By Br. Nathan Cochran, O.S.B.

The Venerable

Karl of AustriaA Short Biography

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The venerable Karl of AustriaA short biography By Br. Nathan Cochran, O.S.B.

Resting in the arms of his beloved wife, his breathing labored,he prays: "My Jesus, Thy Will be done-Jesus." With these wordshe takes his last breath, and gently meets his Lord and Savior.His lingering illness and suffering is over. The torment ofbetrayal and rejection is over.

It is shortly after noon, on Saturday, April 1, 1922. His name isKarl, a humble, mortal man facing the end of his life with dig-nity. To his fellow countrymen, he is His Majesty, Karl,Emperor of Austria and Apostolic King of Hungary.

Figure 1: Archduke Karl, c. 1890. This postcard is taken from a photograph by Kais. Rat.Charles Scolik, Wien, andissued in 1917 during Karl’sreign. It shows him at aboutthree-years-old and indicates the interest the public had in his early life. The card waspublished by B.K.W.I. Gebetsliga U.S.A./Canada.

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Childhood and early adulthood

On August 17, 1887, a son is born to Archduke Otto andArchduchess Maria Josefa in their family home in Persenbeug,Austria. He is named Karl Franz Josef Ludwig Hubert GeorgOtto Maria. He is the couple's firstborn, and he is greeted withjoy and thanksgiving. The Imperial House of Austria rejoices inthe birth of Emperor Franz Josef's grandnephew, but the rest ofthe empire barely takes notice-as the newest archduke is fardown the line of succession. It is not yet known that a series oftragedies and events will alter his destiny, and that of theempire.

Figure 2: Family Portrait, c. 1896. A family cabinet card ofArchduke Otto, his wifeArchduchess Maria Josefa, and their two sons, Archdukes Karl and Max. Private collection.

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Karl's childhood is simple and wholesome. He is tutored andattends school at the Schottengymnasium in Vienna. He istaught the Catholic faith, and loves to practice it. He becomesknown as a kind and compassionate child, who performsvarious chores and tasks in an effort to raise money to give tothe poor and buy gifts for those around him.

As he grows, it becomes apparent that he will follow in hisfather's footsteps and become a military man. At the age of 16Karl is commissioned as a second lieutenant in the ImperialArmy. He is known as an intelligent and thoughtful young man,someone who is totally loyal and dependable. He is an inspi-ration to his fellow soldiers and works his way up the ranks,earning various promotions. He is consciously groomed for hisfuture role in the empire, but it is thought that he will not suc-ceed to the throne until after his uncle and father have bothreigned-perhaps thirty or forty years in the future.

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Figure 3: The Newlyweds at the Reception. Photo-postcard: Mimosa. Gebetsliga, U.S.A./Canada

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A devout husband and father

In 1911, when Archduke Karl begins thinking of marriage, heremembers the younger sister of some of his childhood play-mates. Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma is a young, beautiful,vivacious and religiously devout young woman, and Karl'sheart is set on marrying this exceptional woman. Because heis shy around women, he asks for assistance from his step-grandmother-who also happens to be Zita's aunt-ArchduchessMaria Theresa. She arranges a weeklong hunting party at herestate and invites both of the young people, giving the oppor-tunity for them to meet, talk and get to know one another.Afterwards, Karl takes Zita to the Marian Shrine of Mariazell,where he proposes to her in front of the Blessed Sacrament,and places their engagement under the protection of theBlessed Virgin Mary.

Their marriage is set for October 21, 1911 and on the eve befo-re Karl tells his bride: "Now we must help each other get toHeaven." Their union is blessed with eight children: Otto,Adelheid, Robert, Felix, Karl-Ludwig, Rudolf, Charlotte andElizabeth. Their family and devotion to God are their first prio-rities, and they try to live a simple, quiet life, while Karl conti-nues his military career.

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Figure 4: The Family with Its Newest Member, 1921. Empress Zita is holding the newest member of the family, Archduchess Charlotte. The family, left to right: Karl Ludwig, Felix, the Empress with Charlotte, the Emperor with Rudolph, Adelheid, Otto, and Robert. Postcard. Gebetsliga, U.S.A./Canada.

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Figure 5: The Hungarian Royal Family Enthroned.King Karl IV, Queen Zita and Crown Prince Otto in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace in Budapest after the Hungarian coronation. Photograph.Gebetsliga, U.S.A./Canada.

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A christian soldier and catholic monarch

On June 28, 1914, word is sent from Sarajevo that the HeirApparent, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, is assassinated, makingKarl the new Heir Apparent and changing his life forever. As aconsequence of the assassination, war breaks out and quicklyengulfs Europe. Karl is called to lead various military actions,and comports himself with valor and honor. He leads victoriousefforts on the eastern and southern fronts, and is known forincorporating his moral convictions into his battle plans. In Italy,he commands his officers to avoid needless bloodshed, and:

. . . to ensure that the wounded are taken care of as quickly as pos-sible and that the troops are always provided for as well as possi-ble...I forbid the order to take no prisoners...I forbid most emphati-cally stealing and plundering and wanton destruction.

For Karl, the culture he bears is Christianity, and in the face ofbeing in a war he considers immoral, he insists that he and thearmy act morally.In the midst of war, Karl is summoned to the side of a weary andelderly Emperor Franz Josef. On November 30, 1916, Karl is nearthe Emperor's deathbed praying the rosary with Zita, when hehears the words "Your Majesty" addressed to him for the firsttime. His first priority as Emperor is to bring peace and securityback to Europe and his empire. He begins secret peace negotia-tions through his brother-in-laws, the Princes Sixtus and Xavierof Bourbon-Parma, who are in a position to smuggle letters fromKarl to the Entente leaders in France and England. These nego-tiations occur from November 22, 1916 through February 20,1917, when a new government in Paris puts a halt to the talks.

He begins a second series of attempts that last until the end ofthe war. In these negotiations, his Foreign Minister CountCzernin and the French Representative Count Armand, discussterms in Switzerland. However, these talks come to nothing,and are damaged by the French revelation to the world press ofthe "Sixtus Affair." The leak also hurt Karl's reputation and abili-ty to function as an intermediary in the effort to bring peace tothe world.

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Figure 6:The People's Emperor Meeting His People. Just one of many similar scenes in which Emperor Karl wentamong his people, meeting them, talking to them and listening to their concerns. Photograph, c. 1917. Gebetsliga, U.S.A./Canada.

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Pope Benedict XV proposes a plan for peace as well, but onlyEmperor Karl accepts the Pontiff's solutions-the other bellige-rents are intent on continuing the war for their own selfishadvantages. With the advent of the United States in the war,President Wilson issues "Fourteen Points" necessary for thewar's conclusion. Karl accepts all of them, but by this time theEntente no longer recognizes him as a legitimate ruler.Although Karl's attention is focused on peace throughout hisreign, the Emperor still has to wage a war that is not of hismaking, and care for his suffering people. Upon his accessionto the throne, he grants a general amnesty.Militarily he prohibits the fighting of duels, and the practices offlogging and binding wrists to ankles. He despises and forbidsthe use of mustard gas on the enemy, and the employment ofsubmarine warfare. He orders that soldiers, prisoners, and thewounded must be humanely treated, and creates a great booksprogram for soldiers. Whenever possible he commutes deathsentences-both military and civil.Civilly, he organizes soup kitchens, uses the palace's horses andcarriages to deliver coal to the Viennese, he fights against usuryand corruption, and gives away his personal wealth-distributingalms beyond his means. He is the first world leader to establisha Ministry of Social Welfare, which is commissioned to deal withyouth welfare, the war-disabled, widows, orphans, social insu-rance, labor rights and protection, job placement, unemploy-ment relief and emigration protection and housing. Spiritually, Emperor Karl shares in the same privations as hispeople, and orders the palace to observe food rationing andsmaller portions. He invokes the name of God in all decreesand governmental acts, creates a Catholic press, and plans thebuilding of more churches in Vienna to serve the growing needsof the faithful.

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Figure 7: Relaxing with His Family in Switzerland. There was one consolation for the exiled-Emperor: he was able to spend more time relaxing with his wife and children. Here, the Emperor enjoys his growing family, and keeps up with the news at the same time. This photograph was most likely taken in Prangins, Switzerland, in the first half of 1919. Photograph. Private collection.

Figure 8: Mass Before Boarding the Trainfor Budapest, October 22, 1921.The loyalist force, headed by theKing and Queen, celebrate anoutdoor Mass at Raab beforeboarding the train for Budapestand the second restoration bid.Postcard. Gebetsliga, U.S.A./Canada.

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Figure 9: The Emperor Shortly After His Last Breath, April 1, 1922. After a walk down the mountain of Monte to the town of Funchaland back, the Emperor, who was already in a weakened condition,fell gravely ill with influenza. There was no money for a doctor, andwhen one was finally called in, there was no effective treatment for hiscondition, which had developed into pneumonia. The doctors gavehim camphor and caffeine injections (antibiotics had not yet beendiscovered). They applied mustard plasters and cupped his back, butthe treatments proved futile. His final words were: „Thy Holy Will be done. Jesus, Jesus, come!Yes—yes. My Jesus as Thou willst it—Jesus. Jesus.” He died onApril 1, 1922 at 12:23 p.m. He was only 34-years-old. Photograph. Private collection.

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Exile, restoration attempts and death

Despite working himself to exhaustion, the war continues toerode the empire until it collapses on November 11, 1918. Thewar is finally over, but so too is the concord of the HabsburgEmpire. Karl is asked to abdicate, but he refuses, stating thathis crown is a sacred trust from God, and he will never betrayGod, his subjects, or his dynastic inheritance. His ministersfinally coerce him to withdraw from personal participation ingovernment, and go into seclusion with his family at a family-hunting lodge in Eckartsau. However, the new, socialistgovernment continues to deem Emperor Karl a threat becausehe has not abdicated; so they send him into exile inSwitzerland.In Switzerland the family lives a quiet, humble lifestyle for atime-until the Emperor hears from many of his subjects beg-ging him to return to his Hungarian Kingdom and take thereins of power once more. Karl makes two attempts to regainhis throne. During the first attempt, his regent, AdmiralHorthy, persuades the Emperor that the time is not yet auspi-cious, and that he should return to Switzerland until all of thenecessary preparations are made. When it becomes clear thatHorthy has betrayed him, and plans to illegally retain power,Karl makes a second attempt, which has the support of thepeople, who appeal to his crowning oath. Furthermore a "whiteterror" against Jews, union members and the political opposi-tion is taking place in Hungary. However, Horthy once againbetrays his true monarch, arrests him and hands him over tothe Entente as a prisoner. Zita accompanies him on thesecond attempt, and joins him on the long journey into finalexile on the island of Madeira.

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On Madeira, the Imperial Couple is penniless, without anymeans to support themselves. Their children, who are initiallykept separated from them, do not join their parents for severalmonths. Finally, the family is reunited on February 2, 1922 andthe family takes comfort in each other's presence.Their joy is short-lived, when a few weeks later Karl becomesill with pneumonia and influenza. Emperor Karl prays and suf-fers for several days, saying: "I must suffer like this so that mypeoples can come together again." When he realizes he isdying, he calls his son, Archduke Otto, to his bedside to saygoodbye and to show him "how a Catholic and Emperor con-ducts himself when dying."On April 1, 1922, he whispers to his wife, "I long so much to gohome with you. Why won't they let us go home?" She holdshim in her arms for most of the morning, and he receives HolyCommunion and the Sacrament of the Dying. The Eucharist isexposed in his bedroom, and Karl tries to hold a crucifix in hishands. Shortly after noon, he tries to kiss the crucifix and whi-spers: "Thy Holy Will be done. Jesus, Jesus, come! Yes-yes. MyJesus, Thy Will be done-Jesus." He whispers "Jesus" a final timeand expires. The Peace Emperor, husband, father, and man offaith, is dead at the age of 34.

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