| CHAPTER I. | |
| PAGE | |
| KING EDWARD AT ISCHL—THE PARTING OF THE WAYS | [1] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| THE EMPEROR’S ILLNESS | [11] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| ARCHDUKE FRANCIS FERDINAND | [18] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| COUNTESS CHOTEK | [27] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| VIENNA | [37] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| SALONICA | [44] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| KAISER WILHELM IN VIENNA | [53] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| AFFAIRS IN TURKEY | [61] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| THE ANNEXATION | [67] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| PRINCE EGON FÜRSTENBERG AND COUNT TCHIRSKY: HOW THE KAISER “WORKED” VIENNA | [76] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| THE “GREAT SERVIA” IDEA—SERVIAN ORGANISATION | [84] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| ALBANIA AND MACEDONIA | [92] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| THE BALKAN WAR | [101] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| KING FERDINAND OF BULGARIA, THE VAINEST MAN IN EUROPE | [111] |
| CHAPTER XV. | |
| THE PRINCE OF WIED | [120] |
| CHAPTER XVI. | |
| THE KING OF THE BLACK MOUNTAINS | [132] |
| CHAPTER XVII. | |
| EMIGRATION PROMOTED BY GERMANY—SOCIAL QUESTIONS IN THE DUAL MONARCHY | [139] |
| CHAPTER XVIII. | |
| THE AGRARIANS AND THE SHORTAGE OF FOOD | [147] |
| CHAPTER XIX. | |
| COUNT LEOPOLD BERCHTOLD AND COUNT STEPAN TISZA, THE MEN WHO DECIDED ON WAR | [157] |
| CHAPTER XX. | |
| AUSTRIA-HUNGARY AS A MILITARY AND NAVAL POWER | [171] |
| CHAPTER XXI. | |
| ARCHDUKE CARL FRANCIS JOSEPH | [180] |
| CHAPTER XXII. | |
| AUSTRIA-HUNGARY FACED BY REVOLUTION OR WAR—THE FINANCIAL FACTOR | [192] |
| CHAPTER XXIII. | |
| THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN CONSTITUTION | [203] |
| CHAPTER XXIV. | |
| WHO MURDERED THE ARCHDUKE? | [211] |
| CHAPTER XXV. | |
| WHY GERMANY DECIDED UPON WAR | [222] |
| CHAPTER XXVI. | |
| DIPLOMATIC METHODS: A COMPARISON | [231] |
| CHAPTER XXVII. | |
| PUNITIVE EXPEDITION OR WORLD-WAR? | [244] |
| CHAPTER XXVIII. | |
| WHAT WOULD ENGLAND SAY? | [255] |
| CHAPTER XXIX. | |
| AUSTRIA’S AWAKENING | [263] |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
From Photographs supplied by Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd.
| The German Emperor and the Emperor of Austria driving in Vienna in 1908 | [Frontis- piece] |
| facing page | |
| The Duchess Hohenberg | [24] |
| The Archduke Francis Ferdinand | [24] |
| Baron Aehrenthal | [46] |
| Prince Max Egon Fürstenberg | [78] |
| King Ferdinand of Bulgaria | [114] |
| King Nikita of Montenegro | [114] |
| The Prince of Wied | [126] |
| Count Berchtold | [168] |
| Count Tisza | [168] |
| Archduke Carl Francis Joseph | [184] |
| Princess Zita of Parma | [184] |
SEVEN YEARS IN VIENNA
CHAPTER I
KING EDWARD AT ISCHL—THE PARTING OF THE WAYS
It was mid-August in 1907. King Edward of England, who had been undergoing a “cure” at Marienbad, was expected at Ischl, where the Austrian Court was in residence. The whole place was hung with flags that were put up at the last moment, as the “Gem of the Salzkammergut,” as Ischl is often called, is one of the wettest spots in the country. The local trains brought large numbers of peasants, in their picturesque costume, who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of seeing the King of England. Other “peasants,” in badly-fitting costumes, also came down in the Vienna night express. Their white knees, left bare beneath the short leather breeches, plainly showed that they were not accustomed to wearing the Styrian costume. The peasant girls eyed them dubiously; one suggested that a little walnut-juice would improve matters, while their little brothers whispered “police.” The real peasants crowded around the station, and watched the red carpet being laid, ready for royalty. They then turned to see Emperor Francis Joseph drive up to the gates. He arrived twenty minutes before the train was expected, as usual, for being a great stickler for etiquette he always feared that some accident or contretemps might delay him, and the visitor reach the station before the host. He dreaded nothing so much as a breach of etiquette or good manners, and was willing to take any trouble to avoid even the possibility of such a thing. The train from Marienbad steamed into the station, the monarchs embraced; their intercourse had always been most cordial. The King respected the simple old man, who had until then guided the destinies of his country with great astuteness; while the Emperor of Austria esteemed the statesman, for in Austria-Hungary and the Balkans King Edward was reckoned as the most skilful diplomatist of his time. As the Imperial carriage, with the gilt wheels, drove through the streets, the people cheered heartily. King Edward was the most popular of foreign monarchs in Austria, and the minimum of precautions were taken for his safety. In spite of this the Austrian police, ever watchful, took stock of every fresh arrival in the place for days before the King appeared. On the morning of the visit they ascertained what persons would be seated in windows commanding the line of route, and carefully watched the houses that might harbour anarchist or other assassins. The uninitiated suspected nothing of all this. The long line of firemen that lined the streets looked like members of the local brigade. It was not suspected that they were specially trained men, who knew how to act and to co-operate at the right moment with the “peasants,” also members of the same highly-organised force. They all stood apparently careless and inattentive. Presently a carriage, in which a spare, tall, pock-marked man was seated, drove through the street. He was the Emperor’s private detective. His appearance always heralded that of the monarchs, and the firemen braced themselves for a combined movement, either to the right or left, forwards or backwards, as previously arranged. The police behind helped with the work, and just as the Imperial carriage flashed by, everyone in the crowd pushed forward, sideways, or backwards, as though by accident. Any intending assassin would have lost his place at the front, and have missed the golden opportunity, through this clever manœuvre of the police. These precautions were always taken for every Royal visitor, for although Emperor Francis Joseph himself was accustomed to stroll about the Ischl woods, and went hunting in the forests quite unattended, he took care that his guests were exposed to no risks.
Everything went off as arranged, although there was a strained feeling in the air, partly due to the thundery weather. It was known, too, that King Edward was on a diplomatic tour throughout Europe, and the people knew that meetings of monarchs in summer are often of great importance, even when they are unaccompanied by their Ministers. Emperor Francis Joseph is practically a despotic monarch, for the Austro-Hungarian Constitution exists merely on paper. He alone decides the foreign policy of the country, and determines whether there shall be peace or war. Thus he is in a position to make decisions for his country, without consulting his Ministers. Austria-Hungary had long been quiet, almost to the point of stagnation. Her statesmen had been fully occupied in paying off the burdens incurred during the last war, and were now delighted that, after a succession of deficits, they could at length turn out Budgets with surpluses at the end of the financial year.
There was trouble with Servia, it is true, Austrian machinations had deprived Servia of an outlet to the sea. Servia, being a pastoral and agricultural country, wished to sell her products, and Austria, the natural market, was closed to her.
The Austrians, who were very short of meat, promised to take over Servian meat, but the Hungarian agrarians, or large land-owners, who wanted to keep up the prices of their own products, managed to prevent this. They appointed veterinary surgeons to examine imported meat; and by unjustly condemning the Servian meat at the frontier, they succeeded in preventing its import. This line of conduct caused much greater discontent among the Servs than a downright refusal to admit their products would have done. They naturally objected to being cheated by their powerful and unscrupulous neighbours, and the friction caused by the “Servian Pig” question was continual. Otherwise the Balkans were strangely, almost uncannily, quiet. There were no massacres to report, no bands who roamed the country and committed depredations. It seemed that the two monarchs could have nothing to discuss. As the Emperor brought the King back to the Hotel Elisabeth in the afternoon, the faces of both monarchs could be seen very plainly in the blaze of the sun that was pouring down with great fierceness. Emperor Francis Joseph looked much older than he had done that morning. His face was drawn, the fine lines on the parchment-like skin were deepened. It did not need any unusual acuteness to see that something had gone wrong. King Edward walked up to his suite of rooms with something weary in his step. The Emperor, freed from the restraint of the King’s presence, returned to the Imperial villa, his slight frame shrunken to half its usual size, his soldierly bearing gone.