Attempts at Peace by Kaiser (Archduke) Karl During World War One; Habsburgs Banished

Emperor Franz Joseph died on November 21, 1916 at age 86 in the middle of the War, his 68-year reign the second-longest in the recorded history of Europe. Twenty five years had passed since the mystery-shrouded death of his son, the Crown Prince, at Mayerling. His brother Maximilian has long since been executed in Mexico and his wife, Empress Elizabeth, had been assassinated. There was no direct heir to the throne left and the succession passed to Franz Josef’s brother, Karl Ludwig, and after his death in 1896, to his brother’s son, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. With the Archduke’s murder, it passed to a man who hated war.

In 1916, 29-year-old Archduke Karl, through this unfortunate series of events, inherited the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire while the world was in the depths of World War I as Karl Franz Josef von Habsburg-Lothringen. He was intelligent, good looking, popular and a family man. He was uncomfortable with nationalism, had a strong sense of humanitarianism and was most definitely not autocratic. He was unhappy with the world at war and commented: “Since my accession to the throne I have unceasingly tried to spare my nations the horror of the war, for the outbreak of which I bear no responsibility.”

He forbade the bombing of civilian and cultural targets. He made peace initiatives in 1917 and was arrogantly rebuffed. Again, on Oct. 16 1918, Emperor Karl issued a manifesto proposing the federalization of the Austrian half of the Empire on the basis of self-determination. In Washington, Czechoslovakia’s T.G. Masaryk feared the Western Powers might negotiate with Austria on this basis, so he issued a declaration of Czechoslovakian independence. He need not have worried. President Woodrow Wilson and other Western leaders did not have any intention of negotiating with “Emperor Charles” or coming to a diplomatic and just solution.

Upon defeat, he was obliged to renounce the throne. The Habsburgs were banished by the new Austrian republic in 1919 and all official property was confiscated. Habsburg rule had ended after more than half a millennium. However, he never abdicated, believing that his oath of kingship could be terminated only by death. He only relinquished power, and he was hoping to reign as king of Hungary. After he and his family were forced into exile, he made two unsuccessful restoration attempts in 1921. It was not to be: the Entente was completely hostile to the idea of a Habsburg on the throne of Hungary, and Czechoslovakia’s Eduard Benes issued another violent reaction and even prepared for war.

Although the Entente provided a pension to the family who initially relocated to Madeira, it was sufficient only to cover necessities. One cold March day, Karl travelled into town to buy his children toys and came home ill. Severe pneumonia set in. He died at age 34 on April 1, 1922.

Archduke Karl married Zita von Bourbon-Parma on October 21, 1911 and together they had eight children, starting with Crown Prince Otto born in 1912 who became pretender to the throne at age ten upon his father’s death. Zita was accused by critics of goading her husband to regain the Hungarian throne, where the monarchy from which he had not abdicated had been re-established under a Regent after the end of the war. After Karl’s death, Zita, who spoke five languages, lived in France, Spain, Belgium, Canada, and the USA. She died in Switzerland in 1986. She was buried in the first Habsburg royal funeral at Vienna’s Imperial Crypt in 70 years.

Her funeral was attended by politicians, state officials and international representatives, including a representative of the Pope. In 1994, Karl’s coffin was opened in Madeira, and his body did not appear decomposed. The Vatican proclaimed him “Venerable,” or just shy of a Saint, in 1998. On December 22, 2003, the Vatican had recognized a miracle performed in Karl’s name. On October 3, 2004, Karl the Venerable became Karl the Blessed, as the Church announced the beatification of Karl von Habsburg.

Karl’s eldest son, Archduke Otto, petitioned the Austrian government in 1961 to be allowed to return to Austria as a private citizen and his request was granted in 1963. He later became a West German resident and a representative to the European Parliament.

Zita always believed that the death of Crown Prince Rudolf at Mayerling in 1889 was not a double suicide, but rather murder by French or Austrian agents, and in fact subsequent examinations have cast serious doubt on the official explanation of the deaths.