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| Chapter I | |
| The collapse of the Holy Roman Empire—The impossibility
of reviving it—The German Federation—The Holy
Alliance—The policy of sitting on the safety valve—The
consequent explosions—The problems consequently prepared
for Francis Joseph—The Head of the House of
Habsburg—Inseparable connection between the events
of his public and private life | [1] |
| Chapter II | |
| The House of Habsburg from the standpoint of Eugenics—The
“Habsburg jaw”—Degeneracy the consequence of
consanguineous marriages—Sound physiological instinct
of King Cophetua—And of those Habsburgs who have
followed his example—Morganatic marriages—The
family organism fighting for its life—Has Francis Joseph
understood?—Indications that he has understood in part | [10] |
| Chapter III | |
| Francis Joseph’s ancestors—Francis, Duke of Lorraine—Francis
II.—Leopold II.—Collaterals—The Spanish
marriages of the Habsburgs—Their alliances with Portugal,
the various Bourbons, and the Wittelsbachs of
Bavaria—Moral and mental defects thus perpetuated
and emphasised—Francis Joseph as the sane champion
of a mad family | [20] |
| Chapter IV | |
| Francis Joseph’s childhood—The severe education which
prepared him for his rôle—Difficulties of that rôle—The
Liberal revolt against the Metternich system—The idea
of nationality—Hübner’s surprise that anyone should
object to Austrian rule—Every Austrian a policeman
at heart—The Italian rising of 1848—Francis Joseph in
action—Radetzky’s remonstrances—Francis Joseph’s
return to his studies | [29] |
| Chapter V | |
| The risings of 1848—Princess Mélanie Metternich’s excited
account of it—Disorderly flight of Metternich from
Vienna—The House of Habsburg saved by “three
mutinous soldiers”—Abdication of the Emperor Ferdinand
in favour of his nephew, Francis Joseph—Hübner’s
description of the ceremony | [39] |
| Chapter VI | |
| Attitude of the Hungarians towards Francis Joseph—They
denounce him as a traitor, and banish him from
Hungary—Contempt of Austrians for Hungarians—The
conquest of Hungary with Russian help—Repression and
atrocities—Women flogged by order of Marshal Haynau—Marshal
Haynau himself flogged by Barclay and
Perkins’ draymen in London, and spat upon by women
in Brussels—Popular song written on that occasion | [51] |
| Chapter VII | |
| Why Francis Joseph was called “The child of the gallows”—His
affront to Napoleon III., and its consequences—The
Bach system and the objections to it—Francis
Joseph’s bonhomie—The attempt on his life—Impressions
formed of him by the King of the Belgians, and Lady
Westmorland—The story of his romantic marriage | [64] |
| Chapter VIII | |
| The failure of the marriage—Difficulty of explaining it—The
two conflicting personalities—Francis Joseph’s
personality obvious—The Empress Elizabeth’s personality
mysterious—Her sympathy with the Hungarians,
and its political importance—Her confession of melancholy | [77] |
| Chapter IX | |
| Francis Joseph’s Egeria—Elizabeth’s mother-in-law—Elizabeth’s
quarrels with etiquette—The beginnings of
estrangement—The functions of Countess Marie Larisch
in the imperial household—Captain “Bay” Middleton—Nicholas
Esterhazy—Elizabeth’s fairy story—Her cynical
attitude towards life | [86] |
| Chapter X | |
| “The Martyrdom of an Empress”—Correction of inaccuracies
contained in that popular work—Francis Joseph’s friends—“A
Polish Countess”—Frau Katti Schratt—Enduring
attachment—Rumour of morganatic marriage—Interview
with Frau Schratt on that subject—“Darby and Joan” | [99] |
| Chapter XI | |
| Francis Joseph’s passion for field sports—Enthusiasm of a
nation of sportsmen for a sportsman Emperor—Anecdotes
of sport—Estrangement of the Emperor and the
Empress—The Empress’s departure for Madeira—Her
wanderjahre—Her attitude towards life—The keeping
up of appearances | [113] |
| Chapter XII | |
| Francis Joseph’s snub to Napoleon III.—Proposal to address
him as “Sir” instead of “Brother”—The consequences—Napoleon
asks: “What can one do for Italy?”—Austria
at war with France and Italy—The crimes committed
by Austria in Italy—Battles of Magenta and
Solferino—Francis Joseph compelled to surrender Lombardy,
but allowed to retain Venetia | [122] |
| Chapter XIII | |
| An interval of peace—Beginnings of trouble with Prussia—Habsburg
pride precedes a Habsburg fall—Refusal to
sell Venetia to Italy—Italy joins Prussia—The war of
1866—The disaster of Sadowa—Benedek’s failure—Shameful
treatment of Benedek by the Empire—Vain
attempts to conciliate him—His widow’s comments | [132] |
| Chapter XIV | |
| Francis Joseph comes to terms with Hungary—His famous
interview with Francis Deák—“Well, Deák, what does
Hungary demand?”—Dualism—The objection of the
Slavs to Dualism—Coronation at Buda—Andrassy,
whom he had hanged in effigy, becomes his Prime
Minister | [143] |
| Chapter XV | |
| Attitude of Austria in the Franco-German War—Proposed
alliance of France, Italy, and Austria against Prussia—General
Türr’s interview with Francis Joseph—Victor
Emmanuel’s conditions—The bargain concluded—The
French plan of campaign drafted by the Archduke
Albert—Beust’s fetter to Richard Metternich—Reasons
why the Austrian promises were not fulfilled | [148] |
| Chapter XVI | |
| Austrian expansion in the Balkans—Occupation of Bosnia—Problem
of Servia Irredenta—Postponement of the day
of reckoning—Luck of the Habsburgs in public life—Calamities
dog them in private life—List of Habsburg
fatalities during Francis Joseph’s reign | [158] |
| Chapter XVII | |
| Francis Joseph’s brother Maximilian—Invited to be Emperor
of Mexico—Hesitates, but consents to please his wife—Resignation
of his rights as a Habsburg—The Pacte de
Famille and the quarrel about it—The compromise—The
last meeting of the brothers—Maximilian’s melancholy—He
composes poetry—He receives the benediction of
the Pope and departs for his Empire | [164] |
| Chapter XVIII | |
| Vanity and nervousness of the Empress Charlotte—Evil
omens which frightened—Her journey to Europe to seek
help for Maximilian—Her cold reception by Napoleon
III.—Symptoms of approaching insanity—Her madness—Maximilian
abandoned by the French—Attacked by
the Republicans—Captured at Queretaro—Francis
Joseph’s vain attempt to save him—His trial and execution | [176] |
| Chapter XIX | |
| Habsburgs and Wittelsbachs—Which is the madder House?—Insanity
of the Empress Elizabeth’s cousin, Ludwig II. of Bavaria—His
eccentricities—His tragic death—Grief of the Empress—Suicide of
Elizabeth’s brother-in-law, the Comte de Trani—Tragic death of the
Archduchess Elizabeth | [187] |
| Chapter XX | |
| The Crown Prince Rudolph—His quarrel with the German
Emperor—His affability and his hauteur—A spoiled
child—His search for a wife—Marriage to Princess
Stéphanie—Disappointment and disillusion—Stéphanie’s
book—“A long, long, terrible night has gone by for me”—Mary
Vetsera and her family—How Mary Vetsera
was taken first to the Hofburg and thence to Meyerling | [193] |
| Chapter XXI | |
| What the Archduchess Stéphanie knew—What Rudolph
knew that she knew—The search for Mary Vetsera by
her relatives—The news of the Meyerling tragedy—The
two official versions—The many unofficial versions—The
attempt to hush the matter up—Mary Vetsera’s letter
to Countess Marie Larisch | [208] |
| Chapter XXII | |
| Fantastic legends of the Meyerling tragedy—Talks with the
Crown Prince’s valet—Foolish story given by Berliner
Lokal Anzeiger—What the Grand Duke of Tuscany
knew—What Count Nigra knew—What Countess Marie
Larisch tells—Her story confirmed from a contemporary
source—Doubts which remain in spite of it—Was it
suicide or murder? | [218] |
| Chapter XXIII | |
| The Archduke John Salvator—His many accomplishments—His
criticisms of his superiors—His disgrace at Court—His
love affair with an English lady—“Your darling
Archduckling”—His proposal to abandon his rank and
earn his living as a teacher of languages—His love
affair with Milly Stübel—He quarrels with Francis
Joseph, takes the name of John Orth, and leaves
Austria | [232] |
| Chapter XXIV | |
| John Orth—Had he been plotting with Rudolph?—Indirect
confirmation of story told by Countess Marie Larisch—Did
John Orth really marry Milly Stübel?—Failure to
find the proofs of the marriage—John Orth’s letters
written on the eve of his departure for America—Disappearance
of his ship off Cape Horn—Is John Orth
really dead?—Examination of the reasons for believing
that he is still alive | [244] |
| Chapter XXV | |
| The revolt of the Archdukes—Instructive analogies—Later
years of the Empress Elizabeth—Her manner of life
described by M. Paoli, the Corsican detective—Her fearlessness—Her
superstitions—Various evil omens—The
last excursion—Assassination of the Empress at Geneva—How
Francis Joseph received the news | [259] |
| Chapter XXVI | |
| “Austria’s idiot Archdukes”—A catalogue raisonné—The
Emperor’s brothers—The Archduke Rainer—The Archduke
Henry and the actress—The Archduke Louis Salvator,
the Hermit of the Balearic Islands—The Archduke
Charles Salvator—The Archduke Joseph—The Archduke
Eugène and his vow to be “as chaste as possible”—The
Archduke William and his courtship in the café—The
Archduke Leopold—The awful Archduke Otto and his
manifold vagaries | [272] |
| Chapter XXVII | |
| The centrifugal marriages of the Habsburgs—Francis
Joseph’s attitude towards them—His attitude towards
Baron Walburg, the Habsburg who had come down in
the world—Where he draws the line—His refusal to
sanction the marriage of the Archduke Ferdinand
Charles to the daughter of a high-school teacher—The
Archduke resigns his rank and becomes Charles Burg—Marriage
of the daughter of Archduchess Gisela to
Baron Otto von Seefried zu Buttenheim | [284] |
| Chapter XXVIII | |
| The marriage of Archduchess Stéphanie to Count Lonyay—Attitude
of the King of the Belgians towards that marriage—Attitude
of Francis Joseph—He sanctions the
union, but snubs the bridegroom—Marriage of the
Archduchess Elizabeth to Otto von Windischgraetz—Francis
Joseph’s approval—The Windischgraetzes
raised to the rank of Serene Highnesses | [294] |
| Chapter XXIX | |
| The Archduke Francis Ferdinand—An invalid who delayed
to marry—Report of his betrothal to the Archduchess
Gabrielle—Announcement of his betrothal to Countess
Sophie Chotek—Anecdotes of the courtship—Indignation
of the Archduchess Gabrielle’s mother—Attitude of
Francis Joseph—He permits the marriage on condition
that it shall be morganatic—Francis Ferdinand compelled
to swear a solemn oath that he is marrying
beneath him, and that his children will be unworthy to
succeed him—Reason for doubting whether he will
eventually be bound by his oath | [301] |
| Chapter XXX | |
| The “terrible year” of the Habsburg annals—Proceedings of
Princess Louisa of Tuscany—The taint inherited from
the Bourbons of Parma—Princess Louisa’s suitors—Her
marriage to Prince Frederick August of Saxony—She
bicycles with the dentist—She runs away to Switzerland
with her brother, the Archduke Leopold, and her
children’s tutor—Attitude of the Courts towards her
escapade—Official notice on the subject in the Wiener
Zeitung | [315] |
| Chapter XXXI | |
| The romantic Quadruple Alliance—The jarring notes—Princess
Louisa’s objections to her brother’s companion
Fräulein Adamovics—The sentimental life of the Archduke
Leopold—He becomes “Herr Wulfling,” and
marries Fräulein Adamovics—Herr and Frau Wulfling
run wild in woods—Herr Wulfling divorces his wife and
marries again—His confidences to Signor Toselli—Princess
Louisa’s conception of the Simple Life—Her
manners shock the Swiss—She dismisses M. Giron—Her
marriage to Signor Toselli | [326] |
| Chapter XXXII | |
| The summing up—The probable future of Austria—The probable
future of the House of Habsburg—Questions both
personal and political which will be raised when Francis
Joseph dies—The extent to which he has been “in the
movement”—The faithful companion of his old age | [341] |
| INDEX | [353] |