Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-11-13

the German-AuStrldn CABINET 1Orneu
at Vienna on Oct. 81, is dead. 1t is
reported.
Emperor Charles I Of Austria,
King of Hungary, was an unpromis-
ing major in an Austrian infantry
regiment when the shot Of the assas-
sin who killed the Archduke Francis
Ferdinand on June IS. 1914, made him
the heir apparent to the throne in
the Hawks Castle" on the banks of
the River Aar.
Two hundred or more monarchs OF
this historic house Of Hapsburg ruled
for centuries the land Of Magyar.
Slav and Teuton-CcnturieS OF blood
shed, tyranny and aggression-and
sleep their last sleep in the wonder
full crypt Of the Capauchin church IN
Vienna. Emperor Francis Joseph, the
aged predecessor of the youthful
Charles, seeing 1.-The handwriting on
the WALL" had hoped to unite the
dscordant elements among his 5O,-
100000 subjects whose racial antag-
onism were complicated by the alb
sorption by Austria of the Serbian
provinces Of Bosnia and Herzegovina
in 1908.
1t was the Archduke Francis Fer
dinand's determination to bring about
a triune empire made up of Magyar,
Slav and German states. it is gener-
ally believed, that led to his assas-
nation in Sarajevo. Francis Ferdi
dand feared the dual monarchy might
ha n,,1aI tho 6noth Of Francis
Joseph by the Intervention of Rus
STA or Germany and sought thus to
foreStall it.
Charles I was born Aug II, 1887, the
son of the late Archduke Otto of Sax
ony. He married the Princess Zita OF
the Bourbon house of Parma Qtal-
ian) in 1911. When the Nunc DimittiS
was sung for his dead granduncle,
the Emperor Francis Joseph. the only
achievements of Charles brought to
public notice We're that he was a
keen sportsman, an excellent shot
and motorist. Frequently he was
seen in the parks of Vienna wheel
ing one of his young dukes in a baby
perambulator. When he acceded to
the throne on Dec. 80. 1916, Austria
Hungary, torn by four years Of war,
saw the first faint CLEAN of possible
peace.
The course of the new ruler was
regulated largely from Berlin and
for the first six months of his reign
Austria Hungary was regarded as q
mere German state. HindenburS'
successes in Galicia in 1916, in which
Charles shared as commander In
the field. gave the young monarch
prestige which enabled him to hold
the Austrians to the Central Powers
until the collapse of Bulgaria and
Turkey and the final crash
Numerous peace overtures and
manoeuvers characterized the d.
plomacy of the dual monarchy after
Francis Joseph's death, precipitated
doubtless by bread riots and other
outbreaks throughout Austria. In
able to maintain his pledge to the
German Emperor ito continue the
war to the end" Charles made use
of the famous Dear Sixtus" letter,
an autographed missive written in
April, 1918, to Prince SiXtus de Bour-
bon for transmission to the French
government in which the monarch
said Frances claim to Alsace-Lor-
rane was Justified.
Although the letter was denounced
as a forgery" in Vienna, the For
eign Office claiming it had oeen writ
ten by "a French ecclesiastic who
had been acting as confessor to the
u mn ~
proved it's authenticity. 1t was the
first revelation of the break between
the German Emperor and his vassal
king. Previously, Emperor Charles
had indicated his desire for peace.
however, in speeches before the
Reichsrat. In December 1917, he
declared his willingness to conclude
peace with the Allies if they would
the integrity of Austria
Hungary.
Conditions in the dual monarchy
were rapidly growing worse. There
were many cabinet changes and as
sassinations. The Magyars. Czecho-
SlovakS and other nationalities Were
Clamboring for constitutional re-
forms and autonomous government,
Thereafter Charles lot was far
from being a happy one. He was
reported to have refused to send
Austrian troops TO the western bat
tlefront despite the German Enper-
or's importantly. In every way he
to stem the tide of rev.
which seemed to he rising
He promised all kinds of reforms and
as sop to his disconnected SUBJ
jects pardoned "A prisoners awaiting
trial at Sarajevo for high treason.
On October. 1918, he announced
plans for the Federation of Austria
Hungary and in an address to the
Hungarian Diet frankly admitted
his throne was in peril" A day or
two later Count Karolyi. leader of
the Hungarian republicans. an
the success of a bloodless
in Budapest and declared
Hungary a free and independent
state. Still later the German and
other provinces declared their pur-
pose to become autonomous entities
and the House Of the Hapsburgs,
once the leader Of the Holy Roman
seemed to be about to coll
lapse like a house of cards.
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