He was worried that Ferdinand's plans to grant concessions to the South Slavs would make an independent Serbian state more difficult to achieve. Dimitrijevic considered Franz Ferdinand a serious threat to a union between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia. The leader of the group was Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic, the chief of the Intelligence Department of the Serbian General Staff. Zerajic was a member of the Black Hand (Unity or Death) who wanted Bosnia-Herzegovina to leave the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1910 a Serb, Bogdan Zerajic, had attempted to assassinate General Varesanin, the Austrian governor of Bosnia-Herzegovina, when he was opening parliament in Sarajevo. A large number of people living in Bosnia-Herzegovina were unhappy with Austro-Hungarian rule and favoured union with Serbia. When Potieoek made it clear that his wife, Dutchess Sophie would also be made welcome, Franz Ferdinand agreed to make the visit.įranz Ferdinand knew that the journey would be dangerous. A promoter of naval expansion and military modernization, Ferdinand was popular with the armed forces and in the summer of 1914 General Oskar Potiorek, Governor of the Austrian provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina, invited the Inspector of the Armed Forces, to watch his troops on maneuvers. In 1913 Franz Ferdinand was appointed Inspector General of the Austro-Hungarian Army. Over the next few years the couple had three children: Sophie (1901), Maximilian (1902) and Ernst (1904). The only people of the royal family who went to the ceremony was Franz Ferdinand's stepmother, Maria Theresia, and her two daughters. It was also pointed out that Sophie would not be allowed to accompany her husband in the royal carriage nor could she sit by his side in the royal box.įranz Josef did not attend the wedding. He was allowed to marry Sophie von Chotkovato but it was stipulated that her descendants would not be allowed to succeed to the throne. In 1899 Emperor Franz Josef agreed a deal with Franz Ferdinand. Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Pope Leo XIII all made representations to Franz Josef on Franz Ferdinand's behalf arguing that the the disagreement over Ferdinand's marriage was undermining the stability of the monarchy. Franz Ferdinand insisted he would not marry anyone else. To be an eligible partner for a member of the Austro-Hungarian royal family, you had to be descended from the House of Hapsburg or from one of the ruling dynasties of Europe. The couple fell in love but although Sophie came from a noble Bohemian family, she was not considered a suitable woman to marry Franz Ferdinand. When he died in 1896, Franz Ferdinand became the new heir to the throne.įranz Ferdinand had first met Sophie von Chotkova to at a dance in Prague in 1888. The succession now passed to Franz Ferdinand's father, Carl Ludwig. In 1889, Crown Prince Rudolf, the son of Franz Josef, shot himself at his hunting lodge. While in the army Ferdinand received several promotions: captain (1885), major (1888), colonel (1890) and general (1896). His military career included service with an infantry regiment in Prague and with the hussars in Hungary. Educated by private tutors, he joined the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1883. ▼ Primary Sources ▼ Archduke Franz Ferdinandįranz Ferdinand, eldest son of Carl Ludwig, the brother of Emperor Franz Josef, was born in 1863.
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