Norwich bulletin., 1915-09-14
The t1apsburu Family.

Mr. Editor: It is an interesting fact
to note the part that Austria has
The Hapsburg family, has been indi-
rectly responsible for the larger part
of continental struggles; they have
been beaten more times than any other
nation, and still they have emerged
from each war with more territory
than they had before.
The Hapsburgs originated $50 years
ago from a band of robbers who lived
up in the Swiss Alps, and by a mar
riage with a royal German house, they
established themselves in the BUSH
ness Of royalty. The condition of
Europe at that time made 1t practi-
cally easy for the Hapsburgs. to be-
come big political bosses, for Ger
many was cut up into about three
hundred Jealous, petty states. giving
the family plenty of power to call
themselves Emperors of Germany.
ors of the Holy Roman Empire until
Napoleon smashed that claim TO
pieces in one of his Austrian wars
The Hapsburgs were responsible for
the Thirty Years War, the War of the
Austrian Succession, and they waged
a war against the French Revolution.
Four times they dared to battle with
Napoleon, in 1859 they drew swords
on France and Italy, and in 1856 they
went to war with Prussia. And now
the QSaLn Oh an Au5IIldn
has placed them in the whirl Of the
present war in which practically all
Europe is engaged.
We are always being reminded that
| this is a war Of the Teuton against
| the Slav. but this is not true, for Aus
/ her population Of 51,000,000, over 49,
| 00G,0 are Slavs of all kinds. There
J are only 1200o, 900 Germans and
about 100000 Magyars.
: The Fapsburgs have always been an
! adventurous family. Everyone knows
| only. son, the Crown Prince Rudolph.
| Archduke Johann threw his Order OF
| tns Golden Fleece ar the feet OF the
/ Emperor and sailed away with an
| opera singer. Archduke Henry was
exiled for marrying an actress; Arch
duke Charles had his titleS taken away
for marrying school teachers
| daughter; A<chduke Leopold Ferdin-
| and eioreL with chorus girl; Arch
duchess LOUISE married the King OF
royal court at Dresden with her son'i
tutor, whom she exchanged later fol
a pianist. and Archduke Frani
Ferdinand who bacame the Grown
Prince married morganatically, and 70
his and his wtfe's assassination all tn
| world is up In arns.N
Crown Prince Charles Joseph, pop
ularly known as Carl has not a yer.
brilliant future before him. Both hi
father and his grandfather exhibits
, decided traits of lunacy. His wife
the Princess Zita OF Bourbon-Parm
comes of a family of twenty. an
eighteen Of them are mentally defec
] tive.
3 By playing politics skilfully, howev
) er, the Hapsburgs have been able t
, keep their seat on their shaky throne
They did not hesitate TO offer q
archduchess in marriage to their arch
. enemy Napoleon, and violate the Law
Of their church In bringing about
| union with the divorced Empero
when they found that they were
5 danger Of losing their crown.
There are over twenty nationalitit
in the dominions of the Hapsburg
6 and jealousy and envy reign suprem
e This war has shown however thu
4 these people were willing to die Il
v gether, however unwilling they a
, to live together, but at the death
:. Emperor Franz Joseph these differel
nafionalfties VIII assert their right
1t may be the weakening of the en-
2 pire, but that time viii prove whetl
l. er Germany has an asset or liabili
% in her Austro- Hungarian ally.
T. EARLE NJ. WOOD.
Taftyille. Conn. Sept 8. 1915.