Franz Josef Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ferdinand

Ferdinand was, according to most, mentally challenged. A nice person, he was nicknamed Ferdinand the Good. Even as a deposed monarch, the people of the city where he lived demonstrated affection. Abdication allowed the Habsburgs to 'put a new face' on the monarchy.

Answer: Prague

Ferdinand and his brother Franz Karl (the father of Franz Josef) took up residence in the Hradcany Castle. The local population always treated them affectionatly, decorating the streets on Ferdinand's birthay celebrations.

Answer: Nephew

Franz Josef, son of Sophie, daughter of Maximilian I of Bavaria and Franz Karl, brother of Ferdiand III, took this double name as propaganda to illustrate loyalty to the conservative nature of Emperor Franz II (I) and the liberal enlightened nature of the (Holy Roman) Emperor Josef II.

Answer: Sophie of Bavaria

Sophie was the daughter of Maximilian I, King of Bavaria. Her sisters were married into many royal families. Elizabeth married King Frederick William IV of Prussia, Amalie married King John of Saxony; Marie was married to King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony (preceding King John) and Ludovika was married to Duke Max in Bavaria.

Answer: Clemens von Metternich

Metternich was allowed to return from exile after three years and Franz Josef consulted with him - although his advice was not always accepted. Kaunitz was the chancellor of Maria Theresa and Eduard Taafe became chancellor later in Franz Josef's reign. Schwarzenberg was Franz Josef's first Prime Minister.

He had previously commanded all allied forces against Napoleon at the Battle of the Nations (Leipzig, 1813).

Answer: Solferino

Both Emperors were horrified at the bloodshed of this battle. Only at Leipzig had so large a battle been fought. The Austrians suffered over 22,000 casulaties. Napoleon III was also concerned about the possibility of a two front war since the Prussians were mobilizing on his northern flank. Both Emperors met at Villafranca, without advisers and negotiated a preliminary peace.

Answer: Duke Max in Bavaria

As a member of a minor branch of the royal family of Bavaria, Duke Max was given the title IN Bavaria rather than OF Bavaria. He would disappear for long periods of time and evidently toured with travelling circuses. He and Ludovika had nine children. The resided in a small castle (now a conference centre) in Possenhofen.

Answer: Elisabeth Wittelsbach

Sophie, Franz Josef's mother and Ludovika, her sister, had planned that Franz Josef should marry Helene, Elisabeth's older sister. When Franz Josef met them both, he opted for the younger.

Answer: First cousins

Franz Josef's mother and Elisabeth's mother were sisters.

Answer: Otto

Otto was Franz Josef's nephew. Maximilian became Emperor of Mexico and was forced to renounce all rights as an Austrian Archduke prior to being allowed to assume the throne of Mexico. He was executed at Queretaro by Juarez. In an attempt to encouage Juarez to return Maximilian to Austria, Franz Josef had restored Maximilian's rights as an Austrian Archduke. Karl Ludwig had three sons, one of whom, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated at Sarajevo. Ludwig Victor was the youngest and was spoilt by his mother.

Answer: Ludwig Victor

Ludwig Victor was unmarried and had a pechant for young men. He was known as the "Archduke of the Bathhouse". Karl Ludwig had three sons. Maximilian had no children but was married to Charlotte of Belgium, who went insane after the death of Maximilian.

Answer: Napoleon II (also known as the Duke of Reichstadt)

Maximilian did not look much like the rest of the family and Sophie was known to be very close to Napoleon's unhappy son. They both resided at the Hofburg or Schönbrunn. If it were true, it might explain the coolness that existed between the brothers, although Franz Josef did entrust Maximilian with some responsible positions. Archduke Karl was a general who fought against Napoleon and Albrecht was his son. Ludwig II lived in Munich and was betrothed to Franz Josef's sister-in-law Sophie-Charlotte.

The marriage was called off at the last minute. Sophie was later married to one of the richest princes in Germany.

Answer: True

In addition to Egypt, he visited Turkey and Jerusalem. The Empress Elisabeth did not accompany him - it was said that she did not want to get into another beauty competition with Eugénie, Empress of the French, who was also attending the opening.

Answer: Bad Ischl

Bad Ischl was a favourite watering place of the Viennese nobility. The Habsburgs did not own property there, renting it as they needed it. As a wedding present, Sophie purchased what became the Kaiservilla to the young couple.

Answer: Sophie

When Sophie was born, her grandmother, Sophie, Franz Josef's mother virtually took control of the new born - a pattern that was to be repeated with the other children and caused tension between Franz Josef and Elisabeth. Sophie, the daughter, contracted measles during a trip to Hungary and died there.

Answer: Marie Vetsera

There are persistent stories that the tragedy at Mayerling was a double murder rather than murder-suicide. Since Rudolf favoured a more distant relationship with Germany, Kaiser Wilhelm II has been mentioned as the instigator of a murder plot. Similarly internal Austrian dissidents were alarmed that Rudolf favoured a more decentralized authority which would hamper the cause of regional independance. Lola Montez was the mistress of his grandfather Ludwig I of Bavaria. Maria Anna of Savoy was an early love but she died early of tuberculosis when Rudolf was 19. Mizzi Caspar, although someone with whom Rudolph had a liaison, was not at Mayerling. Considering the fact that Rudolf was working on a major unfinished work on the geography of the Empire of which he was proud, there may be some basis for suspicion.

Answer: Geneva

Luigi Lucheni was in Geneva intending to assassinate the Duke of Orleans - pretender to the French crown. He indicated that he really wanted to assassinate King Umberto of Italy but could not afford the train fare. In fact it seems that he just wanted to kill someone of importance and Elisabeth seemed to be the easiest target. During questioning, it was revealed that he was not even sure of who it was that he had killed - by shoving a dagger into her chest.

Answer: Katharina Schratt

Elisabeth approved of the relationship with Schratt, indeed the three of them were also seen tegether, although Elisabeth had started absenting herself from the Empire for long periods of time. It seemed that she felt that Schratt would provide the companionship that she could not.

Some historians also believe that Elisabeth valued the freedom that the relationship gave her. Lillie Langtree was the mistress of Edward VII. Marie Wallersee-Larisch was Elisabeth's niece.

Answer: His great nephew

Archduke Karl was the great-nephew of Franz Josef. Franz Josef's only son was dead, leaving a daughter, Elisabeth. Since Austria-Hungary did not allow female monarchs, (Maria Theresa was the sole exception), or provide for male descendants of daughters to inherit, none of Franz Josef's grandsons qualified. Franz Josef's brothers all pre-deceased him. One of his nephews, the heir apparent since 1889, Franz Ferdinand was assassinated at Sarajevo, had married morganatically, so his sons could not inherit.

His second nephew, died in 1906 so the latter's son, Karl, inherited.

Answer: Buda

Pest, a separate but joined city, was the business end of the complex and contains the Parliament. The royal section containing the palace and Cathedral was Buda. Bratislava and Pressburg, were the same city under different names - there's also the Hungarian name Poszony - and was the old coronation city. Bratislava is now the capital of Slovakia.

Answer: Prince Eugene of Savoy

Crown Prince Rudolf had an apartment in the Hofburg. The Schwarzenberg Palace, part of which is now a castle-hotel, is the next door neighbour of the Belvedere. Maria Theresa lived at the Hofburg and Schönbrunn. The Belvedere, now a museum, was the site of the signing of the treaty that ended the four-power occupation of Austria following World War II.

Answer: Schönbrunn

Franz Josef considered himself the "first civil servant" of the Empire and spent long hours at his desk. He started audiences with ministers and officials at 5 a.m.! Although in his middle 80s he continued his regular routine and worked until a few days before his death.

Answer: fifteen

His daughter Gisela (1856-1932) married Leopold of Bavaria and had 2 sons and 2 daughters; his daughter Marie Valerie )1868-1924) married Archduke Francis Salvator of Tuscany and had 4 sons and 6 daughters. His son Rudolf (1858-89) who married Stephanie, daughter of the King of Belgium, had one daughter.

Answer: A castle and hunting lodge in central Hungary

Godollo was presented to the couple during their official visit to Hungary in 1857. Elisabeth captivated the Hungarians. It was while they were there that they received a telegram announcing that Sophie, aged two, who had been left in Budapest was seriously ill. They returned post haste only to attend the death of their first-born child from measles.

Answer: Alexander III of Russia

Napoleon was a member of neither the Drei-Kaiser-Bund or the Triple Alliance. When Wilhelm II of Prussia accepted Bismarck's resignation (in 1890), he allowed the League to lapse, contributing to tensions between Russia and Germany which resulted, eventually, in World War I.