| Franz Ferdinand |
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The Soldier |
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As is the custom in any Imperial or Royal family – and at the time there was as yet no question of his becoming heir to the throne – Franz Ferdinand was free to choose a military career. On 23rd April, 1878, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in Infanterie-Regiment 32, although he never left home. He was not yet fifteen years of age! Promotions followed seasonally. Inevitably, these were partly due to his royal prerogative, but most were achieved on his own merit.
Franz Ferdinand's happiest times appear to have been his five years stationed at Enns with Dragoon Regiment No. 4 Kaiser Ferdinand. After an uncertain beginning – adjustment to new surroundings, acceptance by initially-resentful brother officers (who had earned their commissions and appointments), etc. – he soon felt quite at home with the Austrian regimen of drill, field exercise and social functions, as well as finding time for moments of levity, where protocol allowed [see image below]! Franz Ferdinand was intelligent, quick-thinking, assertive in his opinions, less tolerant of criticism, and somewhat lacking in charm; a gemütliches host at social functions he would unlikely be. His physique was slight-to-average, and some coughing raised the occasional eyebrow, but otherwise Franz Ferdinand appeared in fine fettle.
Upon achieving his majority in 1888 Franz Ferdinand was posted to Infanterie-Regiment 102 in Prague for several years. It was another happy time. He was lodged at Hrádcany castle and social life was livelier than when stationed at Enns. Whilst in Prague he probably met Gräfin Sophie Chotek at a dance soirée [see Sophie]. Also whilst Franz Ferdinand was at Prague, his cousin Kronprinz Rudolf committed suicide with his young lover Baroness Maria Vetsera at Mayerling on 30th January, 1889. There were no immediate changes to Franz Ferdinand's routines, or his life in general, as protocol held that his father Archduke Karl Ludwig was next-in-line for succession. However, as Karl Ludwig showed scant inclination towards politics as well no interest at all in being the next Emperor, it was generally assumed – without any official proclamation to such – that Franz Ferdinand would, instead, take his father's place. A number of official missions seemed to confirm this de facto status, such as his attendance in Stuttgart for the 25th Jubilee of King Karl I of Würtemberg as Emperor Franz Josef's representative in 1889, accompanying the Emperor to Berlin that same year, and an official visit to Czar Alexander III of Russia in 1891.
Royal duties and state visits notwithstanding, whilst Franz Ferdinand was not yet, at least officially, acknowledged as Tronfolger, his military duties continued. Following his posting in Prague, in April 1890 Emperor Franz Josef gazetted his nephew to Hussar-Regiment No. 9 Graf Nadásty at Ödenburg (Sopron) in western Hungary for two years. Here he was rather less than content with the posting and military regimen as, besides the Hungarians' nationalism, only Magyar was spoken – in direct violation of the Dual Monarchy's regulation that German was the language of command and service throughout the K.u.K. regular armed forces of the Empire, including its Hungarian units (although the second-line Hungarian army, the KU or Honvésés was permitted Magyar as the language of command). This would remain a continual source of irritation for Franz Ferdinand: throughout his life (and he would eventually become Inspector-General of all the Empire's armed forces) he fought the Hungarians' persistent attempts to have their oath of loyalty taken to the Hungarian constitution, and with it their use of Magyar as the language of command in place of German. It was not merely Franz Ferdinand's difficulty with the Magyar tongue. Cohesion was not a strong point in the Dual Monarchy; Franz Josef, the Emperor-King, was the sole 'binding' element, closely followed by the K.u.K. armed forces. But if it could not function under the language of the Habsburg dynasty, a common language of command? Well ... Following several more garrison postings and his promotion to General of Infantry in 1892, Franz Ferdinand managed to pursuade his uncle, Emperor Franz Josef, for some 'time off' to go on a World Tour [see The Traveller]. Franz Ferdinand resumed his military duties upon his return in October, 1893, as commander of Infanterie-Brigade 38 in Budvár. But in 1895 he took seriously ill. He was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis – with limited chances of survival. Nevertheless, Franz Ferdinand was more robust than most gave him credit for and following three years of convalescing in Egypt he overcame his illness. Franz Ferdinand was officially declared in full health on 23rd March, 1898, and several days later was ordered to report to the Aller-höchsten. As his father Karl Ludwig had died in 1896, it was now clear to Franz Ferdinand what his next duties were to be. 
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