Lyla Lindsey
Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, who ruled from 1848 until his death in 1916, was the target of an assassination attempt in 1853 by Hungarian nationalist János Libényi. However, Franz Joseph's nephew and heir presumptive, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated in 1914 by Gavrilo Princip, a Yugoslav nationalist of Serbian ethnicity. Franz Ferdinand's assassination is considered the most immediate cause of World War I.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Franz Joseph I of Austria |
| Title | Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, Apostolic King of Hungary |
| Birth name | Franz Joseph |
| Father's name | Archduke Francis Charles |
| Mother's name | Sophia, daughter of Maximilian I of Bavaria |
| Uncle | Emperor Ferdinand I |
| Wife | Elisabeth of Bavaria |
| Children | Sophie, Gisela, Rudolf, Marie Valerie |
| Year of Ascension | 1848 |
| Year of Assassination Attempt | 1853 |
| Assassin | János Libényi |
| Assassin's Origin | Hungary |
| Outcome of Assassination Attempt | Survived |
| Year of Death | 1916 |
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What You'll Learn
- Franz Joseph I survived an assassination attempt in 1853
- Franz Joseph's wife, Elisabeth, was assassinated in 1898
- Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914
- Franz Ferdinand's assassination led to Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia
- Franz Joseph's grand-nephew Karl took the throne after his death
Franz Joseph I survived an assassination attempt in 1853
On 18 February 1853, Franz Joseph I of Austria survived an assassination attempt by Hungarian nationalist János Libényi. The emperor was out for a stroll with one of his officers, Count Maximilian Karl Lamoral O'Donnell, on a city bastion in Vienna when Libényi approached and attacked him. The emperor was struck from behind with a knife aimed straight at his neck. Fortunately for Franz Joseph, he routinely wore a uniform with a high collar made of sturdy material, which ended up saving his life. Although the emperor was wounded and bleeding, the collar prevented the knife from reaching his neck. Count O'Donnell struck Libényi down with his sabre, while a butcher, Joseph Ettenreich, who happened to be a bystander, also overpowered the assailant.
János Libényi was a Hungarian journeyman tailor, but the motive for his attack on the emperor was never discovered. In the aftermath of the failed assassination, Johann Strauss composed the "Emperor Franz Joseph I Rescue Jubilee March", which incorporated the Austrian imperial anthem. The Votivkirche in Vienna was also built as an act of thanksgiving for the Emperor's survival.
Franz Joseph I became emperor at a young age, proclaimed at 18 in December 1848 after his uncle Emperor Ferdinand's abdication due to revolution in the Austrian Empire. He was the eldest son of Archduke Francis Charles and Sophia, daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria. The new emperor pursued a cautious course, granting a constitution in March 1849, while also leading a military campaign against the Hungarians, who had rebelled against Habsburg central authority.
Franz Joseph I's long reign was marked by nationalism and several personal tragedies, including the assassinations of his wife, Empress Elisabeth, in 1898, and his nephew and heir presumptive, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in 1914. He died in 1916, after ruling for almost 68 years.
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Franz Joseph's wife, Elisabeth, was assassinated in 1898
Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria suffered numerous personal tragedies during his reign, including the assassinations of his wife, Empress Elisabeth, in 1898, and his nephew and heir presumptive, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in 1914.
Elisabeth, born in 1837, was the empress consort of Austria and queen of Hungary. She married Franz Joseph in 1854 and had four children with him: Sophie, Gisela, Rudolf, and Marie Valerie. She was regarded as the most beautiful princess in Europe and was generally popular with her subjects. However, she offended the Viennese aristocracy by her impatience with the rigid etiquette of the court.
On September 10, 1898, while travelling in Geneva, Switzerland, Elisabeth was fatally stabbed in the heart by an Italian anarchist named Luigi Lucheni. Her assassination shocked the emperor, who founded the Order of Elizabeth in her memory. The autopsy revealed that the weapon had penetrated her thorax, fractured a rib, pierced her lung and heart, and exited the base of the left ventricle. The wound was very narrow due to the sharpness of the weapon and the pressure from Elisabeth's tight corseting, which slowed the haemorrhage.
Elisabeth's death affected the emperor deeply, and he was reassured that her death was not a suicide as he had initially feared. Her will stipulated that a large part of her jewel collection be sold, with the proceeds going to religious and charitable organizations. The rest of her possessions were left to her granddaughter, Archduchess Elisabeth.
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Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914
On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated in Sarajevo. The assassin was Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old Yugoslav nationalist of Serbian ethnicity and a member of Young Bosnia.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary and the nephew of Emperor Franz Joseph I. Franz Ferdinand's assassination led to the July Crisis and Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia. This series of events eventually led to World War I, which began less than two months after the assassination.
Franz Ferdinand was a prominent supporter of the Austro-Hungarian Navy at a time when sea power was not a priority in Austrian foreign policy. He also held significant influence over the Austro-Hungarian military and was appointed inspector general of the armed forces in 1913. His political convictions were described as "clericalism, anti-democratic views, and anti-Hungarianism".
Following the assassination, Archduke Karl became the heir presumptive of Austria-Hungary. Franz Ferdinand and his wife were buried together at Artstetten Castle, Austria.
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Franz Ferdinand's assassination led to Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia
On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student and Yugoslav nationalist of Serbian ethnicity. This assassination was a key event that led to World War I, as it ignited tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, eventually resulting in a declaration of war just one month later.
Franz Ferdinand was the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his assassination sent shockwaves throughout the empire. The assassination was planned and carried out by a group of conspirators within Serbia, including members of the Serbian government and military. In the days leading up to the assassination, there were warnings of a potential plot to kill Franz Ferdinand in Bosnia, and Serbia's ambassador to Vienna conveyed these concerns to Austria-Hungary. However, despite the vague warnings, the plot tragically succeeded.
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife sparked a crisis in July, known as the "July Crisis," during which Austria-Hungary struggled to make critical decisions regarding their response to the assassination. Count Leopold Berchtold, the Austrian foreign minister, and Count Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, the chief of staff for the Austro-Hungarian army, were among those tasked with initial decision-making.
Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia was influenced by a complex interplay of factors, including nationalism, imperialism, militarism, and the alliance system. Additionally, the arms race between nations and the desire to protect their Slavic subjects from Hungarian oppression played a role in Austria-Hungary's decision to go to war. Ultimately, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife served as the catalyst for a series of events that led to the outbreak of World War I, as nations found themselves divided between allies, just four weeks after the assassination.
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Franz Joseph's grand-nephew Karl took the throne after his death
Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, also known as Francis Joseph I, was the ruler of the Austrian Empire and then the Austro-Hungarian Empire for 68 years, from 1848 until his death in 1916. Franz Joseph was the eldest son of Archduke Francis Charles and Princess Sophie of Bavaria. He was married to his first cousin, Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, with whom he had four children: Sophie, Gisela, Rudolf, and Marie Valerie.
Franz Joseph's reign was marked by several personal tragedies, including the suicide of his son Rudolf in 1889, the assassination of his wife Elisabeth in 1898, and the death of his brother, Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, in 1867. Despite these challenges, Franz Joseph was known to be a hardworking and serious ruler, and he was highly regarded both within his empire and throughout Europe. He was fluent in multiple languages, including German, Hungarian, and Czech, and he granted greater autonomy to the various ethnic groups within his empire.
Franz Joseph's grand-nephew, Karl, took the throne after his death, ruling as Emperor Charles I of Austria from 1916 until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. Charles I's reign was brief, lasting only two years, and it was marked by the ongoing turmoil of World War I. He was faced with the difficult task of trying to maintain the integrity of the empire while navigating the complexities of the war.
Charles I was the last Emperor of Austria, and his reign marked the end of the Habsburg dynasty's rule. The collapse of the empire in 1918 brought an end to the long and illustrious history of the Austrian monarchy, which had been a prominent force in European politics for centuries.
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Frequently asked questions
No Austrian emperor was assassinated. However, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was assassinated in 1914.
Franz Ferdinand was the nephew of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. He was the eldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, the younger brother of Franz Joseph.
Gavrilo Princip, a Yugoslav nationalist of Serbian ethnicity, assassinated Franz Ferdinand.
Franz Ferdinand's political convictions were described as "clericalism, anti-democratic views, and anti-Hungarianism". His assassination was considered the most immediate cause of World War I.
Franz Joseph's response to the assassination was: "one has not to defy the Almighty. In this manner, a superior power has restored that order which I unfortunately was unable to maintain." He also confessed to his daughter that it was "a relief from a great worry".
