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Authors: Brigitte Hamann
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Federal Archives, Bern; and in the Federal Archives, Bonn. Another rich lode was furnished by the contemporary newspapers preserved in the Periodicals Division of the Austrian National Library.
The days of the Court Circular are gone—every bit as much as are the days of disparaging the Old Monarchy. I feel committed to the scholarly quest for truth, and in this search I consider the figure of the Empress Elisabeth—with all her problems, but also with her surprisingly modern, never ordinary peculiarities—typical of the final days of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The levelheaded and dutiful “official,” Emperor Franz Joseph, and the unorthodox, highly intelligent, dreamy Empress Elisabeth—these two were like plus and minus, like day and night: opposites that nevertheless affected each other, each one the other’s misfortune. A private tragedy at the end of a dying empire at the close of a century.
B RIGITTE H AMANN
CHRONOLOGY
S o as to be able to develop the most important themes, I have occasionally abandoned strict chronological order, preferring to summarize the ample available material by subject. The most significant dates are therefore placed at the beginning to make it easier for readers to get their bearings.
August 18, 1830
Franz Joseph born in Vienna
December 24, 1837
Elisabeth born in Munich
December 2, 1848
Emperor Franz Joseph’s accession to the throne
1849
Subjugation of Hungary with Russian military aid
July 1853 to March 18, 1853
Crimean War. Consequences: Russia loses her preeminence in Europe to France; enmity between Austria and Russia
August 18, 1853
Engagement in Bad Ischl
April 24, 1854
Wedding in the Augustinerkirche, Vienna
March 5, 1855
Birth of Archduchess Sophie (d. 1857)
July 15, 1856
Birth of Archduchess Gisela
August 21, 1858
Birth of Crown Prince Rudolf
June 1859
Austria wages war against Sardinia and France; Austria is defeated at Magenta and retreats from Solferino
November 1859
Peace of Zurich; Austria loses Lombardy
February 1861
The King and Queen of the Two Sicilies flee from Naples to Rome
March 1861
Victor Emmanuel assumes the title of King of Italy
September 1862
Bismarck becomes Prussian Minister-President
August 1863
Congress of German Princes, Frankfurt
April 1864
Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian accepts the imperial crown of Mexico
1864
The Danish War over Schleswig-Holstein, with Austria and Prussia fighting together
June-July 1866
War between Austria and Prussia; defeat of Königgrätz on July 3, 1866. War between Austria and Italy; victories of Custozza and Lissa
August 1866
Peace of Prague; dissolution of the German Confederation. No territorial losses of Austria to Prussia; loss of Venetia to Italy.
1867–1871
Beust serves as prime minister and chancellor
June 8, 1867
Franz Joseph crowned King of Hungary
June 19, 1867
Emperor Ferdinand Maximilian of Mexico executed
August 1867
Franz Joseph and Napoleon III meet in Salzburg
April 22, 1868
Birth of Archduchess Marie Valerie
1870–1871
Franco-Prussian War; France becomes a republic; the German Empire is created
1871–1879
Andrássy serves as imperial and royal foreign minister
May 27, 1872
Death of Archduchess Sophie
1873
World Exhibition, Vienna
1875
Death of Emperor Ferdinand I; Franz Joseph is his principal heir
1878
Occupation of the Turkish provinces of Bosnia and Hercegovina
October 1879
Conclusion of the Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria
1879–1893
Eduard Taaffe serves as prime minister
1881
Marriage of Crown Prince Rudolf and Stephanie of Belgium
May 1882
Triple Alliance among Germany, Austria, and Italy
June 13, 1886
Death of Ludwig II of Bavaria
June 1888
Wilhelm II succeeds to the German throne
January 30, 1889
Suicide of the Crown Prince at Mayerling
February 18, 1890
Death of Gyula Andrássy
July 1890
Wedding of Marie Valerie and Archduke Franz Salvator of Tuscany
1897
Badeni crisis, with dangerous ethnic riots
September 10, 1898
Assassination of Empress Elisabeth in Geneva
November
The days of the Court Circular are gone—every bit as much as are the days of disparaging the Old Monarchy. I feel committed to the scholarly quest for truth, and in this search I consider the figure of the Empress Elisabeth—with all her problems, but also with her surprisingly modern, never ordinary peculiarities—typical of the final days of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The levelheaded and dutiful “official,” Emperor Franz Joseph, and the unorthodox, highly intelligent, dreamy Empress Elisabeth—these two were like plus and minus, like day and night: opposites that nevertheless affected each other, each one the other’s misfortune. A private tragedy at the end of a dying empire at the close of a century.
B RIGITTE H AMANN
CHRONOLOGY
S o as to be able to develop the most important themes, I have occasionally abandoned strict chronological order, preferring to summarize the ample available material by subject. The most significant dates are therefore placed at the beginning to make it easier for readers to get their bearings.
August 18, 1830
Franz Joseph born in Vienna
December 24, 1837
Elisabeth born in Munich
December 2, 1848
Emperor Franz Joseph’s accession to the throne
1849
Subjugation of Hungary with Russian military aid
July 1853 to March 18, 1853
Crimean War. Consequences: Russia loses her preeminence in Europe to France; enmity between Austria and Russia
August 18, 1853
Engagement in Bad Ischl
April 24, 1854
Wedding in the Augustinerkirche, Vienna
March 5, 1855
Birth of Archduchess Sophie (d. 1857)
July 15, 1856
Birth of Archduchess Gisela
August 21, 1858
Birth of Crown Prince Rudolf
June 1859
Austria wages war against Sardinia and France; Austria is defeated at Magenta and retreats from Solferino
November 1859
Peace of Zurich; Austria loses Lombardy
February 1861
The King and Queen of the Two Sicilies flee from Naples to Rome
March 1861
Victor Emmanuel assumes the title of King of Italy
September 1862
Bismarck becomes Prussian Minister-President
August 1863
Congress of German Princes, Frankfurt
April 1864
Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian accepts the imperial crown of Mexico
1864
The Danish War over Schleswig-Holstein, with Austria and Prussia fighting together
June-July 1866
War between Austria and Prussia; defeat of Königgrätz on July 3, 1866. War between Austria and Italy; victories of Custozza and Lissa
August 1866
Peace of Prague; dissolution of the German Confederation. No territorial losses of Austria to Prussia; loss of Venetia to Italy.
1867–1871
Beust serves as prime minister and chancellor
June 8, 1867
Franz Joseph crowned King of Hungary
June 19, 1867
Emperor Ferdinand Maximilian of Mexico executed
August 1867
Franz Joseph and Napoleon III meet in Salzburg
April 22, 1868
Birth of Archduchess Marie Valerie
1870–1871
Franco-Prussian War; France becomes a republic; the German Empire is created
1871–1879
Andrássy serves as imperial and royal foreign minister
May 27, 1872
Death of Archduchess Sophie
1873
World Exhibition, Vienna
1875
Death of Emperor Ferdinand I; Franz Joseph is his principal heir
1878
Occupation of the Turkish provinces of Bosnia and Hercegovina
October 1879
Conclusion of the Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria
1879–1893
Eduard Taaffe serves as prime minister
1881
Marriage of Crown Prince Rudolf and Stephanie of Belgium
May 1882
Triple Alliance among Germany, Austria, and Italy
June 13, 1886
Death of Ludwig II of Bavaria
June 1888
Wilhelm II succeeds to the German throne
January 30, 1889
Suicide of the Crown Prince at Mayerling
February 18, 1890
Death of Gyula Andrássy
July 1890
Wedding of Marie Valerie and Archduke Franz Salvator of Tuscany
1897
Badeni crisis, with dangerous ethnic riots
September 10, 1898
Assassination of Empress Elisabeth in Geneva
November
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