Austria-Hungary
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
1863–1914 Heir to the Habsburg throne
The nephew of Emperor Franz Joseph, Franz Ferdinand became heir in 1896. A rigid, irascible man who hunted obsessively, he was disliked by much of the court for marrying a countess beneath his rank, Sophie Chotek. He distrusted the Hungarian ruling class, wanted to reform the monarchy to give its Slavs a larger role, and as Inspector General of the Armed Forces pushed for a stronger army. Strikingly, he opposed war with Serbia, fearing that a conflict with Russia would topple both empires. His assassination removed one of the strongest moderating voices in Vienna and gave the war party the pretext it wanted. He and Sophie left behind three children, who had been barred from the throne.