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Description

The Austrian Archduke
Born on September 5, 1860, in Židlochovice Castle, Židlochovice, Bohemia, Charles Stephen Eugene Viktor Felix Maria (German: Karl Stephan Eugen Viktor Felix von Habsburg-Lothringen) was the son of Austrian Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria. His family belonged to a high ranking branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, the House of the Austro-Hungarian Kaiser and his siblings included the likes of Queen Maria Theresia of Bavaria, Archduke Friedrich of Austria, Queen Maria Cristina of Spain, and Archduke Eugen of Austria. Following the death of his father, he was raised by his uncle Archduke Albrecht, Duke of Teschen from whom he would inherit the two castles of Żywiec in Galicia.
In 1877, he was sent serve in the navy graduating from the Imperial Maritime Academy after 2 years being commissioned Seefähnrich in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. He, along with his naval governor Hermann von Spaun would go on to voyage to places far from the Adriatic including Brazil and parts of North America.
On 28 February 1886, he married Archduchess Maria Theresia, Princess of Tuscany in Vienna. That same year would see the birth of their first daughter, Archduchess Eleanora of Austria. 1888 would see the birth of their second daughter, Archduchess Renata of Austria and their first son, Archduke Karl Albrecht of Austria. In 1891, Archduchess Mechthildis of Austria was born, in 1893 Archduke Leo Karl of Austria was born and in 1895 his youngest and most contentious son Archduke Wihlem of Austria was born.
In 1896, he retired from active naval duty but continued to climb the ranks becoming an admiral in 1901 and Grossadmiral (Grand Admiral) in 1911 as well as Marineinspekteur (Navy Inspector). In 1918, following a mutiny of the navy at Cattaro Karl was called for the reorganization of the Austro-Hungarian navy and appointed Hungarian Admiral Miklós Horthy as commander in chief.

The Polish Crown
During the events of the Great War, Karl Stephan was an admiral in the Imperial German Navy and proprietary head of the 8th Austrian Infantry Regiment. Other members of his family also served with his brother. Feldmarschall Archduke Friedrich, being commander-in-chief of the Austro-Hungarian Army from July 1914 to February 1917, and his eldest son, Archduke Karl Albrecht, holding the rank of Oberst (Colonel).
By 1917, continued Central Powers advances in the East had seen the occupation and partition of Russian Poland into German and Austro-Hungarian occupational zones. On 5 November 1916, the “ Act of 5 November” issued by German Kaiser Wilhelm II and Austro-Hungarian Kaiser Franz Joseph I declared the independent Kingdom of Poland as a German protectorate (The Austro-Hungarians ceded any claim to it under German pressure). A Regency Council was put in place as a candidate for the throne was searched for. This position was disputed between the German noble houses of Saxony, Württemberg and Bavaria. Bavaria demanded that their Prince Leopold, the Supreme Commander of the German forces on the Eastern front, become the new monarch. Württemberg's candidate Duke Albrecht was considered suitable for the throne because he belonged to the Catholic line of the house. The Saxon House of Wettin’s claim to the Polish throne was based on Frederick Augustus I of Saxony, who was made Duke of Warsaw by Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars, and so they proposed Prince Friedrich Christian.
However, the most likely candidate proposed was none other than Archduke Karl Stephan. This was due to various factor:
In 1907, the Archduke had proclaimed the Polishness of the family.
He resided in the Castle of Saysbusch (Żywiec), in Galicia.
He and his son were fluent in Polish.
Two of his daughters were married to Polish princes belonging to the noble houses of Radziwill and Czartoryski.
However, his chances were also muddled by various factors. The Houses of Radziwill and Czartoryski had advocated for the Russian side during the war and he would need the permission of Kaiser Karl I, who hesitated, having himself planned to assume the Polish crown. His biggest roadblock, however, was his own son Archduke Wilhelm. Wilhelm had his own ambitions of becoming the king of neighbouring Ukraine. Wilhelm had found himself the focal point of a quiet struggle between the two allies of Austria-Hungary and Germany who both wished to place the Ukraine into their sphere. He mixed quite easily with the Ukrainian peasantry who admired his ability to live simply like his soldiers. It was feared that should he even enter the capital of Kyiv that he would provoke a coup against Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi.

An Austrian On The Throne Of German Poland
By 1919, however, it would seem Karl Stephan would indeed become king. Kaiser Karl I and his government had ceded any claims on Poland under the pressure of Germany. Karl even seemed to have found favour in the German Kaiser himself who, out of a list of candidates which included Wihelm's own son, commended the Archduke most warmly to the Poles. In an interview in a Viennese newspaper in January 1921, Wilhelm publicly rebuked Poland, condemning the pogroms in Lwów as something that would never happen in a civilized country, and referring to Poland and Poles as dishonourable. This caused a permanent, public estrangement between Wilhelm and his father. With relations with his son severed, the Polish Regency Council elected Karl Stephan to become King of Poland on 14 November 1921. He was coronated as Karol I in Warsaw that same year.
Karol’s reign was one of mediation between Germans, Austrians, and Poles. He placated the concerns of Vienna by declaring Poland had no claim on Austro-Hungarian territory in Galicia while ensuring Berlin that he was loyal to the German Empire. Unlike many other monarchs placed on their thrones by the German Empire, Karol was quite popular among his people. Seen as a “Truly Polish King”, Karol was often the factor which prevented uprising amongst Poles even as the German Empire annexed the Polish border strip and began deporting ethnic Poles and Jews from her territories. His 14-year reign ended upon his death on 7 April 1933 followed shortly by his wife Maria Theresia a month later. He was succeeded as King of Poland by his eldest son Karl Albrecht who ascended the throne as Karol II of Poland.

Source Image:
media.gettyimages.com/photos/p…

Description

The Austrian Archduke
Born on September 5, 1860, in Židlochovice Castle, Židlochovice, Bohemia, Charles Stephen Eugene Viktor Felix Maria (German: Karl Stephan Eugen Viktor Felix von Habsburg-Lothringen) was the son of Austrian Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria. His family belonged to a high ranking branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, the House of the Austro-Hungarian Kaiser and his siblings included the likes of Queen Maria Theresia of Bavaria, Archduke Friedrich of Austria, Queen Maria Cristina of Spain, and Archduke Eugen of Austria. Following the death of his father, he was raised by his uncle Archduke Albrecht, Duke of Teschen from whom he would inherit the two castles of Żywiec in Galicia.
In 1877, he was sent serve in the navy graduating from the Imperial Maritime Academy after 2 years being commissioned Seefähnrich in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. He, along with his naval governor Hermann von Spaun would go on to voyage to places far from the Adriatic including Brazil and parts of North America.
On 28 February 1886, he married Archduchess Maria Theresia, Princess of Tuscany in Vienna. That same year would see the birth of their first daughter, Archduchess Eleanora of Austria. 1888 would see the birth of their second daughter, Archduchess Renata of Austria and their first son, Archduke Karl Albrecht of Austria. In 1891, Archduchess Mechthildis of Austria was born, in 1893 Archduke Leo Karl of Austria was born and in 1895 his youngest and most contentious son Archduke Wihlem of Austria was born.
In 1896, he retired from active naval duty but continued to climb the ranks becoming an admiral in 1901 and Grossadmiral (Grand Admiral) in 1911 as well as Marineinspekteur (Navy Inspector). In 1918, following a mutiny of the navy at Cattaro Karl was called for the reorganization of the Austro-Hungarian navy and appointed Hungarian Admiral Miklós Horthy as commander in chief.

The Polish Crown
During the events of the Great War, Karl Stephan was an admiral in the Imperial German Navy and proprietary head of the 8th Austrian Infantry Regiment. Other members of his family also served with his brother. Feldmarschall Archduke Friedrich, being commander-in-chief of the Austro-Hungarian Army from July 1914 to February 1917, and his eldest son, Archduke Karl Albrecht, holding the rank of Oberst (Colonel).
By 1917, continued Central Powers advances in the East had seen the occupation and partition of Russian Poland into German and Austro-Hungarian occupational zones. On 5 November 1916, the “ Act of 5 November” issued by German Kaiser Wilhelm II and Austro-Hungarian Kaiser Franz Joseph I declared the independent Kingdom of Poland as a German protectorate (The Austro-Hungarians ceded any claim to it under German pressure). A Regency Council was put in place as a candidate for the throne was searched for. This position was disputed between the German noble houses of Saxony, Württemberg and Bavaria. Bavaria demanded that their Prince Leopold, the Supreme Commander of the German forces on the Eastern front, become the new monarch. Württemberg's candidate Duke Albrecht was considered suitable for the throne because he belonged to the Catholic line of the house. The Saxon House of Wettin’s claim to the Polish throne was based on Frederick Augustus I of Saxony, who was made Duke of Warsaw by Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars, and so they proposed Prince Friedrich Christian.
However, the most likely candidate proposed was none other than Archduke Karl Stephan. This was due to various factor:
In 1907, the Archduke had proclaimed the Polishness of the family.
He resided in the Castle of Saysbusch (Żywiec), in Galicia.
He and his son were fluent in Polish.
Two of his daughters were married to Polish princes belonging to the noble houses of Radziwill and Czartoryski.
However, his chances were also muddled by various factors. The Houses of Radziwill and Czartoryski had advocated for the Russian side during the war and he would need the permission of Kaiser Karl I, who hesitated, having himself planned to assume the Polish crown. His biggest roadblock, however, was his own son Archduke Wilhelm. Wilhelm had his own ambitions of becoming the king of neighbouring Ukraine. Wilhelm had found himself the focal point of a quiet struggle between the two allies of Austria-Hungary and Germany who both wished to place the Ukraine into their sphere. He mixed quite easily with the Ukrainian peasantry who admired his ability to live simply like his soldiers. It was feared that should he even enter the capital of Kyiv that he would provoke a coup against Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi.

An Austrian On The Throne Of German Poland
By 1919, however, it would seem Karl Stephan would indeed become king. Kaiser Karl I and his government had ceded any claims on Poland under the pressure of Germany. Karl even seemed to have found favour in the German Kaiser himself who, out of a list of candidates which included Wihelm's own son, commended the Archduke most warmly to the Poles. In an interview in a Viennese newspaper in January 1921, Wilhelm publicly rebuked Poland, condemning the pogroms in Lwów as something that would never happen in a civilized country, and referring to Poland and Poles as dishonourable. This caused a permanent, public estrangement between Wilhelm and his father. With relations with his son severed, the Polish Regency Council elected Karl Stephan to become King of Poland on 14 November 1921. He was coronated as Karol I in Warsaw that same year.
Karol’s reign was one of mediation between Germans, Austrians, and Poles. He placated the concerns of Vienna by declaring Poland had no claim on Austro-Hungarian territory in Galicia while ensuring Berlin that he was loyal to the German Empire. Unlike many other monarchs placed on their thrones by the German Empire, Karol was quite popular among his people. Seen as a “Truly Polish King”, Karol was often the factor which prevented uprising amongst Poles even as the German Empire annexed the Polish border strip and began deporting ethnic Poles and Jews from her territories. His 14-year reign ended upon his death on 7 April 1933 followed shortly by his wife Maria Theresia a month later. He was succeeded as King of Poland by his eldest son Karl Albrecht who ascended the throne as Karol II of Poland.

Source Image:
media.gettyimages.com/photos/p…