Vintage Audio - Emperor Franz-Josef
Available here is a sound clip featuring the Austro-Hungarian Emperor, Franz-Josef I.
Franz-Josef, the aging head of an aging (and waning) empire, was effectively coerced into agreeing to go to war with Serbia by his government advisers in late July 1914.
Although the onset of the war initially pulled together the many nationalities that comprised the Habsburg Empire the stresses and strains of ongoing military setbacks ultimately brought the already fragile Empire down.
Franz-Josef died in November 1916 and was succeeded by Karl I: the latter was to be Austria-Hungary's last Emperor. Even before the close of 1916 however it was becoming increasingly clear to Franz-Josef that the Empire was dissolving.
The sound clip presented here - recorded on 14 December 1915 - features Franz-Josef speaking in favour of a military fund established for Austrian widows and orphans; it is available using the player above.
Duck-Boards comprised slatted wooden planking used for flooring trenches or muddy ground.
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