Emperor Charles IV (aka Emperor Karl I) of Austria was born on August 17th, 1887 in Persenbeug Castle, Austria. Karl was the grand-nephew of the man he succeeded who was Emperor Franz Josef I. Emperor Franz Josef did have a son who was Archduke Franz Ferdinand. His son however, met an untimely demise leaving only Karl as the next successor. Karl married Zita of Burbon-Parma whom he was wed to until his death. Karl was originally an active member of the Austrian military until the death of Franz Josef I in 1916. He was the last Emperor of Austria and King of Hungry, reigning from November 21st, 1916 through the collapse of the empire in 1918. After the collapse of the empire during World War I, Karl dedicated the remainder of his lit to attempting to restore the monarchy.
Karl became heir to the throne, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. This assassination was the event which instigated World War I. At this time the current emperor, Franz Josef I realized the importance of quickly establishing the heir before the war fully began, especially with his own failing health. However, the outbreak of World War I interfered with this political process somewhat though in the end it was successful. Karl spent his time during at the beginning of the war at a military camp in Teschen (nowadays part of Poland), but was not active in the military. He then became a General Field Marshall in the Austrian army which did not last long. In the spring of 1916, he commanded troops in an offensive maneuver against Italy. After this action, the troops whom he led, affirmed his qualifications as heir to the empire through his great communication and overall friendliness. He seemed to be a man of the people and was easily approac...
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...n independent South Slav state. This further assisted in the demise of the empire.
Robert Lansing’s note effectively ended any efforts to keep the Empire together. One by one, the nationalities proclaimed their independence with the backing of the US and other allies. Even before the note, the separate councils had been acting more like independent governments anyway. Emperor Karl’s political future became very uncertain as the empire began to crumble. By October 31st, 1918 the Austria-Hungry Union was officially terminated resulting mainly in the official end of the empire and the termination of the position of emperor and king. This left Karl with nothing except a few small provinces for which he was challenged to keep by the German State Council. Due to all the desire to have him removed from all power, he willingly gave up knowing there was no hope in remaining.
He was the commander for the time that Kaiserwald was open. (Kaiserwald concentration camp virtual library).
Even prior to the Austro-Prussian War, there were divisions between the two states. Though they were allies for many years due to the German population that existed in both, they began to both grasp for power within the German states. One example of this power struggle occurred in the Zollverein, an economic association that Prussia led. Prussia did not want Austria to be part of this economic group and thus “blocked Austrian entry into the Zollverein.” In 1849-1850 the states were even on the brink of war. Prussia attempted to create a German union, with itself at the forefront, but Austria “called the Prussian bluff by adopting a belligerent posture.” As a result, Prussia lost what power it had accumulated in the maneuver when it signed the Olmutz Convention, which “re-established the old German Confederation.” Two wars were also influential on the conflict between Austria and Prussia. In the Cri...
the throne to Prussia, and in less than a year ordered his troops to take
Otto I, byname Otto the Great, German Otto der Grosse (born Nov. 23, 912—died May 7, 973), duke of Saxony (as Otto II, 936–961), German king (from 936), and Holy Roman emperor (962–973) who consolidated the German Reich by his suppression of rebellious vassals and his decisive victory over the Hungarians. His use of the church as a stabilizing influence created a secure empire and stimulated a cultural renaissance.
The war was the result of a succession dispute over the Spanish crown. What was seemingly a Prussian-Spanish alliance made the French feel encircled. Bismarck was able to entice Napoleon III into quick, aggressive action through the manipulation of Ems Telegram. This prompt action from Napoleon III led to growing anti-French and pro-German sentiment and led to the southern German states aiding the Prussian cause. William Carr has argued that South Germany’s involvement in Prussia’s cause meant that they had to come to terms with the new political situation. Although numerous southern states were reluctant to join the German Confederation, Bismarck therefore had to make numerous concessions. None the less the German Empire was born on the 18th January 1871. Harry Hearder argues that the North German Confederation already signified a unified German State. The declaration of the German Empire in 1871 re-emphasized the creation of a unified Germany and included the southern states. This would suggest that the Seven Weeks War with Austria had more significance in the eventual unification of
The general public of Germany had never had any say in political matters; they allowed the Kaiser to make all the decisions regarding themselves and their once-prosperous country. The groups controlling Germany began to change during October and November 1918. More power began to fall into the hands of the people as they realised the blame for their involvement in the war was the Kaiser’s. People such as the armed soldiers, sailors and workers started protesting and going on strike. This was a far cry from before the war, when Germany was wealthy, proud and ambitious. So for a brief period, it seemed that a revolution would take place, with the people of Germany wanting a social and political revolution.
On April 9, 1835, a king was born. Leopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor was the son of Leopold I of Belgium and Louise of Orleans. As a young prince, his parents saw Leopold II as a weakling who was not fit for this world and they often preferred his younger brother and sister. His parents rarely spoke to him and instead sent correspondences through their royal secretaries. If Leopold II wanted to speak with his father he would have to request and audience with him. Leopold II learned that in order to overcome these feelings of being unwanted that he would need to gain the favor of many people. Court officials were certainly eager befriend the future king. They taught him about the government, showed him maps and gave him information about the world. Leopold II visited many colonies of other empires. He became obsessed with the idea of having colonies and a larger kingdom to rule once he became king. He looked to acquire or purchase many territories but failed to do so. Leopold II finally looked into the continent of Africa where about 80 percent of it was still under indigenous rule. He had finally found his land to conquer.
Charlemagne was born between 742 and 748, and died on January 28th 814 at age 71. His father was Pepin the Short who had become King of the Franks in 751. After the death of his father, Charlemagne became King of the Franks himself, with his brother Carloman, splitting the empire in half. The brothers were not fond of having to split the empire in half for three years. The way they would communicate would be through their mother. Carloman mysteriously died one day, and to this day in history, no one knows for sure whether or not Charlemagne was involved with it. Once his brother died, Charlemagne would take over the whole empire in 771 at age 24. He was now the emperor of the largest single kingdom in Europe.
Frederick the Great was son of King Frederick William I and was born into prince hood. Frederick was raised to become a strong soldier and thrifty administrator. Frederick did not like the life his father planned for him and choose the more artsy aspects of life. His crown as prince was taken from him until he reapplied himself as a loyal member under his father’s reign. Frederick took over power after his father’s death in 1840; almost immediately he began attempting to improve Prussian policy. By 1745 Frederick was seen as a more than able military leader after winning a second war with Austria. Frederick played a huge role in destroying Austrians dominance. Frederick was a good leader, keeping himself in touch with the work of his officials and kept an eye on his troops and officers.
Charles Hapsburg, who later became Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was born in the Flemish city of Ghent on February 24, 1500 (3) to Phillip the Handsome and Joanna the Mad (2). He had four sisters: Eleanor, Isabel, Mary, and Katherine. Ferdinand I was his only brother (7). His maternal grandparents were the very famous Isabel of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon who funded Columbus’s expeditions (6). His paternal grandfather was Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (7).
Following the German surrender in November 1918, the Empire experienced a brief, but significant civil revolution. The German Revolution lasted from the end of the war until August 1919. During that time, a national assembly was held in the city of Weimar where a new constitution was drafted. A new federal republic (known as the Weimar Republic) was born and a semi-presidential representative democracy overthrew the monarchy of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The new government faced immediately faced a multitude of issues including political instability, reestablishing and maintaining international post-war relations, and severe economic turmoil – most notably the period of hyperinflation which occurred in the early 1920s.
Destructive nationalism, or devoted loyalty that can lead people of a similar heritage to form their own nation, caused tension to rise tremendously within and among several lands. Nationalism in Germany was especially prominent. With powerful military forces and an industrial outlook, Germany was thriving. A sense of national unity was dispersed throughout the empire and gave Germany the assurance it needed to expand. Due to German development, several wars broke out with neighboring regions such as France. By gaining the territory of Alsace-Lorraine, German and French border tensions reached new heights. Due to this conflict along with several others, Germany claimed responsibility for the Great War, as exhibited in Document 4. By forcefully signing the Treaty of Versailles, Germany accepted defeat and accountability for World War I. On the contrary, in Document 5, a German nationalist opposed the idea that Germany alone was liable for outbreak of the war. He felt that several forces of opposing countries took part in fighting each battle and ultimately believed that global opposition caused the Great War. Similarly, in the Balkan Region, several ethnic minorities desired independence from Austria-Hungary. As shown in Document 3, The Austro-Hungarian government demanded that action was to be made regarding propaganda against Austria-Hungary. This ultimatum was a result of the assassination of
Germany was already on its way to unification in the early 1800s. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 had set up the German Confederation, with both Prussia and Austria-Hungary lacking the power to impose their rule over the area (Greusel 71). Austria-Hungary was generally seen as the more dominant of the German states. The capital of the German Confederation was Frankfurt, in the Austrian state of Hesse-Kassel (Headlam 87). Two solutions were considered to this duality: "Großdeutsche" and "Kleindeutsche." The Großdeutsche approach suggested a unification of all Ger...
The Congress of Vienna in 1814-15 created the so-called German Confederation under Austrian and Prussian hegemony, but this unit disappointed the dreams of nationalists. The rivalry of Austria and Prussia paralyzed it in a way comparable to the effects of Soviet-American dualism on the United Nations during the Cold War. Almost everywhere, the old rulers repressed the nationalist movement after 1815. The German princes realized that nationalism required ...
Prior to unification in 1871 the territory that would become Germany was comprised of thirty-nine independent states and city states joined together in a loose German Confederation. The most powerful among these states was Prussia, both geographically the largest state and that with the largest population. The influential politicians and policies that came out of Prussia were instrumental in the gradual formation of a united Germany. Beginning with the rise of Napoleon, the nineteenth century was a time of incredible change which dramatically altered the political balance of Europe. In order to understand the factors that culminated in official German unification on January 18 1871, it is necessary to examine the preceding decades. No single factor can be credited for the unification of the German states. Rather, the combined forces of social change, economic strength within a unified customs union, the moral justifications provided by nationalism, Bismarck’s careful manipulation of internal politics and the advantages gained through military action resulted in the unification of Germany.