Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of The Holy Roman Empire was the eldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig, and at one time, heir to the Holy Roman Empire. His unorthodox marriage, outspokenly anti-democratic views, and anti-Hungarian bias made him an unpopular pick for the throne of the Empire, nearly leading to open rebellion after the death of the venerable Emperor Franz Joseph in 1918. In order to calm tensions and prevent the breakaway of the Kingdom of Hungary Franz Ferdinand ceded him claim. Instead, his nephew, Karl, took the throne, being proclaimed Emperor Karl VIII on October 12th, 1918.
Franz Ferdinand was dispatched on a diplomatic mission to The New French Republic in July of 1938. His subsequent execution was the Casus Belli for the beginning of the Great War.
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