The Black Hand, a militaristic group dedicated to founding a Greater Serbia and reclaiming “lost” land through force, overlapped with many members of Young Bosnia. Related: These 17 Photos Show How Great-Grandpa Got Ready For WWI Several nationalist secret societies, such as Young Bosnia, cropped up around the turn of the century with the aim of uniting South Slavs. Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia, which Serbia hoped to acquire, did little to improve public opinion. He was right to worry.Īfter a violent military coup in 1903, in which the king and queen of Serbia were killed, the new regime led to increased Serbian nationalism and less favorable views of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Ferdinand wanted to be cautious going forward, fearing that harsh treatment of Serbia and its subjects would lead to open conflict with Russia. The Austro-Hungarian Empire included a significant minority population of Serbs. One of Franz Ferdinand’s many spats with his peers included a dispute over how the Empire should handle the neighboring and newly independent Kingdom of Serbia. Related: 14 Fascinating Books About the War to End All Wars At his best he could be seen as a man of laudable earnestness and entirely without pretension at his worst he was a man of ugly temperament, frequently clashing with Franz Joseph, the elderly emperor and his uncle. He was known for his frankness and aloof attitude, as well as his disregard for tradition, at least when it came to his own marriage. When Ludwig passed away seven years later, Franz Ferdinand became the heir presumptive at the age of 33, and was trained to ascend to the throne should no one else with a stronger claim come forward.įerdinand had always been different from his royal peers. In 1889, Crown Prince Rudolf committed suicide, leaving Franz Ferdinand’s father, Karl Ludwig, first in line for the throne. No one could have expected the eventual heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian throne would fall victim to perhaps the most consequential murder of the 20th century. When Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria and his wife, Princess Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, welcomed a son into the world on December 18th, 1863, they likely expected a bright future in nobility and politics for their firstborn, Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria.
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