Ferdinand, Franz

His Imperial and Royal Highness Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este (Franz Ferdinand Karl Ludwig Josef von Habsburg-Lothringen) (December 18, 1863 – June 28, 1914) was an Archduke of Austria and from 1896 until his death heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. more...

His assassination in Sarajevo, Austrian-annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina, precipitated the Austrian declaration of war against Serbia which triggered World War I.

See the article Assassination of Franz Ferdinand for a detailed discussion of these events.

Birth and early life

Franz Ferdinand was born in Graz, Austria, the eldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria (younger brother of Emperor Franz Josef) and of his second wife, Princess Maria Annunciata of the Two Sicilies. When he was only 12 years old, his cousin Duke Francis V of Modena died, naming Franz Ferdinand his heir on condition that he add the name Este to his own. Franz Ferdinand thus became one of the wealthiest men in Europe.

When he was born, there was no reason to think that Franz Ferdinand would ever be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. He was given the normal strict education of an archduke with an emphasis on history and moral character. From 1876 to 1885 his tutor was the historian Onno Klopp. In 1877 Franz Ferdinand entered the army with the rank of second lieutenant.

As a young man Franz Ferdinand developed two great passions: hunting and travel. It is estimated that he shot more than 5,000 deer in his lifetime. In 1883 he visited Italy for the first time in order to see the properties left to him by Duke Francis V of Modena. In 1885 he visited Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey. In 1889 he visited Germany.

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