Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria

Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria (21 August 1858 – 30 January 1889) was the son and heir of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria and Elisabeth of Austria. His death, apparently through suicide, along with that of his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera at his Mayerling hunting lodge in 1889 made international headlines, fueled international conspiracy rumours and ultimately may have sealed the longterm fate of the Habsburg monarchy.

Impact of the Crown Prince's death

Following the death of the Emperor's only son, the marriage of Franz Josef and Elisabeth collapsed completely, with the Empress spending much of her time abroad, particularly in England and Ireland where she loved to hunt. The new heir presumptive to the Austrian, Bohemian and Hungarian thrones was Archduke Karl Ludwig, eldest surviving brother of the Emperor. After Karl Ludwig's death, his oldest son, Archduke Franz Ferdinand became heir presumptive. His assassination in 1914 triggered off a chain of events that produced World War I.

Related Topics:
Archduke Karl Ludwig - Archduke Franz Ferdinand - World War I

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Had Rudolf lived, it is possible that Emperor Franz Josef would have abdicated as had his uncle, passing the thrones to an emperor who was much more liberal in outlook and opposed to Austria's military alliance with Kaiser Wilhelm II's Germany that played such a part in triggering the First World War.

Related Topics:
His uncle - Kaiser - Wilhelm II

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Instead however the throne ultimately went to Franz Josef's grand-nephew, Karl, who in 1916 became the last Austrian emperor as Emperor Karl, and who, though he tried, was unable to stop the war and to save the Habsburg monarchy from final collapse.

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