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The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie von Hohenberg was the cover story of La Domenica del Corriere for the week July 5 through 12, 1914. The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, said he aimed, turned away, and fired, and was not targeting the Countess. The illustrator may have positioned her standing to make sense of the two wounds: the Archduke was shot through the throat, his wife through the groin. Illustration by Alberto Beltrame.The cover story includes a picture of the deceased with their three children. A second photograph shows the new heir to the throne, Karl, holding his son, captioned "I due futuri Imperatori d'Austria" — the two future Emperors of Austria. Karl became emperor when Franz Joseph died in 1916. His son never did, as the Empire had dissolved by the time his father died.
Postcard of Kaiser Wilhelm II and Kaiser Franz Joseph, in the Secessionist style. Kaiser Wilhelm is wearing the uniform and shako of the Death's Head Hussars.
Zweibund — the Dual Alliance — Germany and Austria-Hungary united, were the core of the Central Powers, and here join hands. The bars of Germany's flag border the top left, and those of the Habsburg Austrian Empire and ruling house the bottom right.
A heavyset English sailor flies a panoply of flags of neutral nations including Sweden (civil ensign), Norway, Spanish Merchant Marine, the United States, Netherlands, Italy, and the Red Cross. Germany accused Great Britain of flying false flags on merchant and passenger ships, and of arming them. A postcard by P.O.Engelhard (P.O.E.), dated and postmarked January 15, 1916.
"The Vienna Press asserts that the magisterial enquiry has already shown that the Serajevo outrage was prepared at Belgrade; further, that the whole conspiracy in its wider issues was organized at Belgrade among youths inspired with the Great Serbian idea, and that the Belgrade Press is exciting public opinion by publishing articles about the intolerable conditions prevailing in Bosnia. Press articles of this kind, according to the Vienna Press, are exercising a strong influence, as Serbian newspapers are being smuggled in large quantities into Bosnia." ((1), more)
"And so they've killed our Ferdinand, said the charwoman to Mr Švejk . . ." ((2), more)
"Tschirschky: I frequently hear expressed here, even among serious people, the wish that at last a final and fundamental reckoning should be had with the Serbs.Kaiser Wilhelm: Now or never.Tschirschky: . . . I take opportunity of every such occasion to advise quietly but very impressively and seriously against too hasty steps.Kaiser Wilhelm: . . . it is solely the affair of Austria, what she plans to do in this case. . . . Let Tschirschky be good enough to drop this nonsense! The Serbs must be disposed of, and that right soon!" ((3), more)
"The hostility of public opinion in Germany towards us is growing and is being fostered by false reports coming from Vienna and Budapest. Such reports are being diligently spread in spite of the contradictions issued by some newspapers and new agencies." ((4), more)
"There were demonstrations last night in front of the Legation. I may say the police showed considerable energy. Order and peace were maintained. As soon as I obtain positive information that the Serbian flag has been burned, I will lodge a complaint in the proper quarters. I will report to you the result. Hatred against Serbians and Serbia is being spread among the people, especially to the lower Catholic circles, the Vienna press, and military circles." ((5), more)
(1) M. Yov. M. Yovanovitch, Serbian Minister at Vienna, to M.N. Pashitch, Serbian Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs
Collected Diplomatic Documents Relating to the Outbreak of the European War, 370 (The Serbian Blue Book, No. 1), publisher: His Majesty's Stationery Office by Harrison and Sons, publication date: 1915
(2) The first words of The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek. The charwoman provides a inaccurate report she has gotten from a newspaper.Like Franz Ferdinand's wife Sophie, Hašek was Czech.
The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek, page 3, copyright © Cecil Parrott, 1973 (translation), publisher: Penguin
(3) Count Heinrich Leopold von Tschirschky und Bögendorff, German Ambassador in Vienna delivered a written report to German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg on a conversation Tschirschky had with Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister Count Leopold Berchtold. Berchtold had said that the threads of the conspiracy ran together at Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany annotated the report.
July, 1914; the Outbreak of the First World War; Selected Documents by Imanuel Geiss (Editor), 64, 65, copyright © 1967 Imanuel Geiss, publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons, publication date: 1967
(4) M. Yov. M. Yovanovitch, Serbian Minister at Vienna, to M.N. Pashitch, Serbian Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs
Collected Diplomatic Documents Relating to the Outbreak of the European War, 371 (The Serbian Blue Book, No. 4), publisher: His Majesty's Stationery Office by Harrison and Sons, publication date: 1915
(5) Telegram from Yov. M. Yovanovitch, Serbian Minister at Vienna, to N. Pashitch, Serbian Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vienna, June 18/July 1 (New Style), 1914.
Collected Diplomatic Documents Relating to the Outbreak of the European War, page 373, publisher: His Majesty's Stationery Office by Harrison and Sons, publication date: 1915
