The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-11-22
AGED EMPEROR
Of AUSTRIA DEAD
Reign of 6S Years Was the
Longest Authenticated
in History
HIS ULTIMATUM
STARTED THE WAR
Tragic Death of the Crown Prince in
1889 Was Greatest Personal Tragedy
of His Life-Great Nephew Is Heir
to the Throne.

LONDON, Nov. %. - Emperor Fran
els Joseph died last night at 8 clock
at Schoenbrunn castle, according to a
Reuter- despatch from Vienna, by way
of Amsterdam.
The death of Francis Joseph is
remarkable climax to the long list of
tragedies in the Hapsburg family-a
list unparalleled in any other reign
ing house in Europe. He dies in the
midst Of the world s greatest war,
which he himself largely brought about
by his determination to avenge the act
of assassination Of his heir, the Arch
duke Francis Ferdinand, as the result
of an alleged Serbian conspiracy while
ON state visit to Bosnia on June %,
1914
Francis Joseph, was Sc years old at
the time of his death. He was born
Aug. is, 1880. He was only 70 years
of age when he assembled the throne of
Austria upon the abdication Of his uncle,
Ferdinand l., Dec. >, 1913, making his
active reign extend over a period of IS
years, all but the first 20 of which he
was also apostolic king of Hungary. It
ms doubtful that if in all history there
has been an active, authenticated reign
that was longer
In November, 1915, on the occasion
Of visit of Emperor William of Ger
many to Vienna, it was rumored
that Francis Joseph was about to make
a possible move for a separate peace.
but owing to the strict censorship in
Austria there was no confirmation of
such a report.
The ultimatum Of July 2S, 1914.
which Francis Joseph sent to King
Peter of Serbia, denouncing the anti
! Austrian propaganda in that country
| and demanding prompt punishment of
| the assassinS OF Archduke Ferdinand
was supposedly dictated by Francis
Joseph himself and it was this docu.
ment that directly precipitated the wal
lnow ravaging Europe. Five days later
after Serbia had complied with all the
! demands with the exception Of agree
ing to allow Austrian authorities to en-
ter Serbia to stamp out the alleged anti
| Austrian conspiracics, Francis JOSEPH
declared war.
Aside from the great war Francis
Joseph s reign was one of the most
lcventful in history. From his imperia
vantage point he saw the French mon
archy go down, the second empire rist
and crumble, the Commune flare briefly
and the republic OF today rise on it,
ashes; he saw the black pinions of tht
Prussian eagle stamped on the flag OF
the new German empire-later t,
tower threateningly over Austria itself
he saw the papaey shorn of its terri
torial demesne, while about a blickerins
! = ~, i. .
welded into united Italy; he saw
Spain, once the greatest of colonia
powers, lose the last of her dependen
cles i'll two oceans; he saw japan
lopcned to Western civilization, an,
later defeat the sprawliug Colossus o
two continents, he saw the most abso
Lutte eSpOtisms-Russia, Turkey an,
Persia-concede representation to tn
people; he saw at distance the Unite,
States cement its federation with tn
blood of a great internecine war, an,
he saw his own brother prove tina
monarchy could not take new root OF
American soH.
IN his own country he faced interna
discussions and external aggression.
from the moment he came to the throne
BY the war of 1859 with France an
Sardinia, he was forced to cede LON
hardy to Italy; by force of arms an
treaty he lost the Duchy Holstein t
) Prussia and Venice to Italy; and b
the revolt of Kossuth, the Hungaria
patriot, he barely escaped having hi
dual empire cut in two.
The death Of the Crown Prince RI
dolph in 1889 was the greatest person
al tragedy of Francis Joseph IS reig1
greater even than the tragedy of tn
empress s assassination, since, OWN