper that he did not hesitate to openly raise his hand against his son. Patriarchal to the core, he never shied away from corporal punishment. At the same time, he remained a subtle diplomat, a wise politician and the smartest person. But that evening the prince's imperial trousers were pulled down, and his bare bottom was flogged in the most brutal manner. The guard at the door to the imperial chambers stood with their hands over their ears - under pain of death, they were forbidden to listen to what was going on in the closed room. And in the evening, the court doctor fed Rudolf, who was sobbing like a boy, and changed his compresses. The crown prince fell ill from such treatment and almost fell into melancholy, but Franz threatened a second flogging, and the heir was forced to appear for breakfast, hide his tear-stained eyes and listen to his father’s comments about a certain warrior who behaved worse than a woman (the emperor was never embarrassed by strong expressions).
The Crown Prince, being a man of rather gentle disposition, was still distinguished by one very important quality for the future emperor. He knew how to make decisions. And achieve your goal. Gradually, the father forgave Rudolf for his trick with the divorce and turned a blind eye to the fact that the heir had acquired a mistress with whom he happily spent everything free time. True, he also did not launch the science of governing the country, as evidenced by the respectful glances of Franz Joseph and the way he groaned contentedly when his son reported something at military councils.
The boy grew up to be a worthy successor to his father.
And this, unfortunately, was seen not only by the emperor, but also by his opponents. The united Austria-Hungary was a fairly strong monarchy, and Franz Joseph - the only monarch then reigning - had a very close relationship with the Roman Catholic Church. This is what turned the emperor into a useful ally and a very inconvenient rival.
The Church was richer and in many ways more literate than many politicians of those times, Cambridge University professor Dr. Irdiss Rerner told me. “She distributed the funds wisely, and concluded exceptionally profitable deals. As a result, the richest state and centralized power were in her hands. Pope Leo XII never interfered in the political relations that were taking shape in those years, but his voice was decisive in the secret meetings, which, like the salons of the Republic of 1793, sometimes played a decisive role in the life of states.
Who did Rudolf interfere with?
To everyone, Mr. Bale, and above all to the allies, who suspected that the strengthening of Austria-Hungary would sooner or later lead to cooperation with Germany. Bismarck is the smartest chancellor, but even he recognized the future in a united Europe. That is why he was so irritated by the alliance between France and Russia. A union of countries with completely different paths of development, with deep contradictions that could take Europe very far from the development of capitalist relations.
It sounds a little dry,” I smiled, remembering that history had always confused me with these general concepts: “capitalist relations”, “world revolution” and so on.
Nevertheless, the murder of Rudolf is the result of a conspiracy, although Franz Ferdinand took direct part in it.
I rolled my eyes:
How did you take it?
Eh, my friend, do you know that the Archduke would have received the right to become emperor if he had not been killed?
Yes, of course, but.
“And the fact that he was an inveterate ladies’ man,” the professor unceremoniously interrupted me, “did you know that?”
Yes, I read the correspondence, but...
And lastly, did you know that Franz had a love affair with the young Baroness Maria Vetera?
“I didn’t know,” I sincerely admitted.
That’s it,” Dr. Rerner nodded edifyingly, leaning back in his chair with pleasure, “when I was young, I was in Prague, in a very pleasant house, and saw a marvelous collection of paintings and entries from this Maria’s diary.
I still sat with my mouth open.
This girl,” my interlocutor continued calmly, “recorded everything in detail, like an obedient schoolgirl, including her romantic nights with both gentlemen.
And then everything was simple: by chance or by conspiracy with someone, Franz Ferdinand one evening, when they were having fun in the castle as usual, quarreled with Rudolf. They pulled out pistols. The Baroness screamed and rushed out of the bedroom in what she was wearing. The Crown Prince killed her at the door. Mary's very expensive Persian carpet and very expensive cambric chemise were soaked in blood. A puddle spread across the parquet, but the men did not look at the floor. They looked at each other. Franz's bright, bulging eyes glared unkindly at Rudolf's face. He was only in trousers, barefoot and without a shirt. But there was a weapon in his hand. The Archduke was undressed, lying on the bed, and one still had to reach out to his weapon, which was on the bedside table.
Shoot,” he calmly squinted, “no one can see, prove that you are a real man.”
Rudolph flushed and silently raised his hand. The black barrel looked straight into the forehead. Franz didn't flinch. Didn't scream. Nodules appeared on the cheekbones, and the lips curved in a predatory, contemptuous smile. And then what they call providence happened. The Crown Prince slipped, one bare foot ended up in a pool of blood, and his sock slipped slightly. The heir twitched with disgust and looked away from Franz for a split second. He didn’t need any more, because he was enlisted in the army from childhood, and from about the age of seven the boy was already happily climbing on gun carriages, beating drums and getting close to guns. At nine he knew how to shoot pistols.
Rudolf saw the weapon in Franz’s hands and immediately pulled the trigger. He answered. Calmer, decisive and experienced, he, of course, did not miss. The room, which a few minutes ago had been filled with the scent of sandalwood, cigars and pleasure, was filled with the smell of blood, gunpowder and burnt bones. The bullets fired from the Archduke's weapon broke Rudolph's ribs and tore his heart to pieces.
Two weeks later I met with Jerry Reuben and, as always, showed him my notes.
I just don’t understand, the organization controlled Franz Ferdinand?
Was it at those closed meetings whose participants were more powerful than monarchs?
Nod again.
He couldn't refuse?
“I couldn’t,” Jerry finally put down the papers, “a quiet life with the woman he loves in a world where everything is subordinated to war requires reliable guarantees.” He was offered to assist in the murder, and in return was given the opportunity to choose. It was either a monarchy or a safe haven, and the fact that he chose the latter did not hinder the Clan in any way.
Indeed, Franz Ferdinand married Countess Sophia Chotek, a Czech aristocrat, but not a Habsburg heir. Marrying her deprived the Archduke's heirs of the right to claim the throne. Franz agreed. Thus, the dynasty ended with his death.
Who killed him?
“Oh,” Jerry automatically finished his cold coffee, “some kind of fanatic in Sarajevo.” The ideological idiot decided that he was fighting a tyrant. The Archduke would have been killed anyway, because Franz Joseph essentially no longer had weight in the political arena, and Europe needed bloodletting.
I shuddered again at Ruben's calm cynicism.
The clan needed a war, don’t you think that the death of some heir could disrupt our plans?
Why kill Sofia? - I asked angrily.
She was killed by accident, just like Diana Spencer. (Thin smile.) For company, for love, for passion. In my opinion, a beautiful death! What do you think?
Quiet laughter. I grabbed my papers and almost flew out of the cafe. Jerry began to laugh louder after me.
I couldn’t understand what scared me so much about this story. Some Serbian fanatic killed Franz Ferdinand, his beloved wife, and left his children orphans simply because the Clan thought: Europe needs war?.. A sacrifice so unnecessary that it is impossible to comprehend why it was made. If we follow the logic of Jerry Reuben, then it turns out that everyone associated with the Klan should be prepared that their time could come at any moment? Or simply understand that life is not an absurd series of accidents, but a chain of patterns that occur in a person’s life due to the commission of one or another action. Blood for blood, or what? But there lives the son of Marilyn Monroe - the man who actually killed his mother. Yes, he didn’t pull the trigger and he didn’t add sleeping pills to the champagne, but he made her suffer! And then I hear Jerry’s voice in my ears: “Is she his?” And she is his. Franz Ferdinand killed Rudolf. And he himself choked on blood when he was shot, and his beloved woman was dying in his arms. What is this? Maybe a pattern that is compliance with the law of balance, retribution, if you like? I am not a priest, not a philosopher and, unfortunately, not the Lord God, I just know: if a person commits an atrocity, redemption can be no less bloody...
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