Do you think the governor was in on the plot to kill Franz and Sophie? Let me know below and remember you can also find me in the following places: BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): www.historycallingofficial.com/ Patreon: www.patreon.com/historycalling Amazon storefront: www.amazon.com/shop/historycalling Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling/
I have read that Franz Ferdinand was pleased that his children were excludedfrom inheriting the throne as he had found the position of heir weighed heavily and he hoped his children could live a more normal life.
When the First world war broke out Oskar Potoriek proved to be one of the most useless of the Austrian generals and he was up against some strong competition. The Dual Monarchy's generals make British 1st world war generals beacons of competence.
I saw the title and was like wait, his wife was also killed?! I love history and had no idea but ww1 isn’t what I inhale like water, that’s ww2 and Tudor history 😂😂😂
Sadly, WWI is glossed over in history taught here in America. Learning the history of one’s own country is important, but looking at history with a global perspective is no less important. Thank you for another outstanding lesson!
This was very interesting. I knew Sophie was killed alongside her husband, but didn’t know the shameful way she had been treated by his family. Even after her death, they had to treat her as less than human. I would be interested in what happened to their children…maybe a part two? Have a great week! 😊
Came to make the same comment. Such a sad story… and to think of all of the lives still yet to be lost makes it that much more heartbreaking. Thank you, as always, History Calling for another great vid ♥️
The Archduke's children were raised by their maternal uncle by marriage, Prince Jaroslav von Thun und Hohenstein. They were the first orphans of World War I. All of them survived World Wars I and II, married and had children, but Maximilian and Ernst were imprisoned in Dachau for anti-Nazi activities. Maximilian was released in six months, but Ernst was confined much longer, and died relatively young in 1954 as a result of mistreatment. Sophia lived until 1990.
Yes and I'm afraid the kids went on to have really tough lives, with the boys ending up in concentration camps. They survived that experience, but it was still horrendous.
This war has ripple effects past WW2 which was definitely caused in part by WW1 because of resentment from Versailles and then look at all the damage Sichs-Pico cause to this day
Great to see some WW1 content in time for armistace day - thank you. I had an excellent history teacher in secondary school. He really made it come alive for me. The downside of this was that I deeply felt the horrors of WW1. I used to hide behind my text book so my friends couldnt see my tears 😅
Yes, I thought I'd take a rare trip to the 20th century this week in honour of armistice day. I don't think I ever had a teacher who made it that real for me, but perhaps that's a good thing if it saved me from crying in class. I'm sure that would have led to much mockery from my classmates unfortunately.
@HistoryCalling I was very lucky with some of my teachers. I also had an amazing English teacher. I don't think I'd have the love for history and literature that I have today if it wasn't for them ♥️
@@catherineball5071I was blessed with the best history teachers in high school and had a father who loved history and passed his passion for it me and my sibs, but especially to me.
@@HistoryCallingI was the same way in that when historical events were especially sad and/or horrific I would cry behind my book in class and then later cry on my dad’s shoulder when discussing with him what I’d learned in history class that day. One of my American history teachers had helped to liberate Auschwitz as a 17 year old soldier, and he showed us photos of the infamous camp and the poor prisoners while telling my class about his experiences in freeing the camp. Even the boys in class were outright weeping as our teacher recounted what he did and witnessed in Auschwitz and how it affected him for the rest of his life.
I remember learning about their assassination in terms of the start of the War in school but never taught about them in a broader context which you have shown is also very interesting. Thank you for covering this!
@@HistoryCalling Definitely, I still hear stories that many haven’t been heard massively and Information that has only been recently released. So much is hidden or lost waiting to be found. It’s mad. I guess that’s history for you.
What a sad story. And one of history’s great love stories too. I didn’t know much beyond the awful chain of events it started off. Thank you for sharing it.
I was not expecting to learn so much about this event. The sheer number of things that had to go "wrong" for this to happen is incredible. Would you consider doing one on what happened to their children?
I would except that this one isn't doing too well so I don't think the demand would be there. In short though, their inheritance was taken off them and the boys ended up in a concentration camp. They survived, but it was still awful. The daughter lived until 1990.
@HistoryCalling I'm sorry this one isn't doing well. It should be! Your videos go to the top of my "watch list" every week, and this is one of your best.
I always watch and love your podcasts and videos...thank you so very much! May God continue to bless you and us as we truly enjoy your work! God has blessed us with you and your videos of this formative time in World history! Please don't stop...this is important for every history lover!!!
Something that I want to note on Franz Ferdinand and Sophie being in Sarajevo, they died on June 28 and were married on July 1st, 1900. So perhaps they used it as an opportunity to celebrate their anniversary
👏👏 Well done, HC! I'm not sure if the the governor was directly complicit but his incompetence certainly makes him responsible. After watching this yesterday I pulled out my book of WWI poetry and read Wilfred Owen: "...If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs Bitten as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, - My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori." What a colossal waste of humanity. Be well, HC.🙏🏼
Yes, I think he put it incredibly well. People glorify war far too much. If they'd really seen and experienced it, they'd run for the hills (if they could).
Oh & thanks HC. Being taught about his particular incident sparked my interest / obsession with all things WW's I & 2 - still going 50 years later. Bookshelf too small!!
Well that certainly fillled in a lot of blanks for me. I honestly did not know that I had so many blanks! I still find it astonishing the long running effects of this tragedy that still reverberate today, not to mention the course of events of the 20th Century. So many contemporary conflicts had their seeds sown by this event and the subsequent messes that devolved from this :(
Even worse, up until watching this I had the vague impression he was assassinated with his lover, not his wife. To be fair WWI has never been a subject that's particularly interested me, but I've just discovered this fascinating channel and am binging the content. 😅
It's funny, but most of us know about Franz but few know anything about Sophie. Even I knew nothing more than she was his wife and was assassinated with him. Appreciate this vid, thanks ❤
No I don't think he was involved in the plot, to say he was Incompetent is an understatement, a sad event in history, I think it was a wedding anniversary on that fateful day, thank you as always HC.
I lean towards incompetence too, because I just can't see what he had to gain, but equally it wouldn't surprise me if it transpired he was in on it for some unknown reason. His actions just beggar belief.
Thanks HC! Great video. Again a part of WWI history that is often times over looked or barely mentioned due to the status of the ArchDuke and his wife Sophie. It's no wonder a lot of the European Royal houes fell and never really returned from WWI - WWII.
The slights against Sophie continued after her death were horrible by Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo who tried to make the orphaned children pay the bill. (It didn't work) It's strange as he was a man who was also of the product of a morganatic marriage.
I admire you for being humble enough to admit you may have mispronounced the Serbian names. So often people are not willing to do so. I knew the assassination started the war but did not know all the details. Thank you so much for a very interesting video that increased my knowledge. As a life long history lover you always satisfy my thirst for history knowledge. my history courses in college focused on the U.S. revolution & civil wars which have always been my first passion & a life long study. I do so enjoy your videos about European history. You never disappoint me. ❤
Oh I had an awful time with the names. I tried to find pronunciation guides for all of them and I recorded take after take of me saying them, but I know I still didn't get them right. I couldn't even have pretended I was saying them properly. I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. Funnily enough, US history is a bit of a blind spot for me, so we're kind of the reverse of each other :-)
Hey HC, another incredible video today 😊 i was wondering if you would be open to doing a video on Maria Feodorovna (Princes Dagmar of Denmark) she was such an incredible woman of the era and is such a fascinating character due to when and which she lived and the events that transpired during her lifetime, truly a remarkable person and i feel she’s long overdue for an historian of your calibre to share her story on this platform. of course just a suggestion and many thanks for your wonderful work.
I find the Russian royals very interesting and would love to do more videos on them, but sadly when I stray from English royals (even just to the Scots) people don't seem to watch. I think this video is a case and point. It's about Austrian royals and it's not doing very well, despite the fact that it's a very interesting story :-(
@@HistoryCallingit’s disappointing that people aren’t more interested in other european royals because they have had just as much of an impact on the world as the english royals have, i understand where you come from though and don’t blame you for not wanting to use your time for something which won’t benefit you. if you made a video on your patreon i would definitely subscribe to that 😂🎉
Thanks for this informative video. I had no idea that Sophie died alongside him. The history I learnt at school in the 1970's only mentioned his death. Even in death it was as though her life was inconsequential which makes me so angry on her behalf
For anyone here unwise enough to not be signed up for History Calling's monthly newsletter, correct that error now: among many interesting news pieces linked, there's a doozy of a Tudor story which I hope will lead to a future entry on this channel very soon.
ironically the Archduke probably would have been a very progressive ruler - if Princip had missed history goes down a veery different timeline for sure - ty for awesome content as per usual HC
It may have been that his progressive ideas required his assassination to prevent Austria-Hungary from becoming a successful, modern state. The Serbian government as well as that damned Emperor are guilty parties. Sisi couldn't stand him either.
She was his morganatic wife, you know! I did pay attention to some things in school. On a completely irrelevant topic, I just want to put it out there that The Mirror & The Light (Wolf Hall - The conclusion in 6 parts) starts this sunday on mainstream telly box. I am excited for the first time in about 9 years. I bet I know what's going to happen !! 😊
Thank you for providing some context for this historical event. I had known the story of how it started WWI, but did not know the particulars of their relationship. Gotta say, the way they treated her was awful.
Thank you for this detailed account of that fateful day. I tend to think the mistakes made by the governor were sheer incompetence. I always look forward to your posts.
Thank you for doing this. Such an incredibly sad tale. And it boggles the mind that the assassination of two people would be the final catalyst for not just WW1 but eventually WW2, as there wouldn’t have been the second without the first! I think with all the unrest within the Austria-Hungarian empire,some event was bound to spark a major event. And the other European countries didn’t really have a choice but to become involved due to alliances, when they probably would have preferred to stay out!
I know. Rarely have just 2 deaths had such a monumental impact on the world. It's wild that the details of the story (and their lives in general) aren't better known about.
In my opinion, there were 3 sets of Royal murders that led to WWI: Mayerling, the Obrenović murders in Belgrade which brought to power the Black Hand, which then finally murdered Franz Ferdinand.
Hi, awesome live history video I enjoyed it. How are you doing? I'm doing well and so is my cat Benjamin. In the next video in the future. Could you do World War 2. All your live history videos are always enjoyable. Have a great day see you next video 😊
Hi Michelle. I'm afraid WW2 is too big of a topic to cover in one of my videos and also most of the pictures and footage related to it would still be in copyright. I do have a video on the mysterious disappearance of the Amber Room during that conflict though, which you might enjoy. :-)
They all survived the world wars, married, and had children. However, the two boys were incarcerated in concentration camps during WWII for resisting the Nazis, though both survived. They lost their Czech and Austrian properties, but the Austrian properties were restored to them.
I have been hoping you would do a program on the assassination of the Archduke. I'll never forget first hearing about it. I grew up a child of the Vietnam War war and remember thinking how strange that an assassination could spark a war that eventually involved much of Europe. One of my grandfathers enlisted to guard the aquedect on Long Island. On another subject, Google has been pestering me every day with the news that a new season of Wolf Hall launches soon. I have a question: When I read the books, I was struck by the multiple references to Henry VIII's fascination with omens. I am wondering what you thought about that. That is, do you think that belief in omens was typical at that time, even in a religious and educated person? Or do you think that is part of the fiction? Keep up the good work. You don't know how much I have counted on your darling sense of humor to keep me from going crazy during the American political drama that is coming to a head tomorrow!!! (I voted Saturday for Kamala Harris 🎉)
Yes, I'll be watching the new season of WH as well. Henry was superstitious to an extent (like many people). He and Anne had astrologers predicting whether Elizabeth would be a boy or a girl for instance (and most of them got it wrong). I can't think of any specific belief in omens off the top of my head, but that wouldn't surprise me at all. I'm watching the election too. Nail-biting stuff!
Robert Newman's 'History of Oil' presents an alternative reason for the outbreak of WW1 (rather than the historically approved version where a man no one knew was assassinated by another man no one knew for reasons no one can seem to remember). The British Royal Navy had just converted from coal-fired to oil-fired engines but didn't have a steady supply of oil. This was at the same time the Germans were building the Berlin to Baghdad railroad.
I would say the assassination of the archduke and his wife was more of a catalyst (match to the already existing powder keg) ,rather than the entire cause of the outbreak. The balance of power in Europe had shifted with the expansion of Germany and the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the resulting set of new alliances certainly had more to do with it. The oil scenario sounds like a pretty good one.
I think the governor and the emperor were in on it together. Why was the emperor so insistent that he go? Why was the security so bad? My spidey senses were tingling.
I first read this part of history in one of the history manga books (got plenty of them and are good for receiving basic knowledge). I remembered seeing the part where Ferdinand pleaded Sophie not to die for the sake of their children and was really sadden by it😢 It made me sadder to learn that Sophie was treated unequally throughout her marriage, but the funeral part is just insulting. 😮
@@HistoryCalling Having studied the Emperor's (And his wife's) story for over thirty years I can tell you that that is far from the truth. Back then children being allowed to attend funerals was highly unusual, including those of their parents, ESPECIALLY amongst the nobility/ruling houses. Even mothers often didn't attend their children's funerals (IE Empress Elisabeth not attending crown prince Rudolf's funeral - the fact that she didn't want to anyway was a coincidence btw) back then and nobody batted an eyelash bc it just "wasn't done". I won't write an essay here but given that you're a historian...I would have expected you to know this and be more capable of nuance.
Could you please do a video about Franz Ferdinand and Sophie's three children? I feel so sorry for them, not just because they lost their parents but they lost everything they had ever known. Booted out of their Hungarian Palace that their father owned but the Hungarian government said forget it. They weren't even allowed to take their belongings! Then came Hitler's hate for the Habsburg family. Emperor Karl said he would look after the children but he lost his throne only two years later. Extremely interesting family history. Thank you.
Apparently when both Franz Ferdinand and Sophie were invited to the UK Queen Mary being the descendant of a Morganatic marriage her father Duke Francis of Teck, was a child of such a marriage, Duke Alexander of Wurttemberg and Countess Claudine. Queen Mary treated them both especially Sophie like an equal Royal family as she had probably heard rumours. That is the best way I can describe it. She understood and knew the background of being treated like a poor relation.
Sounds like the whole of Erope was a powder keg ready to explode. My great grand parents were Danish and German immigrants. My Danish great grandmother always said it wasn't Germany's fualt, yet they got all the blame. Now it makes sense why she said as much. I'm afraid i didn't pay enough attention to my history lessons in school and consequently my knowledge of WWI and everything is lacking on the accepted narrative. At the time i was more intrested in the Tudors than what I was supposed to be lesrning in school. As always another great video. 😊
I remember this story, but every time I hear it, my blood boils. Why did Franz Joseph learn nothing? Stephanie, Rudolf's wife, was treated horribly and she was a daughter of the King of the Belgians, Charlotte, his sister-in-law was horrendously treated after the death of Maximilian, and she was also from the Belgian Royal Family. He agreed to marry off his own daughter Gisela when she was just sixteen, his own wife had rough times settling in the Austrian court (and I say it as person who has at best a "meh" attitude towards Sisi), but he did nothing to break this cycle of bullying and engaged in it himself. Even Queen Victoria allowed Princess Louise to marry a non-royal.
The Austrian imperial court was always even more hidebound than the English royal court, and Franz Josef was a complete stick. They did treat Charlotte abominably after the fall of the emperor; she was in very bad shape when rescued from Austrian hands by her Belgian relatives.
Unfortunately I don't know if there would be much of an appetite for it :-( Also, most of the images and footage I'd need would still be in copyright. I will tell you thought that it wasn't a very happy life for them. Their inheritance was taken off them and the boys ended up in concentration camps. They survived, but it was awful. The daughter lived until 1990 I think.
I don´t think so. Franz Joseph would have had other possibilities, e.g. making his nephew Otto the heir. Surely he would have had no qualms to disappoint Franz Ferdinand. I think he didn`t like him, but wasn´t keen on acting decisively.
What a tragic story, and from that, a world war started. That's horrific, and my heart goes out to Sophie, especially. She deserved to be treated with all the respect and grace her position allowed. Thank you, HC, for telling this tale, a subject I knew very little about. 🫶🏽
Unfortunately nothing good. Their inheritance was stolen from them and the boys ended up in concentration camps. A quick Google will give you the details and it's also in the King/Woolman book I mentioned.
I've always wondered about this event. WWI is so neglected in American history classes. It wouldn't surprise me if the emperor was involved. It seems like he just wanted to move on to the next heir without realizing what it would cause.
That poor couple, it must have been awful to live under the control of a ruler who specifically hated you and your family, he might have been heir but it sounds like Franz had very little real autonomy. It definitely sounds like a lot of people almost went out of their way to put Franz and Sophie's lives at risk, did the emperor hope something would happen? It sounds like he also pushed for them to ignore safety protocols
Well, I've watched this twice, and I still feel mystified by the cause of WW1. The information in your video was very detailed and thorough, and I'm surely scrupulously researched. And yet, the actions of the government leaders involved seem inexplicable to me. Perhaps it is only that I'm able to view the events in hindsight, but I have to wonder if the governments involved understood the terrible implications of what they were starting. They must have known all the treaties that would be called into play. So they couldn't have thought it a proxy war. I know it sounds like a conspiracy theory, but given the interdependency of the smaller principalities on the greater kingdoms/empires, is it possible Franz Joseph, the unpopular heir presumptive, who'd married below his station, and who'd been the target of plots against him in the past, was set up by his own government?? Why take the risk? Why, on the feast day of St. Vitus? Why the lax security? Then to give the killer a second chance at the couple really tops all understanding! I understand courage and bravery and all that, but really, to return to practically the scene of the crime? And stall? It really makes me wonder if the couple were sacrificed in a bigger game of saber-rattling by the greater powers. What horrors they unleashed upon the world, for decades to come. Thanks for a sobering look at a chain of events that looks less coincidental the more one knows about it.
Yes, I think it's one of those incidents that will always have people wondering about a larger conspiracy. We'll never know for sure and it might have just been that Emperor Franz/his government was hoping that something bad would happen to his nephew, rather than being involved in any specific plan, but it's no wonder when you look at the sequence of events that people question if there was a wider plot.
Disrespect toward those who married "above" them occurred within the British royal family as well. Augustus, Duke of Sussex, one of the sons of George III, not once, but twice, married ladies below him in rank, both "only" earls' daughters, without the king's permission. The second, Lady Cynthia Buggin, could not attend functions with her husband, or dine with him. When Queen Victoria came to the throne, she took pity on Lady Cynthia, and created her Duchess of Inverness in her own right, so she no longer had to eat alone.
Yes, you're quite right. Horrible snobbery. Of course the results of not letting people marry who they wanted were often pretty dire. George IV's legal marriage was a disaster for instance, then its one child died (Princess Charlotte) and really it might have been better if he'd just been allowed to stay with his first wife, Maria Fitzherbert, except that then we would have had no Queen Victoria.
The Duke of Sussex was never legally married as he did not have the monarch's permission plus morganatic marriages have never been a thing in Britain. George III had parliament pass the Royal Marriages Act early in his reign after his brothers married "commoners"
@@pedanticradiator1491 Roughly equivalent, though, I think. I realize the Duke was not legally married, but that Victoria countenanced their living together and made Lady Cynthia a duchess seems significant to me.
*That Churek guy seemed pretty suspicious trying to ensure that the archduke & duchess continued on their venue. I'm also questioning the driver's innocence.
25:42 The guy on the far left looks like he just accidentally farted. But seriously... I'd not heard of the intrigue behind the marriage and the repercussions. Interesting video! Cheers!
You're right! Thanks for giving me the giggles at such a solemn moment. Had to rewind to rewatch the end of the video because of that. How undignified of me!
One of the things that make it hard to really warm to royalty is that attitude they have toward people they deem less than them. The lives of many royals would have been so much better if they had followed Franz Ferdinand’s lead and married according to heart rather than some sick idea of status. He might not have been the best Royal but he seems to have been a devoted husband and in my view that makes him head and shoulders more admirable than old Franz Joseph.
Franz Josef loved his wife too. He might not have taken a mistress if Elisabeth had not withdrawn from him--he was, as far as I'm aware, even faithful to his mistress. He never stopped loving his wife, though.
I suppose we have to say in fairness that not everyone who is royal is like that. Henry VIII for instance, despite his manifold flaws, didn't hold it against 4 of his wives that they were non-royal. Of course he still killed 2 of them and probably wouldn't have done so if they'd been foreign royalty, so there's that. Some of Victoria's children married non royals though and they weren't treated like FF&Sophie, so it's certainly not all of them who were/are horrible snobs. Franz Joseph really took it to another level though. On the whole though, I agree with you that it's best when people are allowed to marry who they want.
Rudolf was quite a different kettle of fish from his cousin Franz Ferdinand. He was extremely depressive, spoiled by his mother, and a womanizer who had given his wife a sexually transmitted disease, leaving her unable to have more children. He was thirteen years older than his 17 year old mistress. (He was also keeping another mistress at the time, whom he had also asked to participate in a murder-self-harm pact.) He was a bad hat, not, in my opinion, a very romantic figure. Franz Ferdinand, on the other hand, fell deeply in love, committed to Sophie, and remained steadfast. The worst thing I know about him was that he was excessively fond of trophy hunting. Unlike his cousin, he really was honorable in love.
When twentieth century history comes up, I've made it a game for years to ask everyone to explain the causes of World War I (which was, after all, the cause of the much more discussed World War II). People are always surprised to realize how little idea they have about it: something about the Archduke (but who was that, and why Sarajevo?)...And how did America get into it? If you ask us, we'll mumble something about the Lusitania (which sunk over in HC's direction!) but that was 1915...when you look at the real causes, it all seems like tragic, bungled diplomacy, perhaps explaining the heavy sense of disillusion that existed between the wars- after this 'war to end all wars', as they hoped. (H.G. Wells is responsible for that phrase!) By 1939, no one had any questions as to what we were fighting about. Thanks to HC for this excellent look at the match that lit it all.
For a great insight into the world's emotional response to the war, (besides the obvious "All Quiet on the Western Front"), don't miss Jean Renoir's 1937 elegant masterpiece "The Grand Illusion". It's a really wonderful film, and an extraordinary moment of history captured in art.
Yes, it was very complex and even I would never pretend to really understand it all. The assassination was the spark, but the powder keg was already stuffed to the brim and ready to blow.
Oh, interesting point. I'm not sure actually. You can go see the car in a museum though and perhaps take a look and see for yourself what you think (if you're prepared to visit Sarajevo that is, which might be a bit of a journey).
@HistoryCalling thank you. I have a friend from Bosnia, and it really is gorgeous over there. I'm busy watching the kids today, but I'll let you know how much forensic evidence can be gleamed if I do. I've heard this story many times, but yours is by far the most detailed. Thanks again ☕
History calling. I was watching this video about two Irish politicians getting into a fight; You get me to think how do you feel about this as an Irish woman? ?
I cried as you told their story. I think Sophie would’ve been killed even if she took a different route from her husband. There were many folks in Sarajevo who wanted them dead. Oh their poor children. Thank you for telling their story. It’s important to remember them with admiration. I’m feeling better after my surgery. Tomorrow I’ll be watching Star Trek. It’s Election Day and I’m stressed out. Star Trek is my therapy. I voted for Harris/Walz. It’s not all about America. I’m thinking about our allies across the pond. Trump winning will be disastrous. He’s anti NATO.
Yes, it's so sad. It made me cry too. I'm so glad to hear that you're feeling better and I love Star Trek too. I hope it makes you feel better about the election. Let's hope this one is calmer than the last one in 2020!
One of the assassins was overcome with guilt at having been involved in her death in particular and wrote the children a letter of apology which was accepted by Princess Sophie and Duke Maximilian, but not by Prince Ernst.
I like the idea of music actually and had it in my very early videos, but it just takes so long to research and add in and unfortunately I'm too pushed for time.
Those poor children, to be treated with so much hate for something that wasn’t their fault, how utterly horrible how some human being can treat others and what did all that hate create, a world war and what did that world war solve, not a damned thing, just bought on more hate, destruction and death leading the world to our present state of HATE 😢
In short, their inheritance was taken off them and the boys ended up in a concentration camp. They survived, but it was still awful. The daughter lived until 1990.
The governor had to be in on it. All those multiple measures to dilute their security detail and put them in dangerous positions couldn't have been simple incompetence. I smell malice.
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I have read that Franz Ferdinand was pleased that his children were excludedfrom inheriting the throne as he had found the position of heir weighed heavily and he hoped his children could live a more normal life.
When the First world war broke out Oskar Potoriek proved to be one of the most useless of the Austrian generals and he was up against some strong competition. The Dual Monarchy's generals make British 1st world war generals beacons of competence.
I was just glad to see that Sophie's tomb was the same size as her husband's.
Yup
“Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.”
Thank you for mentioning Archduchess Sophie murdered alongside her Husband. She is often overlooked or outright disregarded
I agree and it's shameful. She seems to have been such a good person and deserved to be remembered.
I just said the same thing myself, in my comment
I saw the title and was like wait, his wife was also killed?! I love history and had no idea but ww1 isn’t what I inhale like water, that’s ww2 and Tudor history 😂😂😂
@@rachael8078 Yep, unfortunately, Sophie was also killed alongside her husband that day in Sarajevo!
Sadly, WWI is glossed over in history taught here in America. Learning the history of one’s own country is important, but looking at history with a global perspective is no less important. Thank you for another outstanding lesson!
“Sophie don’t die, stay alive for our children” have to be some of the saddest last words I’ve ever heard of, especially considering what happened.
It’s horrific how the “uppers” treat those “below” them !! They found true love. What a beautiful but sad story. Thank You !
I know. The snobbery was absolutely wild in that family.
This was very interesting. I knew Sophie was killed alongside her husband, but didn’t know the shameful way she had been treated by his family. Even after her death, they had to treat her as less than human. I would be interested in what happened to their children…maybe a part two? Have a great week! 😊
The children had a very sad life unfortunately. The boys ended up in concentration camps (they survived them, but you can imagine the toll that took).
@@HistoryCalling This would be a very interesting follow up video.
So very, very tragic.
@ That’s interesting David. I hadn’t thought of that (being a spy, etc.). I am guessing she was made of pretty strong stuff to endure what she did.
Came to make the same comment. Such a sad story… and to think of all of the lives still yet to be lost makes it that much more heartbreaking. Thank you, as always, History Calling for another great vid ♥️
The Archduke's children were raised by their maternal uncle by marriage, Prince Jaroslav von Thun und Hohenstein. They were the first orphans of World War I. All of them survived World Wars I and II, married and had children, but Maximilian and Ernst were imprisoned in Dachau for anti-Nazi activities. Maximilian was released in six months, but Ernst was confined much longer, and died relatively young in 1954 as a result of mistreatment. Sophia lived until 1990.
Yes, they had a terrible time of it, the boys in particular. Their inheritance was taken off them too.
Those poor children lost both parents in one day. The entire damaged it caused not just WW1 but some people believe for WW2. Thanks HC
Yes and I'm afraid the kids went on to have really tough lives, with the boys ending up in concentration camps. They survived that experience, but it was still horrendous.
@@HistoryCalling I could imagine. 😔
This war has ripple effects past WW2 which was definitely caused in part by WW1 because of resentment from Versailles and then look at all the damage Sichs-Pico cause to this day
The story is much sadder than I remembered.
Yes, it's an absolute tragedy. Shakespeare could hardly have written something sadder.
@@HistoryCalling And the way that the Archduke was talking to his wife about living for their children was so sweet!
Great to see some WW1 content in time for armistace day - thank you.
I had an excellent history teacher in secondary school. He really made it come alive for me. The downside of this was that I deeply felt the horrors of WW1. I used to hide behind my text book so my friends couldnt see my tears 😅
Yes, I thought I'd take a rare trip to the 20th century this week in honour of armistice day. I don't think I ever had a teacher who made it that real for me, but perhaps that's a good thing if it saved me from crying in class. I'm sure that would have led to much mockery from my classmates unfortunately.
@HistoryCalling I was very lucky with some of my teachers. I also had an amazing English teacher. I don't think I'd have the love for history and literature that I have today if it wasn't for them ♥️
@@catherineball5071I was blessed with the best history teachers in high school and had a father who loved history and passed his passion for it me and my sibs, but especially to me.
@@HistoryCallingI was the same way in that when historical events were especially sad and/or horrific I would cry behind my book in class and then later cry on my dad’s shoulder when discussing with him what I’d learned in history class that day. One of my American history teachers had helped to liberate Auschwitz as a 17 year old soldier, and he showed us photos of the infamous camp and the poor prisoners while telling my class about his experiences in freeing the camp. Even the boys in class were outright weeping as our teacher recounted what he did and witnessed in Auschwitz and how it affected him for the rest of his life.
I remember learning about their assassination in terms of the start of the War in school but never taught about them in a broader context which you have shown is also very interesting.
Thank you for covering this!
You're welcome. Yes, it's a shame their story (especially Sophie's as she's often rather forgotten about) isn't better known.
There’s still so much from WW1 and WW2 we don’t know. It’s so surprising. But thanks for the video.
I know. They're such complex events, with so many people involved. Maybe we'll never unpick them entirely.
@@HistoryCalling Definitely, I still hear stories that many haven’t been heard massively and Information that has only been recently released. So much is hidden or lost waiting to be found. It’s mad. I guess that’s history for you.
What a sad story. And one of history’s great love stories too. I didn’t know much beyond the awful chain of events it started off. Thank you for sharing it.
Yes, it's like a Shakespearean tragedy when you know about their lives and their love story before the assassination.
You have made this world changing tragic event very understandable, thank you.
You're welcome. I certainly think Sophie in particular deserves to be better remembered. She's often just a footnote which is so unfair.
I was not expecting to learn so much about this event. The sheer number of things that had to go "wrong" for this to happen is incredible.
Would you consider doing one on what happened to their children?
I would except that this one isn't doing too well so I don't think the demand would be there. In short though, their inheritance was taken off them and the boys ended up in a concentration camp. They survived, but it was still awful. The daughter lived until 1990.
@HistoryCalling I'm sorry this one isn't doing well. It should be! Your videos go to the top of my "watch list" every week, and this is one of your best.
I always watch and love your podcasts and videos...thank you so very much! May God continue to bless you and us as we truly enjoy your work! God has blessed us with you and your videos of this formative time in World history! Please don't stop...this is important for every history lover!!!
Something that I want to note on Franz Ferdinand and Sophie being in Sarajevo, they died on June 28 and were married on July 1st, 1900. So perhaps they used it as an opportunity to celebrate their anniversary
What a sad sad story. I hardly knew anything about this. Thank you for this detailed story
👏👏 Well done, HC! I'm not sure if the the governor was directly complicit but his incompetence certainly makes him responsible. After watching this yesterday I pulled out my book of WWI poetry and read Wilfred Owen:
"...If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs
Bitten as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, -
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori."
What a colossal waste of humanity. Be well, HC.🙏🏼
Yes, I think he put it incredibly well. People glorify war far too much. If they'd really seen and experienced it, they'd run for the hills (if they could).
Oh & thanks HC. Being taught about his particular incident sparked my interest / obsession with all things WW's I & 2 - still going 50 years later. Bookshelf too small!!
You just have to get another bookshelf. You can't ever learn too much history after all :-)
Right there with you, Chris!
I have been on a A/H binge recently, wonderful to see this video Thank you!
As a young teen, I was obsessed with the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the tragic fate of the heir and his wife. It's still tragic
Well that certainly fillled in a lot of blanks for me. I honestly did not know that I had so many blanks!
I still find it astonishing the long running effects of this tragedy that still reverberate today, not to mention the course of events of the 20th Century.
So many contemporary conflicts had their seeds sown by this event and the subsequent messes that devolved from this :(
Thanks for this informative video HC. Like others, I did not know about Sophie's poor treatment. She put up with so much. 🙂
She really did. She was a Princess in the best way; a very classy lady and much better than most of her in-laws.
Sophie is usually forgotten when discussing this ,
Yes and I find that so frustrating and sad. She deserves to be remembered.
@@HistoryCalling indeed she does , may she rest in peace,
Even worse, up until watching this I had the vague impression he was assassinated with his lover, not his wife. To be fair WWI has never been a subject that's particularly interested me, but I've just discovered this fascinating channel and am binging the content. 😅
Well compiled and presented as ever!
Thanks for posting. 🌟👍
It's funny, but most of us know about Franz but few know anything about Sophie. Even I knew nothing more than she was his wife and was assassinated with him. Appreciate this vid, thanks ❤
Yes, it's a shame how overlooked she is in history, just as she was in life. I feel like Hollywood should make a movie about her.
26 minutes late!
Was watching SIX the Broadway musical on yt lol
No I don't think he was involved in the plot, to say he was Incompetent is an understatement, a sad event in history, I think it was a wedding anniversary on that fateful day, thank you as always HC.
I lean towards incompetence too, because I just can't see what he had to gain, but equally it wouldn't surprise me if it transpired he was in on it for some unknown reason. His actions just beggar belief.
@HistoryCalling indeed HC, spot on as always.
Another fascinating tale. Thanks HC!
You're welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting :-)
Thanks HC! Great video. Again a part of WWI history that is often times over looked or barely mentioned due to the status of the ArchDuke and his wife Sophie. It's no wonder a lot of the European Royal houes fell and never really returned from WWI - WWII.
Yes, I think had a lot of these royals known that these wars they were running after would be the end of them, they might have become pacifists.
The slights against Sophie continued after her death were horrible by Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo who tried to make the orphaned children pay the bill. (It didn't work) It's strange as he was a man who was also of the product of a morganatic marriage.
Yes, it's interesting how quickly people forget where they themselves came from.
Some humans have short or no memories. Look at the wars that are still going on. All to do with ego
This vid was well worth my time to watch.
Very interesting. I wasn't aware of all of the background history of the marriage and assassination.
Yes, they were a real love match, which just makes it all the sadder. :-(
I admire you for being humble enough to admit you may have mispronounced the Serbian names. So often people are not willing to do so. I knew the assassination started the war but did not know all the details. Thank you so much for a very interesting video that increased my knowledge. As a life long history lover you always satisfy my thirst for history knowledge. my history courses in college focused on the U.S. revolution & civil wars which have always been my first passion & a life long study. I do so enjoy your videos about European history. You never disappoint me. ❤
Oh I had an awful time with the names. I tried to find pronunciation guides for all of them and I recorded take after take of me saying them, but I know I still didn't get them right. I couldn't even have pretended I was saying them properly. I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. Funnily enough, US history is a bit of a blind spot for me, so we're kind of the reverse of each other :-)
Today is a good day. New HC video and stardew valley finally updated for switch lol.
Always love your videos, thank you for the stellar content
Thank you. Glad you're having a good Monday :-)
As always another brilliant history video, thank you
You're welcome. Glad you liked it :-)
Hey HC, another incredible video today 😊 i was wondering if you would be open to doing a video on Maria Feodorovna (Princes Dagmar of Denmark) she was such an incredible woman of the era and is such a fascinating character due to when and which she lived and the events that transpired during her lifetime, truly a remarkable person and i feel she’s long overdue for an historian of your calibre to share her story on this platform. of course just a suggestion and many thanks for your wonderful work.
I find the Russian royals very interesting and would love to do more videos on them, but sadly when I stray from English royals (even just to the Scots) people don't seem to watch. I think this video is a case and point. It's about Austrian royals and it's not doing very well, despite the fact that it's a very interesting story :-(
@@HistoryCallingit’s disappointing that
people aren’t more interested in other european royals because they have had just as much of an impact on the world as the english royals have, i understand where you come from though and don’t blame you for not wanting to use your time for something which won’t benefit you. if you made a video on your patreon i would definitely subscribe to that 😂🎉
@@HistoryCallingSaddened to hear this, as all your videos are exemplary!
No real love for history, all for juice.
Thanks for this informative video. I had no idea that Sophie died alongside him. The history I learnt at school in the 1970's only mentioned his death. Even in death it was as though her life was inconsequential which makes me so angry on her behalf
Yes, isn't that typical that she gets overlooked like that? I think that happens in a lot of history books and classes.
For anyone here unwise enough to not be signed up for History Calling's monthly newsletter, correct that error now: among many interesting news pieces linked, there's a doozy of a Tudor story which I hope will lead to a future entry on this channel very soon.
Thank you :-) Yes, if I can get more information on that story I might do a video on it.
ironically the Archduke probably would have been a very progressive ruler - if Princip had missed history goes down a veery different timeline for sure - ty for awesome content as per usual HC
Yes, I agree. History could have been so different if not for the events in Sarajevo that day.
It may have been that his progressive ideas required his assassination to prevent Austria-Hungary from becoming a successful, modern state. The Serbian government as well as that damned Emperor are guilty parties. Sisi couldn't stand him either.
Didn't Franz Ferdinand not liken Jews and Slavs to less than human?
@@losingmymind611 No.
She was his morganatic wife, you know! I did pay attention to some things in school.
On a completely irrelevant topic, I just want to put it out there that The Mirror & The Light (Wolf Hall - The conclusion in 6 parts) starts this sunday on mainstream telly box. I am excited for the first time in about 9 years. I bet I know what's going to happen !! 😊
Yes, I'm looking forward to that too. It's a bit ridiculous that it picks up directly after season 1 though, when they've all aged by 10 years.
@@HistoryCalling Henry 8 can do that to anybody, apparently.
@@chrisbanks6659 😂
The entire timeline of the Hapsburgs from Sisi to Franz Ferdinand is so sad
Yes, I agree. Not a lucky family (and that's without even discussing the rampant incest).
Thank you for providing some context for this historical event. I had known the story of how it started WWI, but did not know the particulars of their relationship. Gotta say, the way they treated her was awful.
Yes, I hadn't realised just how badly she was treated either until researching this. Absolutely shameful behaviour on the part of her in-laws.
Thank you for this detailed account of that fateful day. I tend to think the mistakes made by the governor were sheer incompetence. I always look forward to your posts.
Thank you for doing this. Such an incredibly sad tale. And it boggles the mind that the assassination of two people would be the final catalyst for not just WW1 but eventually WW2, as there wouldn’t have been the second without the first!
I think with all the unrest within the Austria-Hungarian empire,some event was bound to spark a major event. And the other European countries didn’t really have a choice but to become involved due to alliances, when they probably would have preferred to stay out!
I know. Rarely have just 2 deaths had such a monumental impact on the world. It's wild that the details of the story (and their lives in general) aren't better known about.
Thank you
You're welcome. You can let me know later if you think the Governor was in on it, or just unbelievably incompetent.
The Governor was involved with their deaths!
In my opinion, there were 3 sets of Royal murders that led to WWI: Mayerling, the Obrenović murders in Belgrade which brought to power the Black Hand, which then finally murdered Franz Ferdinand.
Hi, awesome live history video I enjoyed it. How are you doing? I'm doing well and so is my cat Benjamin. In the next video in the future. Could you do World War 2. All your live history videos are always enjoyable. Have a great day see you next video 😊
Hi Michelle. I'm afraid WW2 is too big of a topic to cover in one of my videos and also most of the pictures and footage related to it would still be in copyright. I do have a video on the mysterious disappearance of the Amber Room during that conflict though, which you might enjoy. :-)
Do you know what happened to the children? Thank you for another informative video!
They all survived the world wars, married, and had children. However, the two boys were incarcerated in concentration camps during WWII for resisting the Nazis, though both survived. They lost their Czech and Austrian properties, but the Austrian properties were restored to them.
I have been hoping you would do a program on the assassination of the Archduke. I'll never forget first hearing about it. I grew up a child of the Vietnam War war and remember thinking how strange that an assassination could spark a war that eventually involved much of Europe. One of my grandfathers enlisted to guard the aquedect on Long Island.
On another subject, Google has been pestering me every day with the news that a new season of Wolf Hall launches soon. I have a question: When I read the books, I was struck by the multiple references to Henry VIII's fascination with omens. I am wondering what you thought about that. That is, do you think that belief in omens was typical at that time, even in a religious and educated person? Or do you think that is part of the fiction? Keep up the good work. You don't know how much I have counted on your darling sense of humor to keep me from going crazy during the American political drama that is coming to a head tomorrow!!! (I voted Saturday for Kamala Harris 🎉)
Yes, I'll be watching the new season of WH as well. Henry was superstitious to an extent (like many people). He and Anne had astrologers predicting whether Elizabeth would be a boy or a girl for instance (and most of them got it wrong). I can't think of any specific belief in omens off the top of my head, but that wouldn't surprise me at all. I'm watching the election too. Nail-biting stuff!
Great video
This is quite sad😢
Yes, no happy ending this week unfortunately. I think it's important to remember them though and I don't think Sophie gets the attention she deserves.
Bonus comment to boost the engagement algorithm.
Do you, or could you please make a video about their children.. id love to know!!!
Robert Newman's 'History of Oil' presents an alternative reason for the outbreak of WW1 (rather than the historically approved version where a man no one knew was assassinated by another man no one knew for reasons no one can seem to remember). The British Royal Navy had just converted from coal-fired to oil-fired engines but didn't have a steady supply of oil. This was at the same time the Germans were building the Berlin to Baghdad railroad.
I would say the assassination of the archduke and his wife was more of a catalyst (match to the already existing powder keg) ,rather than the entire cause of the outbreak. The balance of power in Europe had shifted with the expansion of Germany and the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the resulting set of new alliances certainly had more to do with it. The oil scenario sounds like a pretty good one.
So sad for their children to suffer such a loss.
I think the governor and the emperor were in on it together. Why was the emperor so insistent that he go? Why was the security so bad? My spidey senses were tingling.
It does all look very fishy, I admit. If it was intentional though, then boy did it all bow up in their faces.
Speaking of plots, today's video could have been about the Guy Fawkes plot to blow up Parliament in 1605. Tomorrow is the 419th anniversary.
Very well told per usual. Weekly tribute to the algorithm.
Much appreciated! :-)
I first read this part of history in one of the history manga books (got plenty of them and are good for receiving basic knowledge). I remembered seeing the part where Ferdinand pleaded Sophie not to die for the sake of their children and was really sadden by it😢 It made me sadder to learn that Sophie was treated unequally throughout her marriage, but the funeral part is just insulting. 😮
Yes, the funeral made me really mad. Imagine not letting children go to their own parents' funeral. Franz Joseph was an absolute pig.
@@HistoryCalling Having studied the Emperor's (And his wife's) story for over thirty years I can tell you that that is far from the truth. Back then children being allowed to attend funerals was highly unusual, including those of their parents, ESPECIALLY amongst the nobility/ruling houses. Even mothers often didn't attend their children's funerals (IE Empress Elisabeth not attending crown prince Rudolf's funeral - the fact that she didn't want to anyway was a coincidence btw) back then and nobody batted an eyelash bc it just "wasn't done". I won't write an essay here but given that you're a historian...I would have expected you to know this and be more capable of nuance.
Could you please do a video about Franz Ferdinand and Sophie's three children? I feel so sorry for them, not just because they lost their parents but they lost everything they had ever known. Booted out of their Hungarian Palace that their father owned but the Hungarian government said forget it. They weren't even allowed to take their belongings! Then came Hitler's hate for the Habsburg family. Emperor Karl said he would look after the children but he lost his throne only two years later. Extremely interesting family history. Thank you.
Bonus comment for the engagement algorithm. ❤
I made it to the end Cam 😊
📚thank you
You're welcome :-)
Apparently when both Franz Ferdinand and Sophie were invited to the UK Queen Mary being the descendant of a Morganatic marriage her father Duke Francis of Teck, was a child of such a marriage, Duke Alexander of Wurttemberg and Countess Claudine. Queen Mary treated them both especially Sophie like an equal Royal family as she had probably heard rumours. That is the best way I can describe it. She understood and knew the background of being treated like a poor relation.
I remember the film MAYERLING.many years ago. So upsetting. Didnt realise there was a link with Franz Ferdinand.
Oh, I haven't seen that one actually.
I read the book many years ago
There is also a documentary on UA-cam.
300k is getting closer...
Sounds like the whole of Erope was a powder keg ready to explode. My great grand parents were Danish and German immigrants. My Danish great grandmother always said it wasn't Germany's fualt, yet they got all the blame. Now it makes sense why she said as much. I'm afraid i didn't pay enough attention to my history lessons in school and consequently my knowledge of WWI and everything is lacking on the accepted narrative. At the time i was more intrested in the Tudors than what I was supposed to be lesrning in school. As always another great video. 😊
Haha, it's ok. I think a lot of people have found themselves distracted by the Tudors! :-)
Poor Sophie. It was just one thing after another for her.
I know. Her in-laws were absolutely hateful people.
I've been to the spot in Sarajevo, last summer.
I remember this story, but every time I hear it, my blood boils. Why did Franz Joseph learn nothing? Stephanie, Rudolf's wife, was treated horribly and she was a daughter of the King of the Belgians, Charlotte, his sister-in-law was horrendously treated after the death of Maximilian, and she was also from the Belgian Royal Family. He agreed to marry off his own daughter Gisela when she was just sixteen, his own wife had rough times settling in the Austrian court (and I say it as person who has at best a "meh" attitude towards Sisi), but he did nothing to break this cycle of bullying and engaged in it himself. Even Queen Victoria allowed Princess Louise to marry a non-royal.
The Austrian imperial court was always even more hidebound than the English royal court, and Franz Josef was a complete stick. They did treat Charlotte abominably after the fall of the emperor; she was in very bad shape when rescued from Austrian hands by her Belgian relatives.
Unfortunately, some people are just horrible like that :-(
Can you do a video on their children?
Unfortunately I don't know if there would be much of an appetite for it :-( Also, most of the images and footage I'd need would still be in copyright. I will tell you thought that it wasn't a very happy life for them. Their inheritance was taken off them and the boys ended up in concentration camps. They survived, but it was awful. The daughter lived until 1990 I think.
i read somewhere that the emperor himself was behind the assassination ...
I mean he certainly wasn't sad about it, but I don't know that he actually planned it. That's quite a drastic step to take.
I don´t think so. Franz Joseph would have had other possibilities, e.g. making his nephew Otto the heir. Surely he would have had no qualms to disappoint Franz Ferdinand. I think he didn`t like him, but wasn´t keen on acting decisively.
for the question, keeping w the theme (the happiest part of the theme, that is😭), what’s your fav royal romance story?
Maybe Elizabeth and Philip. They got a rare happy ending, getting to stay together into their 90s.
@@HistoryCallingah true, that’s a good one, there seem to be a lot of them w young/ish deaths in at least one of the members😭
What a tragic story, and from that, a world war started. That's horrific, and my heart goes out to Sophie, especially. She deserved to be treated with all the respect and grace her position allowed. Thank you, HC, for telling this tale, a subject I knew very little about. 🫶🏽
Yes, it really is so sad. It's like a Greek or Shakespearean tragedy.
Baldrick: No....I'm sure there was an Ostrich involved.....
I must watch Blackadder again. It's been too long.
I would also like to know what happened to their kids. They looked so sweet.
Unfortunately nothing good. Their inheritance was stolen from them and the boys ended up in concentration camps. A quick Google will give you the details and it's also in the King/Woolman book I mentioned.
I've always wondered about this event. WWI is so neglected in American history classes. It wouldn't surprise me if the emperor was involved. It seems like he just wanted to move on to the next heir without realizing what it would cause.
That poor couple, it must have been awful to live under the control of a ruler who specifically hated you and your family, he might have been heir but it sounds like Franz had very little real autonomy.
It definitely sounds like a lot of people almost went out of their way to put Franz and Sophie's lives at risk, did the emperor hope something would happen? It sounds like he also pushed for them to ignore safety protocols
Well, I've watched this twice, and I still feel mystified by the cause of WW1. The information in your video was very detailed and thorough, and I'm surely scrupulously researched. And yet, the actions of the government leaders involved seem inexplicable to me. Perhaps it is only that I'm able to view the events in hindsight, but I have to wonder if the governments involved understood the terrible implications of what they were starting. They must have known all the treaties that would be called into play. So they couldn't have thought it a proxy war. I know it sounds like a conspiracy theory, but given the interdependency of the smaller principalities on the greater kingdoms/empires, is it possible Franz Joseph, the unpopular heir presumptive, who'd married below his station, and who'd been the target of plots against him in the past, was set up by his own government?? Why take the risk? Why, on the feast day of St. Vitus? Why the lax security? Then to give the killer a second chance at the couple really tops all understanding! I understand courage and bravery and all that, but really, to return to practically the scene of the crime? And stall? It really makes me wonder if the couple were sacrificed in a bigger game of saber-rattling by the greater powers. What horrors they unleashed upon the world, for decades to come. Thanks for a sobering look at a chain of events that looks less coincidental the more one knows about it.
I think you mean Franz Ferdinand rather than Franz Josef.
Interesting idea, thank you.
Yes, I think it's one of those incidents that will always have people wondering about a larger conspiracy. We'll never know for sure and it might have just been that Emperor Franz/his government was hoping that something bad would happen to his nephew, rather than being involved in any specific plan, but it's no wonder when you look at the sequence of events that people question if there was a wider plot.
Disrespect toward those who married "above" them occurred within the British royal family as well. Augustus, Duke of Sussex, one of the sons of George III, not once, but twice, married ladies below him in rank, both "only" earls' daughters, without the king's permission. The second, Lady Cynthia Buggin, could not attend functions with her husband, or dine with him. When Queen Victoria came to the throne, she took pity on Lady Cynthia, and created her Duchess of Inverness in her own right, so she no longer had to eat alone.
Yes, you're quite right. Horrible snobbery. Of course the results of not letting people marry who they wanted were often pretty dire. George IV's legal marriage was a disaster for instance, then its one child died (Princess Charlotte) and really it might have been better if he'd just been allowed to stay with his first wife, Maria Fitzherbert, except that then we would have had no Queen Victoria.
The Duke of Sussex was never legally married as he did not have the monarch's permission plus morganatic marriages have never been a thing in Britain. George III had parliament pass the Royal Marriages Act early in his reign after his brothers married "commoners"
@@pedanticradiator1491 Roughly equivalent, though, I think. I realize the Duke was not legally married, but that Victoria countenanced their living together and made Lady Cynthia a duchess seems significant to me.
*That Churek guy seemed pretty suspicious trying to ensure that the archduke & duchess continued on their venue. I'm also questioning the driver's innocence.
Got to wonder why we were still driving world leaders around in convertible cars in the 60s?
My thoughts exactly!
Optics--surely not security.
25:42 The guy on the far left looks like he just accidentally farted. But seriously... I'd not heard of the intrigue behind the marriage and the repercussions. Interesting video! Cheers!
I'll have to go look that time stamp up now! :-)
You're right! Thanks for giving me the giggles at such a solemn moment. Had to rewind to rewatch the end of the video because of that. How undignified of me!
One of the things that make it hard to really warm to royalty is that attitude they have toward people they deem less than them. The lives of many royals would have been so much better if they had followed Franz Ferdinand’s lead and married according to heart rather than some sick idea of status. He might not have been the best Royal but he seems to have been a devoted husband and in my view that makes him head and shoulders more admirable than old Franz Joseph.
Franz Josef loved his wife too. He might not have taken a mistress if Elisabeth had not withdrawn from him--he was, as far as I'm aware, even faithful to his mistress. He never stopped loving his wife, though.
I suppose we have to say in fairness that not everyone who is royal is like that. Henry VIII for instance, despite his manifold flaws, didn't hold it against 4 of his wives that they were non-royal. Of course he still killed 2 of them and probably wouldn't have done so if they'd been foreign royalty, so there's that. Some of Victoria's children married non royals though and they weren't treated like FF&Sophie, so it's certainly not all of them who were/are horrible snobs. Franz Joseph really took it to another level though. On the whole though, I agree with you that it's best when people are allowed to marry who they want.
Every time I hear "Franz Ferdinand" my mind plays "Take me out"
Rudolf was supposed to be madly in love with his mistress... Mayerling ? Interesting that he and Franz were so romantic in a Era of Monarchical duty.
Yes, they seem quite unusual in that way.
Rudolf was quite a different kettle of fish from his cousin Franz Ferdinand. He was extremely depressive, spoiled by his mother, and a womanizer who had given his wife a sexually transmitted disease, leaving her unable to have more children. He was thirteen years older than his 17 year old mistress. (He was also keeping another mistress at the time, whom he had also asked to participate in a murder-self-harm pact.) He was a bad hat, not, in my opinion, a very romantic figure.
Franz Ferdinand, on the other hand, fell deeply in love, committed to Sophie, and remained steadfast. The worst thing I know about him was that he was excessively fond of trophy hunting. Unlike his cousin, he really was honorable in love.
When twentieth century history comes up, I've made it a game for years to ask everyone to explain the causes of World War I (which was, after all, the cause of the much more discussed World War II). People are always surprised to realize how little idea they have about it: something about the Archduke (but who was that, and why Sarajevo?)...And how did America get into it? If you ask us, we'll mumble something about the Lusitania (which sunk over in HC's direction!) but that was 1915...when you look at the real causes, it all seems like tragic, bungled diplomacy, perhaps explaining the heavy sense of disillusion that existed between the wars- after this 'war to end all wars', as they hoped. (H.G. Wells is responsible for that phrase!) By 1939, no one had any questions as to what we were fighting about. Thanks to HC for this excellent look at the match that lit it all.
For a great insight into the world's emotional response to the war, (besides the obvious "All Quiet on the Western Front"), don't miss Jean Renoir's 1937 elegant masterpiece "The Grand Illusion". It's a really wonderful film, and an extraordinary moment of history captured in art.
Yes, it was very complex and even I would never pretend to really understand it all. The assassination was the spark, but the powder keg was already stuffed to the brim and ready to blow.
All for you Sophie
A grear song from the band Franz Ferdinand
As the bullet passed through the door, it is plausible that it deflected towards the Archduchess.
Oh, interesting point. I'm not sure actually. You can go see the car in a museum though and perhaps take a look and see for yourself what you think (if you're prepared to visit Sarajevo that is, which might be a bit of a journey).
@HistoryCalling thank you. I have a friend from Bosnia, and it really is gorgeous over there. I'm busy watching the kids today, but I'll let you know how much forensic evidence can be gleamed if I do.
I've heard this story many times, but yours is by far the most detailed. Thanks again ☕
Wow when your time is up, your time is up
History calling. I was watching this video about two Irish politicians getting into a fight; You get me to think how do you feel about this as an Irish woman? ?
Meh. Politicians fight all the time. I don't really feel anything about it.
They wouldn’t fight if you was the Empress of Ireland. I keep telling people if you won’t peace just give the crown to history calling.
Tbh the governor's actions are ridiculously suspicious
I cried as you told their story. I think Sophie would’ve been killed even if she took a different route from her husband. There were many folks in Sarajevo who wanted them dead. Oh their poor children. Thank you for telling their story. It’s important to remember them with admiration.
I’m feeling better after my surgery. Tomorrow I’ll be watching Star Trek. It’s Election Day and I’m stressed out. Star Trek is my therapy. I voted for Harris/Walz. It’s not all about America. I’m thinking about our allies across the pond. Trump winning will be disastrous. He’s anti NATO.
Yes, it's so sad. It made me cry too. I'm so glad to hear that you're feeling better and I love Star Trek too. I hope it makes you feel better about the election. Let's hope this one is calmer than the last one in 2020!
One of the assassins was overcome with guilt at having been involved in her death in particular and wrote the children a letter of apology which was accepted by Princess Sophie and Duke Maximilian, but not by Prince Ernst.
Indeed, a terrible tragedy.
Yes, even Shakespeare could hardly have imagined something worse.
It might be an idea to have...atmospheric appropriate theme music?
I like the idea of music actually and had it in my very early videos, but it just takes so long to research and add in and unfortunately I'm too pushed for time.
The Archduke's family was just awful!
I know. The in-laws from he**
Her mother-in-law treated her horribly.
Those poor children, to be treated with so much hate for something that wasn’t their fault, how utterly horrible how some human being can treat others and what did all that hate create, a world war and what did that world war solve, not a damned thing, just bought on more hate, destruction and death leading the world to our present state of HATE 😢
I wonder what happened to their children.
In short, their inheritance was taken off them and the boys ended up in a concentration camp. They survived, but it was still awful. The daughter lived until 1990.
The governor had to be in on it. All those multiple measures to dilute their security detail and put them in dangerous positions couldn't have been simple incompetence. I smell malice.