The Suicide that Catapulted Franz Ferdinand’s Heirdom
Twenty-five years before the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the Imperial Family to Austro-Hungary suffered yet another tragedy. A tragedy that changed their dynastic lineage.
Many know that World War I was set off from an assassination. Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were gunned down Sarajevo in 1914. Yet Ferdinand’s visit to Sarajevo that fateful day was set into motion years earlier. If it weren’t for these events, Ferdinand wouldn’t have even been the Archduke.
The Original Heir to the Throne
The original heir to Austria was Rudolf Franz Karl Josef. The third child and only son of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, and his wife, Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. As the only son, he was destined to the imperial throne of the Austro-Hungarian Emprie.
Rudolf began his road to emperor at the age of six. As her studied, he developed contrasting views from that of his father. While Emperor Franz Joseph held convservative beliefs, Rudolf developed more liberal views.
Much like his childhood and education, Rudolf’s marriage held to tradition as well. In May of 1881, he was married to Princess Stephanie of Belgium. She was the daughter of King Leopold II of Belgium.
Newlywed Bliss Ends
The marriage started happy. That all changed after the birth of their daughter, the Archduchess Elisabeth, in 1883. The couple began to drift apart. Rudolf, mired with unhappiness, turned to drinking. When drinking was no longer enough, he sought other female companionship.
Rudolf desired to annul his marriage to Stephanie. His father forbade it. Rudolf continued to have affairs. His escapades were no secret to the Imperial Court, to his parents, or to his wife.
Amidst his affairs, Rudolf developed feelings for a baroness named Mary Vetsera. The daughter of an Austrian diplomat, Mary had become infatuated with Rudolf.
When Rudolf Met Mary
In the fall 1887, she and Rudolf began their affair. Thirteen years younger than Rudolf, Mary swore she was in love. When her family found out, they called her foolish. She was accused of compromising herself and ruining the lives of her family.
Mary began to view herself as a credible threat to Crown Princess Stephanie. All the while, Rudolf was navigating his feelings for Mary and for another woman. The other woman was actress Mitzi Kaspar.
Rudolf’s despair only grew. He had entered a vicious circle. Unable to break from his dependency and affairs, his marriage crumbled even further. He began thinking about suicide. As he did, he longed for someone to join him in death.
Join Me in Death
He first proposed the idea of a suicide pact to Kaspar. It is said she reacted with a laugh. Afterwards, Kaspar went to the police with concerns for the safety of Rudolf. Unfortunately, her concerns were dismissed.
After failing to convince Kaspar to join him in death, Rudolf went to Mary. The young Mary is believed to have perceived the request as a star-crossed lovers union-in-death moment. In a note she left to her sister she proclaimed, “we are both going blissfully into the uncertain beyond.”
In late January of 1889, the Imperial family held a dinner party. Rudolf excused himself from the family. He and Mary would travel to the Mayerling hunting lodge.
There the two would fulfill their pact. When Rudolf’s hunting companion arrived for a planned day of shooting with the Crown Prince, he found Rudolf’s and Mary’s lifeless bodies.
The Chaotic Aftermath
At the scene, they had found a glass bottle. Initial beliefs were that the Crown Prince had been poisoned by Mary. The Imperial Family would immediately launch a cover-up. They issued a statement claiming that the Crown Prince had died due to a ruptured aneurysm.
They even tried to cover up Mary’s death claiming she died while traveling to Venice. The Imperial Family went so far as to have Mary’s uncles prop up Mary’s body with a broomstick when they removed her from the lodge.
Months later, the truth would start to find its way out. The Crown Prince had shot his mistress. He then sat by her body for several hours before finally turning the gun on himself.
It was also revealed that Rudolf and his father had gotten into a heated argument before Rudolf’s arrival at the lodge. The center of the argument: the Emperor’s demand that he end his affair with his teenage mistress. The murder-suicide and its subsequent cover-up attempts became know as the Mayerling incident.
A Dynasty Ends, A New One Begins
The aftermath of Rudolf’s death became a dynastic crisis. As the only son of Franz Joseph, Rudolf’s death resulted in a transition of the presumptive heir to Austria-Hungary. Emperor Joseph’s brother Karl Ludwig was now next in line to the throne.
Just a few days after receiving his succession rights, Karl Ludwig decided to renounce those rights. This would result in the transfer of those rights to his eldest son. And who was Karl Ludwig’s eldest son? None other than Franz Ferdinand.
History for the Hurried:
January 15, 69 AD: The man who succeeded Nero, Roman Emperor Servius Sulpicius Galba, was assassinated by the Praetorian guard in the Roman Forum.
January 17, 1773: The ship Resolution, sailing under Captain James Cook, became the first vessel to cross the Antarctic Circle.