Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of I Heart Radio
Speaker 1: and Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankie listener Discretion advised
Speaker 1: Oscar Potoreac's reign as the Austro Hungarian Governor General of
Speaker 1: Bosnia did not get off to a good start. Oscar
Speaker 1: was a career military officer with graying, close cropped hair
Speaker 1: and a thick mustache, and he was appointed governor general
Speaker 1: in nineteen eleven. He had arrived in Sarajevo, Bosnia's capital city,
Speaker 1: and been shocked to find it a hotbed of Serb
Speaker 1: nationalism and anti Habsburg sentiment. In response, Oscar enacted a
Speaker 1: plan of oppression. He suspended the parliament and censored the press,
Speaker 1: and called in additional troops. Surprisingly, none of that did
Speaker 1: much to endear the people of Sarajevo to their Habsburg rulers.
Speaker 1: Despite the tension, in September nine thirteen, Oscar Potriarch invited
Speaker 1: the heir to the Austro Hungarian throne, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand,
Speaker 1: to visit the following year. You might think that such
Speaker 1: a visit in such a context would call for heightened security,
Speaker 1: but the planning for the Archduke's visit was surprisingly laxadaisical,
Speaker 1: even as Heinsett would reveal negligent. Potioac had refused to
Speaker 1: allow additional soldiers into the city, and much of the
Speaker 1: security fell to the sixty police officers from the city's
Speaker 1: forces scheduled to be on duty that day, the twenty
Speaker 1: eighth of June nineteen fourteen. The chief of police was horrified.
Speaker 1: He tried to tell Potiorec that more security was needed.
Speaker 1: Potiorex scoffed, telling the chief of police, you see phantoms everywhere.
Speaker 1: He dismissed the chief's advice that the Archduke's route be
Speaker 1: kept private, and instead Potiorek allowed it to be published
Speaker 1: ahead of the visit. He ignored warnings from Bosnian politicians
Speaker 1: and from Austrian politicians, from military intelligence and members of
Speaker 1: his own staff, all about the potential dangers of the visit,
Speaker 1: and yet despite seeming to have done nothing at all
Speaker 1: in terms of security arrangements, Potoreac insisted that he had
Speaker 1: it all under control. Soon enough, it would become crystalline
Speaker 1: clear that he did not. The Archduke of Austria Hungary
Speaker 1: would visit Sarajevo on June twenty eighth, nineteen fourteen, and
Speaker 1: the event would begin with a bombing and end in
Speaker 1: bloodshed within a month. That day would spark the deadliest
Speaker 1: conflict that the world had ever seen. I'm Danishchwartz and
Speaker 1: this is noble blood. Just a year into her marriage
Speaker 1: to Archduke Carl Ludwig, Princess Maria Annunciata of the Two
Speaker 1: Sicilies was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Her delicate condition was made
Speaker 1: worse by bearing four children in quick succession. Afraid of
Speaker 1: infecting her children with her disease, she refused to touch them,
Speaker 1: to kiss them, or to spend a long periods of
Speaker 1: time with them. One of those four children was the
Speaker 1: future Archduke Franz Ferdinand. His mother died when he was
Speaker 1: seven years old in eight seventy one. She was a
Speaker 1: ghost of a woman that Franz Ferdinand had barely known. Nonetheless,
Speaker 1: the young prince mourned her, which only compounded his reputation
Speaker 1: as a silent shy, a sad child. Strangers and family
Speaker 1: alike commented on how withdrawn he was, even from his
Speaker 1: own siblings. France's personality seemed particularly to pale in comparison
Speaker 1: to the personality of his younger brother Otto, a charismatic,
Speaker 1: boisterous boy who filled the family home with his presence.
Speaker 1: Franz preferred solitary pursuits, reading, long walks in the woods,
Speaker 1: playing with his pet rabbits. Most of all, he loved hunting,
Speaker 1: a lifelong passion. He made his first kill at age nine.
Speaker 1: He was a lonely boy who seemed unable to connect
Speaker 1: with those around him, who loved his pets, and paradoxically
Speaker 1: took pleasure in hunting animals on his family's vast estates.
Speaker 1: On the afternoon of January nine, Franz Ferdinand received the
Speaker 1: telegram that would change his life. His cousin Rudolph, five
Speaker 1: years his senior, had shot himself and his teenage mistress
Speaker 1: Mary bet Sarah at his mere Ling hunting lodge. It's
Speaker 1: a tragedy now known as the Maryland Incident, and we've
Speaker 1: spoken about it a few times on this podcast since
Speaker 1: it was a major event that shifted the global royal
Speaker 1: houses of Europe. The death upbended the Habsburg line of succession,
Speaker 1: shifting Carl Ludwig, Emperor fran Joseph's brother into the position
Speaker 1: of air presumptive. Franz Joseph was nearly sixty at the time,
Speaker 1: and his brother Carl Ludwig was fifty six, making it
Speaker 1: very possible now that Carl Ludwig's eldest son, Franz Ferdinand
Speaker 1: would be the next on the throne. At age twenty five,
Speaker 1: the young Archduke was thrust reluctantly into a role that
Speaker 1: he had not prepared for, that of air to the
Speaker 1: Austrian throne. With one fatal gunshot, Franz Ferdinand had inherited
Speaker 1: responsibility for what James Joyce once called the most physically
Speaker 1: corrupt royal house in Europe. Viennese noble society of the
Speaker 1: late nineteenth century was notoriously snobbish. Admission to court events
Speaker 1: was predicated on the rule of sixteen quarterings, which meant
Speaker 1: that only those with an unbroken descent from eight paternal
Speaker 1: and eight maternal noble ancestors were allowed to socialize at
Speaker 1: the palace. Those privileged few who did meet this requirement
Speaker 1: were welcomed into a life of nearly unparalleled luxury, a
Speaker 1: glittering world of wealth notable in part for its shallowness.
Speaker 1: The main topics of conversation, noted one contemporary newspaper were
Speaker 1: the quote births, marriages and deaths of their acquaintances and friends,
Speaker 1: and the sayings and doings of the impure real court.
Speaker 1: As the nobles waltz oblivious to the world around them.
Speaker 1: The Habsburg Empire was beginning to crumble, torn apart by
Speaker 1: the ethnic, nationalist, and political conflicts that were snaking through
Speaker 1: nearly every empire of the age, but the aristocratic elite
Speaker 1: weren't concerned with any of that, preferring instead to gossip
Speaker 1: about their shy new air presumptive. In contrast to Rudolph, who,
Speaker 1: though mentally ill and erratic, had still been notoriously charming,
Speaker 1: the new heir, Franz Ferdinand, was awkward and unprepossessing. He
Speaker 1: had pale skin, prominent ears, and heavy lidded eyes that
Speaker 1: made him seem perpetually sleepy. A dangerous battle with tuberculosis
Speaker 1: in the mid eight nineties left him emaciated and weakened.
Speaker 1: In eighteen nine, his father died of typhoid, a further
Speaker 1: blow to France Ferdinand that pushed the delicate boy to
Speaker 1: the brink of death for a time. There was talk
Speaker 1: of replacing him in the line of succession with his
Speaker 1: charismatic younger brother Otto known as Otto the Handsome. These
Speaker 1: rumors were certainly not dispelled by the emperor's well known
Speaker 1: dislike for his nephew, Franz Ferdinand. Emperor Franz Joseph projected
Speaker 1: the disdain that he still held for his deceased son
Speaker 1: onto his nephew, harboring an abiding contempt that would only
Speaker 1: fester and grow through the years. By eighteen seven, however,
Speaker 1: Franz Ferdinand had recovered from his bout with tuberculosis and
Speaker 1: he began to make royal appearances more regularly. But the
Speaker 1: years of doubt and rejection that had come from the
Speaker 1: noble establishment had embittered him, and things would only get
Speaker 1: worse when in eighteen Franz Ferdinand committed the worst sin
Speaker 1: for someone with noble lad he declared his love for
Speaker 1: someone entirely unsuitable. Sophie Hotech, known to her family as Sophil,
Speaker 1: was the fifth of eight children born to a Bohemian
Speaker 1: noble family. Her mother, Countess Wilhelmina kinskyvon Vinet, was a
Speaker 1: member of one of Bohemia's most prominent families, passionate supporters
Speaker 1: of the arts who had once served as patrons to Beethoven.
Speaker 1: Her father Count Behooslav Hotek came from a distinguished line
Speaker 1: of ambassadors. At the time of Sophie's birth in eighteen
Speaker 1: sixty eight, Count Behoslav was serving in the Austrian embassy
Speaker 1: in Stutgart, and Sophie's childhood would be spent traveling across
Speaker 1: Europe as her father transferred from posting to posting. Though
Speaker 1: both of her parents came from privileged backgrounds, they had
Speaker 1: little money of their own, and Sophie's childhood was a
Speaker 1: financially precarious one. She and her siblings frequently rode public
Speaker 1: trams to save money, but though she lacked the luxuries
Speaker 1: that Franz Ferdinand had had growing up, Sophie's family was
Speaker 1: warmer and more informal than his. She often spoke of
Speaker 1: political affairs with her father. She received a good education,
Speaker 1: spoke German, English, French, and some check and rode, painted
Speaker 1: and played tennis with skill. But as Sophie grew older,
Speaker 1: even those qualifications didn't guarantee her a comfortable life, and
Speaker 1: by twenty still unmarried, Sophie faced the two options for
Speaker 1: an impoverished noblewoman in the nineteenth century. First enter a
Speaker 1: nunnery or second become a lady in waiting. Sophie chose
Speaker 1: the latter, and in eighteen eight she joined the household
Speaker 1: of Archduchess Isabella of Croy. Isabella was the quintessential status
Speaker 1: obsessed noble woman. She had a quick temper, poorly disc
Speaker 1: guised contempt for her ladies in waiting, and enormous ambition
Speaker 1: for her daughters. For her eldest daughter, the Archduchess Maria Christina,
Speaker 1: Isabella had her sight set on the Habsburg's most eligible bachelor,
Speaker 1: Franz Ferdinand. Throughout the eight nineties, Isabella frequently invited the
Speaker 1: Archduke to join their family for hunting trips and house parties.
Speaker 1: Along the way, the lonely Archduke did form a connection
Speaker 1: not with the Archduchess's daughter, Maria Christina, but with her
Speaker 1: young lady in waiting, Sophie. Quick to laugh, knowledgeable, and
Speaker 1: an easy conversationalist, Sophie provided Franz Ferdinand with the kind
Speaker 1: of warm, non judgmental companionship that he had so rarely
Speaker 1: found in his life. Here was a woman who could
Speaker 1: serve as an antidote to the anarchic formalities of the
Speaker 1: Hapsburg court, who could offer Franz Ferdinand the happiness that
Speaker 1: had proved so elusive to him. For Sophie, Franz Ferdinand
Speaker 1: offered a future one of stability and comfort. Their relationship,
Speaker 1: though transcended the transactional, By all accounts, they loved each
Speaker 1: other deeply. They shared similar values, both were devout Catholics,
Speaker 1: and they had similar dreams for the future. By the
Speaker 1: mid eighteen nineties, the two were exchanging letters frequently. Franz
Speaker 1: Ferdinand addressed his letters to his darling Soap. Their affections
Speaker 1: did not go entirely unnoticed by those around them. In fact,
Speaker 1: Isabella actually thought that she saw an advantage in the
Speaker 1: Archduke's apparent infatuation with her lady in waiting. She used
Speaker 1: mentions of Countess Hotech to make her party invitations more
Speaker 1: enticing to Franz Ferdinand, but no one realized how serious
Speaker 1: his intentions were or how far he would go to
Speaker 1: keep his darling so in his life. In April eighteen
Speaker 1: ninety nine, as the story goes, the Archduke departed Isabella's
Speaker 1: home after a visit, accidentally leaving a few belongings behind.
Speaker 1: A servant brought the belongings, including a pocket watch, to
Speaker 1: Isabella believing that she might discover a miniature of her
Speaker 1: daughter in the watch, Isabella was shocked to find a
Speaker 1: portrait of Sophie instead. A furious Isabella berated Sophie and
Speaker 1: dismissed her from the household. Humiliated, Sophie fled to her
Speaker 1: sister's home in Dresden. Isabella, still reeling, decided to get
Speaker 1: her revenge on Franz Ferdinand and Sophie by telling the
Speaker 1: Emperor that his heir had betrayed her daughter by carrying
Speaker 1: on an affair with a lowly servant in her household.
Speaker 1: Emperor Franz Joseph, loathed to spend any more time than
Speaker 1: absolutely necessary ry with his least favorite nephew, reluctantly agreed
Speaker 1: to look into the matter. Calling Franz Ferdinand to the palace,
Speaker 1: the Emperor asked for his side of the story. It
Speaker 1: was simple. Franz Ferdinand explained he had no connection to
Speaker 1: Maria Christina and he was in love with Sophie. In fact,
Speaker 1: he said he planned to marry Sophie. Horrified, Emperor friends
Speaker 1: Joseph encouraged his nephew to rethink his decision. By the
Speaker 1: laws of the eighteen fifteen Act of German Confederation and
Speaker 1: the Habsburg family statutes, Sophie's family were not equals of
Speaker 1: the Imperial family, which made Sophie ineligible to marry Franz Ferdinand,
Speaker 1: but Franz Ferdinand refused to change his mind. Thus began
Speaker 1: a year long battle fought in private and in public,
Speaker 1: over the future of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Countess Sophie Hotech.
Speaker 1: All of Europe seemed weighed in, with reports on this
Speaker 1: scandalous match appearing in newspapers across the continent. In the
Speaker 1: fall of the Emperor threatened to take away Franz Ferdinand's titles,
Speaker 1: but still Franz was not swayed. The controversy split Franz
Speaker 1: Ferdinand's immediate family apart. His beloved stepmother and half sister
Speaker 1: supported him, while his brothers and his eldest sister urged
Speaker 1: him to give up. Even playboy Otto told Franz Ferdinand
Speaker 1: that quote duty for our kind goes beyond happiness, A
Speaker 1: tad hypocritical considering that Otto was living openly with his
Speaker 1: mistress at the time, but after all, he wasn't the heir.
Speaker 1: Franz Ferdinand was undeterred, telling one friend this fire has
Speaker 1: been blazing in me for five years. It will never
Speaker 1: burn out. But uncle was just as stubborn as nephew.
Speaker 1: Emperor friends Joseph would not be swayed, even when Pope
Speaker 1: Leo of the twelfth himself wrote in support of the marriage,
Speaker 1: reminding Emperor Franz Joseph that the continual talk of the
Speaker 1: marriage was bad press for the Catholic dynasty. What moved
Speaker 1: Franz Joseph in the end was a set of two
Speaker 1: threats from Franz Ferdinand. The first threat was that if
Speaker 1: his uncle would not give him permission to marry now,
Speaker 1: he would simply wait until his uncle died and he
Speaker 1: became emperor, and he would marry then and make Sophie
Speaker 1: his equal as empress, an unthinkable outcome for the ultra
Speaker 1: traditional friend Joseph. The second threat was that if he
Speaker 1: was denied, Franz Ferdinand was willing to commit some nebulous
Speaker 1: act that would bring even greater shame on the Empire
Speaker 1: than the Maryland incident. With the specter of further disgrace
Speaker 1: on the family name hanging over them, Franz Joseph finally
Speaker 1: agreed to the marriage in June of nineteen hundred. However,
Speaker 1: the Emperor made it very clear that the couple had
Speaker 1: to make certain concessions. Most importantly, he demanded that Franz
Speaker 1: Ferdinand acknowledge that Sophie was not his equal in rank,
Speaker 1: making their marriage a morgan attic one. A Morganatic marriage
Speaker 1: is just a term for a marriage between two people
Speaker 1: of unequal rank, but the practice was regarded with special
Speaker 1: disdain in the status obsessed royal households of the Habsburg
Speaker 1: and German empires. The most important consequence of a morganatic
Speaker 1: marriage in most cases was that any children that the
Speaker 1: couple might have must renounce or give up their right
Speaker 1: to inherit the titles of the higher ranking parent. Realizing
Speaker 1: that this was the best offer he was likely to get,
Speaker 1: Franz Ferdinand reluctantly agreed. On June, he arrived at Hofburg
Speaker 1: Palace and entered the Privy Council chamber, where he was
Speaker 1: joined by a small group of Habsburg officials. The Emperor
Speaker 1: to speak. Inspired by the wish to give my nephew
Speaker 1: new proof of my special love, he began, and, apparently
Speaker 1: not a trace of irony, I have consented to his
Speaker 1: marriage with Countess Sophie Hotech. The countess descends, it is
Speaker 1: true from noble lineage, but her family is not one
Speaker 1: of those that, according to the customs of our house
Speaker 1: we regard as our equals. As only women from equal
Speaker 1: houses can be regarded as equal in birth, this marriage
Speaker 1: must be regarded in the light of a morganatic marriage,
Speaker 1: and the children of which, with God's blessing, will spring
Speaker 1: forward from it, cannot be given the rights of the
Speaker 1: members of the Imperial House. Franz Ferdinand stepped to the
Speaker 1: front of the room, removed his right glove, and placed
Speaker 1: his bare hand on the document containing the Oath of Renunciation.
Speaker 1: Speaking quietly, he swore to obey the oath, swore that
Speaker 1: his children would never rule, and swore that Countess Sophie Hotech,
Speaker 1: his darling soph was never and could never be his equal.
Speaker 1: With this sacrifice complete, the wedding could proceed. Past imperial
Speaker 1: weddings had been grand affairs, with days of festivities celebrated
Speaker 1: by enormous crowds, but this would not be the case
Speaker 1: for Franz Ferdinand and Sophie. Instead of marrying in the
Speaker 1: Augustine Kirche in Vienna as crowned Prince, Rudolph and Emperor
Speaker 1: Franz Joseph had The couple was married in the remote
Speaker 1: home of Franz Ferdinand's stepmother. The Emperor had refused to attend,
Speaker 1: instead making a principled stand on the issue of marital
Speaker 1: propriety by spending the weekend in a spa town with
Speaker 1: his mistress. The Lord High Chamberlain, Alfred de Montenuovo had
Speaker 1: long been one of the staunchest opponents of the wedding,
Speaker 1: and he was determined that the couple enjoy none of
Speaker 1: the giddey celebration that should accompany a day of love.
Speaker 1: With the Emperor's consent, Montenuovo engineered a particularly devious plan.
Speaker 1: He had the court to create a formal twelve days
Speaker 1: of mourning for Princess Josephine Hohenzollern, who had died on June.
Speaker 1: Never mind that she was a distant relative of the
Speaker 1: Habsburgs and she was little known at court. A formal
Speaker 1: period of mourning meant that members of the royal family
Speaker 1: were forbidden to attend festive celebrations, and so the decree
Speaker 1: meant that no family members could go to Franz Ferdinand's wedding,
Speaker 1: which conveniently fell on the last day of the morning period.
Speaker 1: Only Maria Teresa, France, Fernand's stepmother, and his two half
Speaker 1: sisters risked the Emperor's wrath by attending the wedding. Despite
Speaker 1: all of this, despite the rain that drizzled down from
Speaker 1: the gray skies over Reichstad, both France, Ferinand and Sophie
Speaker 1: declared their wedding day the most beautiful day of our lives.
Speaker 1: They were married in a simple ceremony, with Maria Teresa's
Speaker 1: confessor presiding. As they exchanged vows, the confessor blessed the
Speaker 1: couple's rings, praying for them to be quote witnesses for
Speaker 1: all time to your untroubled marital happiness. And though the
Speaker 1: love that France, Fernand and Sophie felt for one another
Speaker 1: would not falter, their marriage would not be untroubled. Instead
Speaker 1: of ending the gossip and whispers over Sophie's lower status,
Speaker 1: the marriage simply seemed to exacerbate them. Sophie, it was
Speaker 1: to endure more than a decade of snubs, insults, and
Speaker 1: exclusion by European royal society. She could not sit by
Speaker 1: her husband at court events, walked by his side as
Speaker 1: they entered rooms, or even appear with him on some
Speaker 1: public occasions. On her first ficial appearance at court, at
Speaker 1: a ball for the Shah of Persia, Monte Nuovo had
Speaker 1: designed another humiliation for her. After the rest of the
Speaker 1: imperial family had proceeded into the ballroom through a wide
Speaker 1: set of double doors, Sophie, at the end of the line,
Speaker 1: prepared to enter, but before she could step through the doors,
Speaker 1: one door was loudly slammed closed, leaving only a single,
Speaker 1: narrow space for her to walk through. The wide skirts
Speaker 1: of her ballgown being so wide, Sophie was forced to
Speaker 1: turn sideways and slide through. The message was obvious Sophie
Speaker 1: wasn't welcome here and she didn't fit. Furious over the
Speaker 1: continued mistreatment of his wife, Franz Ferdinand increasingly withdrew from court,
Speaker 1: especially once the couple welcomed their first child, Sophie in July.
Speaker 1: On the family called the baby little Sophie or Pinky
Speaker 1: Orful that his daughter would endure the same treatment as
Speaker 1: his wife, Franz Ferdinand decided that they would spend more
Speaker 1: time at their country estate. He and Sophie were determined
Speaker 1: to enjoy life with the family. They were creating, and
Speaker 1: they joyfully welcomed his son Max in September nine two
Speaker 1: and Ernst in May nineteen o four. Describing their time
Speaker 1: away from court, Franz Ferdinand wrote quote, I sit with
Speaker 1: my children all day and admire them because I love
Speaker 1: them so much. Soph not and the children roll around
Speaker 1: and throw everything from the tables, and it is also
Speaker 1: incredibly delightful and cozy. But the retreat that Franz Ferdinand
Speaker 1: hoped would help take the heat off of Sophie instead
Speaker 1: only incensed Viennese society, who saw it as an aloof
Speaker 1: declaration of superiority by the somewhat tactless Archduke Franz Ferdinand,
Speaker 1: it was true, could be simultaneously cold and hot tempered,
Speaker 1: demanding much from those around him. Many who did not
Speaker 1: know him found him forbidding and imperious, but at his
Speaker 1: family's country estate he thrived, fulfilling his favorite role of
Speaker 1: devoted father and husband. It was only at court, forced
Speaker 1: to play the role of air, that he struggled, chafing
Speaker 1: against the structures of society, becoming terse and awkward, and
Speaker 1: alienating other nobles. The couple was not entirely friendless. One
Speaker 1: particular ally of the couple was the German Kaiser Wilhelm
Speaker 1: the Second. Wilhelm understood the pains of being an outsider.
Speaker 1: His left arm had been badly damaged during his traumatic birth,
Speaker 1: leaving its six inches shorter than the right arm, a
Speaker 1: disability he was highly self conscious of and forced to
Speaker 1: compensate for for his entire life. Historians have theorized that
Speaker 1: this understanding of exclusion was why Wilhelm was one of
Speaker 1: the first monarchs to publicly show any kindness to Sophie.
Speaker 1: Though Franz Ferdinand often complained about the Kaiser's eccentricities and ego,
Speaker 1: Wilhelms acceptance of Sophie did create a lifelong connection between
Speaker 1: the two men. As the years progressed, there were signs
Speaker 1: of a slight thawing toward the couple by the European elite.
Speaker 1: They conducted successful visits to other royal families, including those
Speaker 1: of Great Britain and Romania, whose monarchs were impressed by
Speaker 1: Sophie's grace and strength in the face of ongoing hostility
Speaker 1: from the Habsburgs, and even the Habsburgs had begun to
Speaker 1: admire the quiet dignity of the archducal couple, though detractors
Speaker 1: still maligned Sophie as a social climber and friends Ferdinand
Speaker 1: as a holier than thou snob. Despite these challenges, though
Speaker 1: the love the couple had for one another remained. Shortly
Speaker 1: before they left for Bosnia in June, Sophie had remarked,
Speaker 1: it will be fourteen years since I married His Imperial
Speaker 1: and Royal Highness, the Archduke. I wish I could relive
Speaker 1: every single day again. They had endured cruelties from every corner,
Speaker 1: faced in dignities, and weathered malicious insults. Having suffered so
Speaker 1: long and fought so hard for their love, Sophie and
Speaker 1: Franz Ferdinand finally felt as though dawn had begun to
Speaker 1: break on their future. They could not have known then
Speaker 1: they were only days away from the greatest tragedy of
Speaker 1: them all. Franz Ferdinand did not want to go to Sarajevo.
Speaker 1: He had barely wanted to go to Bosnia at all.
Speaker 1: Back in the Archduke had fervently opposed Austria Hungary's annexation
Speaker 1: of Bosnia, believing that the move would draw them ever
Speaker 1: nearer to a war with Russia. Russia had backed the
Speaker 1: Serbian government's right to the lands. Although Franz Ferdinand had
Speaker 1: has sometimes been portrayed as a war monger eager to
Speaker 1: establish Austro Hungarian supremacy in Europe, he was more often
Speaker 1: than not pragmatic and a conservative man who had a
Speaker 1: shrewd understanding of the tenuous position of countries on the continent.
Speaker 1: In nineteen thirteen, he wrote to the Emperor about his
Speaker 1: concerns over the situation in the Balkans, predicting with unnerving
Speaker 1: accuracy the potential effects of war between Russia and Austria.
Speaker 1: It would quote encourage revolution in both countries and thereby
Speaker 1: cause both Emperor and Czar to push each other from
Speaker 1: their thrones. For these reasons, I consider war to be lunacy. Unfortunately,
Speaker 1: this sentiment was not shared by the Emperor's hawkish General
Speaker 1: of the Infantry, who had spent the years leading up
Speaker 1: to nineteen fourteen trying desperately to promote what he called
Speaker 1: a quote preventative war against Serbia. This fundamental disagreement between
Speaker 1: Franz Ferdinand and his uncle's general may have been part
Speaker 1: of why Franz Ferdinand accepted the Bosnian Governor General's invitation
Speaker 1: to observe military maneuvers outside sara Jevo in June nineteen fourteen.
Speaker 1: The summer prior, the Emperor had promoted Franz Ferdinand to
Speaker 1: the position of Inspector General of the Empire's armed forces,
Speaker 1: and the Arn't Duke hoped that this title would give
Speaker 1: him more sway in the conflict. Perhaps he thought that
Speaker 1: his presence in Bosnia would present a more peaceful face
Speaker 1: of the Habsburgs. Nonetheless, it's harder to understand why he
Speaker 1: accepted the invitation to visit Sarajevo, given the tension in
Speaker 1: the city. Four years earlier, Oscar Poetoreac's predecessor as Austrian
Speaker 1: governor General, had barely survived an assassination attempt, the first
Speaker 1: in a chain of five other attempted assassinations against Austro
Speaker 1: Hungarian figures. Some historians have argued that the Archduke agreed
Speaker 1: to visit in order to satisfy his need for adelation,
Speaker 1: but this seems a little unlikely given how disdainful he
Speaker 1: was of appeals to public sympathy for his private life.
Speaker 1: Others have claimed he went to Sarajevo for Sophie so
Speaker 1: that they could spend more time together in an official capacity,
Speaker 1: and so more Habsburg citizens could behold his charming wife.
Speaker 1: The British historian A. J. P. Taylor, discussing friends Ferdinand's motives, wrote, thus,
Speaker 1: for love did the Archduke go to his death? A
Speaker 1: pretty turn of phrase, to be sure, but most likely
Speaker 1: an inaccurate one, or at least an incomplete one. For
Speaker 1: one thing, the royal couple had spent the past several
Speaker 1: years conducting a series of highly successful imperial visit to
Speaker 1: Berlin and Great Britain. They didn't need the affirmation of
Speaker 1: a dangerous visit to Sarajevo to confirm what observers all
Speaker 1: over were already beginning to understand that Sophie was an intelligent,
Speaker 1: grounded woman who was well suited to her role. For
Speaker 1: another thing, though Franz Ferdinand was well aware of the
Speaker 1: peril of the visit and he didn't want to subject
Speaker 1: his wife to the risks, it was actually Sophie herself
Speaker 1: who insisted that she joined him, telling a priest that quote,
Speaker 1: if there is danger, my place is so much more
Speaker 1: by my husband's side. Maybe the real answer as to
Speaker 1: I Franz Ferdinand wanted to go to Sarajevo is that
Speaker 1: he didn't. For the rest of the summer, Franz Ferdinand
Speaker 1: tried to get out of the trip, citing his own
Speaker 1: ill health and the ill health of the Emperor, among
Speaker 1: other things. But on June seven, in a meeting with
Speaker 1: the Emperor, his fate was sealed. When he asked his
Speaker 1: uncle if he could decline Potiorec's invitation. The Emperor replied,
Speaker 1: do as you wish. This may sound ambiguous, but in
Speaker 1: the fraud oblique language of the apps Berg's it was
Speaker 1: basically a command. It was an unsettle reminder of Franz
Speaker 1: Ferdinand's highest responsibility, not to himself but to the dynasty.
Speaker 1: If it would reflect well on the Habsburgs to make
Speaker 1: a political appearance in Sarajevo, Franz Ferdinand would do it,
Speaker 1: even if it meant risking his life. The players were
Speaker 1: in place, blood would come next. That's the start of
Speaker 1: the story of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This
Speaker 1: is a two part episode, obviously because there is so
Speaker 1: much to talk about, and we'll have a part two
Speaker 1: next week to discuss the famous assassination itself. But in
Speaker 1: the meantime, keep listening after a brief sponsor break to
Speaker 1: hear just a little bit more. Schlaus Kona Pitched, a
Speaker 1: thirteenth century castle overlooking a lake in the present day
Speaker 1: Czech Republic, was the beloved childhood home of Franz Ferdinand
Speaker 1: and Sophie's children, Max, Sophie and Ernst. Franz Ferdinand had
Speaker 1: bought the property in eight seven, and he spent more
Speaker 1: than five years transforming it into an idyllic retreat perched
Speaker 1: atop a hillside. The white walled, red roofed structure features
Speaker 1: a storybook turret, and it has lush rose gardens and
Speaker 1: all of the most modern amenities that had been available
Speaker 1: in the late nineteenth century, including electricity, running hot water,
Speaker 1: even an elevator. Little Sophie would later remember that the
Speaker 1: house was quote the place of our first memories, the cocoon,
Speaker 1: where all our day to day business took place. After
Speaker 1: their parents' deaths, the children faced ostracization and uncertainty. They
Speaker 1: weren't quite Hapsburgs, but they weren't not, and they struggled
Speaker 1: to find their footing while also navigating the shocking murder
Speaker 1: of their beloved parents. Fortunately, Sophie's sister Maria and her husband,
Speaker 1: Prince Yaroslav an Thune und Unstein, stepped in as adopted parents.
Speaker 1: The trio provided the children with love and affection, which
Speaker 1: was also supplied by their grandmother Maria Teresa and their
Speaker 1: aunt Henriette, among others. The children spent the warriors mainly
Speaker 1: at Konopiste, where they were sheltered from the worst of
Speaker 1: the fighting. But in nineteen eighteen, as the First World
Speaker 1: War came to a close, even the fairytale escape of
Speaker 1: Konopist slipped from their hands. In October, the new nation
Speaker 1: of Czechoslovakia declared independence from Austria, and as a sign
Speaker 1: of rejection of the old ways, they expropriated all Habsburg
Speaker 1: properties in the country. Konopiste was seized. All of family mementos,
Speaker 1: the photographs, the letters and diaries which kept Sophie and
Speaker 1: Franz Ferdinand alive for their children were now property of
Speaker 1: the state. Over the next eighty years, Konopis would take
Speaker 1: several forms. During World War Two, it was taken over
Speaker 1: by Hitler's s s as a part of the Soviet Union.
Speaker 1: It held offices of the Czech Ministry of Agriculture and
Speaker 1: the children's toys, still sitting where they had left them
Speaker 1: in nineteen eighteen, were distributed to local kindergarteners. But in
Speaker 1: two thousand, Princess Sophie von Hohenberg, fran Ferdinand's great granddaughter,
Speaker 1: filed a lawsuit to reclaim the castle, based on a
Speaker 1: loophole that even Alfred de Montenuovo would have to acknowledge.
Speaker 1: The humor in her suit had argued that the seizure
Speaker 1: of Konopis was unlawful because it had done so under
Speaker 1: a law which allowed for the seizure of Habsburg properties
Speaker 1: and her family, as her great grandfather had been forced
Speaker 1: to declare in his oath of renunciation, we're not Hapsburgs.
Speaker 1: In two thousand nine, Princess Sophie lost her lawsuit, and
Speaker 1: Kono Beast remains in the hands of the Czech government,
Speaker 1: who have opened it to the public. Today, visitors can
Speaker 1: tour the grounds of the castle. They can look inside
Speaker 1: a number of interior rooms and view a collection of
Speaker 1: memorabilia related to the assassination, including the very bullet that's
Speaker 1: alleged to have killed the Archduke. But more on that
Speaker 1: next week. Noble Blood is a production of I Heart
Speaker 1: Radio and Grim and Mild from Aaron Manky. Noble Blood
Speaker 1: is hosted by me Danish Wartz. Additional writing and researching
Speaker 1: done by Hannah Johnston, hannah's Wick, Miura Hayward, Courtney Sender,
Speaker 1: and Laurie Goodman. The show is produced by re m
Speaker 1: El Kali, with supervising producer Josh Thame and executive producers
Speaker 1: Aaron Manky, Alex Williams, and Matt Frederick. For more podcasts
Speaker 1: from I Heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app,
Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.