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#182 Weekend Quiz 4U “the enemy within”

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#1 · (Edited)
This time it is really a “weekend” quiz, a quick and - I think/fear/hope - quite easy one. Here it is:

Two cousins fought against their cousin, and all fought against the same enemy.

I want to know the names of the cousins and of the enemy.

Have fun and a wonderful and healthy weekend.
 
#157 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 86

Military officer Military person Portrait Headgear Uniform

On the Italian side the chief signatory was Lieutenant General Pietro Badoglio, Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, along with six subordinate officers as the representatives of the supreme command of the ItalianArmy:

· Military officer Military person Headgear Military rank History

Magg. Gen. Scipione Scipioni

· People Standing Team Uniform Family

Colonn. Tullio Marchetti
(Head of the Information Office (ITO) of the 1st Army in Verona)
Photo: From left standing: Mario Scottoni, Arturo Castelli, Antonio Piscel, Tullio Marchetti, Silvio Prato, Antonio di Soragna; seated C. "Finzi" Pettorelli Lalatta, Livio Fiorio

· Hair Forehead Chin Nose Hairstyle

Colonn. Pietro Gazzera

· Military officer Headgear Sailor Military person

Colonn. Pietro Maravigna

· Forehead Military officer Headgear Cap Peaked cap

Colonn. Alberto Pariani

· Capitano di Vascello Francesco Accinni

Photograph Standing Snapshot Black-and-white Photography
Motor vehicle Vehicle Car
Photograph Standing Family

Photos
: Outside Villa Giusti

The armistice took effect 24 hours later.

While the Austro-Hungarian soldiers hastily laid down their weapons, the Italians used this to penetrate far behind the front lines. In immediate consequence the last day of the war ended for around 380,000 k. u. k. Soldiers in Italian captivity. The "last shot, the shot of victory" was fired by the Italians on 4 November 1918.

The ceasefire agreed by Austria-Hungary with Italy also caused some confusion for the former ally Germany. The agreement encompassed all areas of deployment of the Austro-Hungarian troops and therefore also the Western Front and the Balkans. Though for the German Empire the World War was not over, there was still no choice but to withdraw the Austro-Hungarian troops from the front.
 
#158 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 87

2.3.2.3.5. The End of the Empires

History

In June 1918 the German Emperor Wilhelm II celebrated his 30th anniversary of his accession to the throne

History Building Photography Almshouse Stock photography

at the headquarters of the Supreme Command in Spa in Belgium.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Vintage car

29 Oktober 1918 he left Berlin to visit the headquarters again. Here in November 1918 he was in a predicament. Because of riots and revolution in Germany, he couldn't go home. Because of the advancing troops of the Entente, he couldn't stay in Spa either. So he got the advice to flee to a neutral country and that became the Netherlands. Very early in the morning of Sunday, 10 November, Wilhelm and his entourage left the German headquarters by imperial train. The approach to Liège was halted because it was feared that rebellious soldiers would stop the train there. The company switched to a number of cars. The imperial train went on empty towards the Netherlands.

Transport Vehicle Railway Train Rolling stock

On 10 November 1918 at about 06:00 a surprised Dutch sergeant saw nine German cars, with car plates and emblems made unrecognizable, appearing at the Limburg checkpoint in Eysden. His surprise was even greater when the company turned out to consist of the German Emperor Wilhelm II and his entourage. The sergeant refused to let the company pass because he had not received orders to do so, even though one of the members of the corollary stated that the Dutch government was aware of the emperor's arrival. He phoned Major G. van Deyl, garrison commander of Maastricht, who immediately went to Eysden.

Transport Railway Track Rolling stock Railroad car

He found the emperor, sitting in the car smoking, proposed that he should walk to the station and at the same time gave permission to drive the imperial train to the border crossing.

People Standing Headgear Uniform History

Photo
: Wilhelm II's escape on 10 November 1918, the emperor (center, fourth from left) on the platform of the Belgian-Dutch border station Eijsden shortly before his departure to Dutch exile.
 
#159 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 88

Photograph Forehead Chin Suit Moustache

In advance the Dutch government was not aware of the emperor's getaway and had not been informed in time. To avoid any problems with the Entente Powers the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Herman Adriaan van Karnebeek

Victorian fashion Outerwear Frock coat

came up with the idea of ​​ asking Count Godard John George Charles van Aldenburg Bentinck,

Building House Mansion Estate Home

to provide hospitality to the emperor on his estate in Amerongen.

Building House Mansion Estate Almshouse
Photograph History

The Bentinck family had a German and an English branch, and on 9 August 1909, an older brother of the Count had received the German Emperor and Empress at Middachten Castle in the municipality of Rheden.
 
#160 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 89

The Count hesitated and asked for half an hour to reflect. It was his eldest son Carlos who persuaded him. “The Bentincks received the Emperor in the days of his splendor; now that he has fallen, we cannot refuse to give him shelter." Therefore the count agreed, given the things needed were provided, and on Monday 11 November, the day of the armistice, the imperial train left at 9:20 in the morning for Maarn, via Maastricht, Roermond, Venlo, Nijmegen and Arnhem.

Forehead Portrait

The train driver on this day was Johannes van Giersbergen. On that particular day he was taken out of bed in his hometown Arnhem, where he was ordered to take a train to Maarn. He was not told which train it was and who the occupants were - it was only told that it was very important. Only when he arrived in Eijsden did he realize that it was the train that would transport Emperor Wilhelm. They arrived in Maarn at half past three in the afternoon.

History Team

Photo: Dutch escorts on the imperial train which brought the ex-emperor to Maarn on 11 November 1918, W.J. Doude van Troostwijk, J.B. Kan, Baron of Hövell to Westerflier in the middle, on the right Colonel Schreuder, commander of the military police, in charge of guarding the train

Transport Mode of transport Train Rolling stock Passenger car

Photo: Dutch representatives board the carriage following that of the emperor

Photograph Transport Black-and-white Town Snapshot

Photo: Two Marechaussees on horseback, together with a few soldiers, are waiting for the German Emperor Wilhelm II at Amerongen station

Forehead Portrait Self-portrait Physicist History

There was a reception committee, including Count Bentinck, the Queen's Commissioner, the mayors of Maarn and Doorn and Major-General Marcus Onnen, head of the internment service. In the rain the company went by car to Amerongen castle.

Standing Uniform Black-and-white Non-commissioned officer Military uniform

Wilhelm was accompanied by his adjutant Sigurd von Ilsemann, who went into exile with him.

Photograph Hairstyle Jewellery Portrait Pearl
Photography Stock photography

Kaiserin Auguste Victoria von Schleswig-Holstein Sonderburg Augustenburg
followed Wilhelm into exile immediately.
 
#161 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 90


He was not yet granted political asylum and therefore “temporarily” housed in Amerongen Castle, where he was to remain for a year and a half.


A few weeks after his arrival, on 28 November 1918, he signed his abdication.
 
#162 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 91


When it became clear that, despite the Versailles Treaty, he was not going to be extradited and was allowed to stay in the Netherlands, he looked for a permanent home and in 1919 bought House Doorn


from Baroness Ella van Heemstra de Beaufort, later the mother of Audrey Kathleen Ruston, better known as Audrey Hepburn. He renovated the house and furnished it with goods and art objects from his former castles in Germany. The Hohenzollern Emperor had lost almost all his castles in Germany, but Wilhelm II managed to have the most important family property moved to Doorn, in 59 freight wagons, as it is said. These include magnificent furniture, paintings and silver - which came from the Berlin and Potsdam palaces.
 
#163 ·

11 April 1921 ex-Empress Auguste Victoria died in House Doorn and, following the wish of his dead wife, Wilhelm married again,


the widowed Princess Hermine von Schönaich-Carolath.



Photo: Kaiser Wilhelm II in exile in House Doorn, 1930s, with his second spouse, Herminie, his daughter in law, Countess Ina Marie von Bassewitz (Princess Oskar of Prussia, Countess of Ruppin, wife of Prince Oskar of Prussia) and grandkids Herzeleid and Oskar.


He, his family and entourage was allowed to stay in the Netherlands under strict conditions. So he was only allowed to move in a radius of 15 kilometers around Haus Doorn, should refrain from making political statements and his mail was checked. He was also under permanent police surveillance.


Marius Cornelis van Houten was the commander of the military police in Doorn, which had been tasked with guarding the German ex-emperor.


On 4 June 1941 Wilhelm died in Doorn and was buried there.
 
#165 ·
No, car99, in Germany nobody thinks of the emperor anymore. If there were no history lessons, he would be forgotten by the population in general .
In 1999, however, the president of the church office of the Evangelical Church of the Union and chairman of the cathedral board of directors, Wilhelm Hüffmeyer, spoke in favor of relocating the remains of the last German emperor to the Hohenzollern crypt in the Berlin Cathedral.
Wilhelm II himself had decreed, though, that the "relocation of his bones to German soil" could only be carried out after the reestablishment of the monarchy in Germany.
 
#168 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 93

Not only Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany had to go into exile after WW1. This was also the fate of Kaiser Karl I of Austria.


The reign of the Habsburg family in Austria had been founded by Rudolf I, Count of Habsburg from about 1240 and King of Germany from 1273 until his death, and began formally in 1278 with the death of his rival, the Bohemian King Ottokar II. Přemysl (defeated in the 1278 Battle on the Marchfeld). It ended on 12 November 1918.


On 12 November 1918, the Republic of German-Austria was proclaimed in front of the parliament in Vienna. After the end of WW1, the Provisional National Assembly (parliament of the founding period, its deputies had been elected to the House of Representatives in 1911 already) decided that in Austria the monarchy had to be ended and a democratic republic founded. In imperial times only men had been allowed to vote. In contrast, universal, equal, free, secret, direct and personal suffrage was introduced in the new democratic republic. Every Austrian citizen, women and men, was allowed to vote.


On 11 November 1918 Emperor Karl I followed the urging of the minister of the so-called ministry of liquidation, Heinrich Lammasch,


and the designated new state chancellor Karl Renner and other politicians of the "German-Austrian National Assembly"


and declared his resignation from all state affairs in the Austrian half of the monarchy.
 
#169 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 94


Karl I signed the declaration in Schönbrunn Palace and thus opened the way for the Republic of Austria. In fact, this was the definitive end of the Habsburg rule in Austria. On 11 November 1918 already,


Karl, his wife Zita (Zita of Bourbon-Parma, full name Zita Maria delle Grazie Adelgonda Micaela Raffaela Gabriella Giuseppina Antonia Luisa Agnese) his son Otto and the rest of the family had left Schönbrunn Palace through a side entrance in the dark and had gone to Eckartsau.


In contrast to the official Imperial Palace of Schönbrunn, the Habsburgs considered Eckartsau Palace in Marchfeld to be their very own family property.


With a similar procedure as in Austria, Duke Nikolaus IV. Esterházy de Galantha and Count Bálint Emil Richard Peter Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék forced Karl at the Eckartsau Palace on 13 November 1918 to declare that he would no longer exercise state affairs in the Kingdom of Hungary.

For both countries there was no formal renunciation of the throne. Rather, Karl I considered himself to be the legitimate ruler of the entire Habsburg Empire until his death on 1 April 1922, but at least in Austria, Karl did not try to regain control.

In his exile in Lower Austria, Karl was far enough from the political center and not able to mobilize many followers. Nevertheless, State Chancellor Renner in Vienna, who clearly saw Karl's revisionist considerations, was alarmed, as Karl "tirelessly sent letters across Europe in which he bluntly agitates against the policies of the Social Democrats". A political solution had to be found. As the abdicated German Kaiser Wilhelm had previously been deported abroad, this should now also be done with Karl of Habsburg-Lorraine.

In the meantime it was no longer only the Social Democrats, but also the Christian Socialists who wanted to send the former emperor out of the country. After the Government Renner II was deployed as a coalition of the two parties on 15 March 1919, the following three options were agreed and presented to him:

1. If the he would waive all his rights, he could remain in Austria with his family as a simple citizen.
2. If he would refuse to abdicate, he had to go into exile.
3. If he would reject both options, he had to expect to be interned.
 
#170 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 95

The British King George V feared for the life of the imperial family, the fate of the murder of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family should not be repeated.


Zita's brothers


Prince Sixtus Ferdinand Maria Ignazio Alfred Robert von Bourbon-Parma


and Prince Franz Xaver Karl Maria Anna Ludwig de Bourbon-Parma y Braganza


urged the king that the British LtCol. Edward Lisle Strutt was transferred from Venice to Eckartsau. From 27 February 1919 LtCol. Strutt protected the Habsburg family, assigned officially as "Honorary Officer".

LtCol. Strutt, who was informed by the Austrian government about the advanced plans and the proposed three alternatives, was able to get Karl to leave and organized the journey. After long negotiations Switzerland agreed to accept the family. The only remaining condition of Karl to LtCol. Strutt was: "Promise me that I will leave as Emperor and not like a thief at night."
 
#171 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 96


On 24 March 1919 Karl, his wife Zita, their firstborn son Otto, since the death of Emperor Franz Joseph I on 21 November 1916 heir to the throne after his imperial father Karl, their other children Adelheid, Robert and Felix, and Karl´s mother, Archduchess Maria Josepha,


set out to the train station in Kopfstetten near Eckartsau Palace with reduced entourage only.


The Imperial Train was already waiting there to bring the Habsburgs into exile in Switzerland. The train was guarded by a small contingent of 24 British soldiers in Kopfstetten.


When leaving Austria, Karl immediately revoked his waiver in the "Feldkirch Manifest" of 24 March 1919. However, he did not communicate this to the Austrian public,


but only to Pope Benedikt XV and a few selected heads of state in Europe,


among them King Alfonso XIII of Spain.
 
#172 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 97


In exile in Switzerland, Karl and his family initially lived in Wartegg Castle near Rorschach at Lake Constance,


which was owned by Zita´s mother, the Duchess of Parma (Infanta Maria Antónia of Portugal, full name Maria Antónia Adelaide Camila Carolina Eulália Leopoldina Sofia Inês Francisca de Assis e de Paula Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Gonzaga Gregória Bernardina Benedita Andrea).
 
#173 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 98


A small exile royal court was formed around the couple, which consisted of the former bishopof the court Ernst Karl Jakob Seydl, the Flügeladjutant (aide-de-camp) Wladimir Graf Ledóchowski (see last photo of this post)


and Flügeladjutant Fregattenkapitän Emmerich Zeno Schonta von Seedank


and the secretary Freiherr Karl Martin Werkmann von Hohensalzburg. Zita was accompanied by her lady-in-waiting Gabrielle Countess Bellegarde (see below)


and the children’s governess Therese von Korff, called Schmising-Kerssenbrock.


Karl's mother Archduchess Maria Josefa also followed the imperial couple into exile.



Photo
: Emperor Karl I, Empress Zita and Crown Prince Otto visited the Kollegium St. Antonius in Appenzell on 12 May 1919. At that time they were temporarily in exile on the Rorschacherberg in Wartegg castle. Emperor Karl and Crown Prince Otto were admitted to the college's Marian sodality on the same day. The picture shows in the courtyard portal of the college (from left to right): Pastor Bonifaz Räss, Provincial P. Benno Durrer, Page Walter Kessler, Empress Zita, Emperor Karl I., Page Jakob Neff, Court Marshal Ledóchowski, Pastor Andreas Breitenmoser, Rector P Getulius Bopp. College students on the right and left.
 
#174 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 99


From 20 May 1919 Karl rented the Villa La Bergerie and the then 30-strong company moved to Prangins at Lake Geneva. Here the family lived until March 1921.



Photo: Group photo of the imperial family (Karl and Zita with the children Otto, Adelheid, Robert, Felix, Carl Ludwig and Rudolph) in exile in Switzerland at Villa La Bergerie in Prangins



Photo: Karl with the children Otto, Adelheid and Robert are fishing in the lake at Villa La Bergerie in Prangins
 
#175 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 100


Those days they had no shortage of funds. The reason was that on the night of 1 November 1918, a few days before the final collapse of Austria, Obersthofmeister Leopold Graf Berchtold entered the treasury of the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. On behalf of Zita and Karl he unlocked the showcases VII and XIII. All jewelry including the crown jewels, the pearl sets and two crowns disappeared in suitcases. The count drove away in the waiting automobile.


Also on board was the "Florentine", then one of the largest diamonds in the world with more than 137 carats. Austria claimed that what was taken from the treasury was state property, but in fact it was family jewelry of the Habsburgs, legally separated from state property in Maria Theresa's time already.


But to be on the safe side, Karl I. had promoted Hofrat Johannes Schober to police president a few days earlier with the order to make sure that it was transported away smoothly. Four days later, Leopold Graf Berchtold boarded the night train from Vienna to Zurich in Switzerland and, at the behest of the imperial couple,


brought the jewels to the Schweizerische Nationalbank, where, as securities worth 765,137 Swiss francs, they made loans possible.

Some of the Habsburgs in Prangins also had raised funds from the Lavish Family Welfare Fund just in time before it was frozen by the Austrian government, because the disappearance of the crown jewels had not gone unnoticed. Zita also sold her private jewelry to Cartier in Paris, for CHF 1.1 million. Finally Karl decided to sell the crown jewels also. They were broken out of their settings, thereby destroying the handicraft ensembles. The Geneva jeweler Alphonse Sondheimer had received the order. Even the legendary “Florentine”, the giant diamond, was used. Sondheimer probably divided it into three parts and newly faceted it. In any case, the «Florentine» never showed up again. One million Swiss francs resulted from the sale of the crown jewels, but this was far less than hoped for. Several stones had proven to be second-rate or even cheap semi-precious stones. Sondheimer speaks of "eerie quality" in his posthumous records with the malicious title "Vitrine XIII".

To fully tell this story, it must be noted that ex-Empress Zita always denied the use of the crown jewels and said that they were stolen from them.


In the meantime, busy activity began in the Villa La Bergerie. Bankers and diplomats came and went, and Zita was regularly visited by clergymen and visited them, for instance the famous Father Maurus Carnot in Disentis Abbey. Deposed ministers from Hungary arrived in Prangins and the restoration of Karl as King of Hungary was planned. The industrialist Andreas Freiherr von Veitschberger provided large sums of money to build up propaganda offices disguised as press agencies in Europe, the “Agence Centrale”. Encouraged vehemently by Zita and Hungarian royalists ("legitimists") Karl believed that at least the Hungarian people would spontaneously take his side when he appeared.
 
#177 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 101

24 March – 6 April 1921

On 24 March 1921 Karl secretly started the first attempt. It was a hazardous journey. First, Karl crossed the border on foot from the western Swiss town of Prangins to France, from where he took a train via Strasbourg to Vienna. As Karl did not possess a passport he entered Austria illegally under a false name and with a false passport. The sources differ; some say it was a forged Spanish or British passport, others with the passport of his Portuguese gardener Roderigo Sanques, who, after Karl had shorn of his moustache, looked very similar to him, or with two passports, a Spanish one under the name Sanchez and one of the American Red Cross under the name William Codo.

On 25 March Karl arrived at the Viennese residence of Count Tamás (Thomas) Erdődy (see photo below), a friend from his youth, his former secretary and adjutant, who had reliable knowledge of the true conditions prevailing in Hungary and tried to dissuade Karl from proceeding with his plans. However, the latter set off for Hungary by car the next day, accompanied by Erdödy.


On 26 March they arrived undetected at the episcopal palace of Bishop Count János Mikes, a prominent legitimist, in the western Hungarian city of Szombathely and took up quarters.


On 27 March he travelled alone to Budapest, where he tried to persuade Admiral Miklos von Horthy de Nagybánya, the administrator of the empire, who had been appointed by the Hungarian Parliament, to hand over the power to him (btw: as commander in chief of the k.u.k. Navy Admiral Horthy had sworn allegiance to Emperor Karl).
 
#178 · (Edited)
“The Enemy Within”, Part 102

This seemingly naive «restoration coup» failed miserably. Admiral Horthy refused to resign in Karl’s favor. He justified his refusal by pointing to the risk of war: the Small Entente states (an alliance formed in 1920 and 1921 by Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia with the purpose of common defense against Hungarian revanchism and the prospect of a Habsburg restoration) would regard the return of the Habsburg monarch to the Hungarian throne as a cause for war. Karl thus returned to Szombathely having achieved nothing. He remained there together with a small group of sympathizers. Following protests by France and the states of the Small Entente Admiral Horthy officially denied supporting Karl, who initially remained in west Hungary, isolated and seriously ill.

On 5 April 1921 he was expelled from the country. He left Szombathely by special train, and, with short stops in Körmend, Csákánydoroszló and Szentgotthárd, arrived at the last Hungarian railway station, Gyanafalva (now Jennersdorf). Bishop János Mikes from Szombathely accompanied him on his way. The king and his entourage had to wait here for several hours for permission from Vienna to enter Austria.


Photo: The last Hungarian king dressed in the uniform of a Hungarian Marshal, in the company of János Mikes, Bishop of Szombathely County


Photo: Karl is waiting with his own Hofzug (Imperial Train) at the Gyanafalva railway station, surrounded by the crowd celebrating him. Next to the king, the firefighting section of Gyanafalva was lined up to the left, and to the right, Count Tamás Erdődy, the king's childhood friend

The king was warmly received at the station, gypsies played music, firefighters marched, and the Hungarian cabbage stew and cottage cheese strudel was brought to the king from the Raffel inn, as he was not allowed to leave the station area.


Upon receipt of the entry permit to Austria a small crowd waved farewell to him and he was, accompanied by Entente officers, transported back in his train to Switzerland through Austria (his last visit to the country).

His transport escorts in Austria had been assembled in the morning: National Councilor Sever as a steward for the Social Democratic Party, member of the Landtag Müller as steward for the railway workers,


Police Commissioner Otto Steinhäusl
as political transport manager, Oberkommissär Hedrich, Konsul Strauß, and also Colonel Charles W. Selby, the representative of the English government, Colonel F. Hinaux, the representative of the French government, Lieutnant-Colonel Count Giovanni Franchini-Stappo, the representative of the Italian government; finally four English, two French, six Italian soldiers, six Austrian detective officers, six Austrian security officers, Lieutenant Colonel Schuh and Lieutenant Mederer appointed by Minister of Army Glanz, Major Mayer and Lieutenant Fuchs appointed by Parliamentary Commissioner Deutsch, and the following twelve militias: deputy officer Schneidler, guardsman Ruzicka , platoon leader Navratil, swarm leaders Mantlburger and Dorrer, and the militia men Rohrer, Grubek, Scheda, Gasparek, Neuwirth and Kapp.

Arriving in Switzerland at Buchs on the evening of 6 April 1921 he was received by two Swiss officers, Lieutenant Colonel Walter Kissling and Captain Trüb, in the name of Switzerland, the ex-Empress was waiting on the platform.


Together with her lady in waiting Agnes Schönborn (later married Boroviczény, see below), the adjutant Schonta and secretary Werkmann she had left Prangins at 03:00 by car to meet her husband. They were informed that they would not be able to go back to Prangins, as the government of Vaud refused to take them back. Instead they were taken to Lucerne, where the train arrived shortly before midnight,


and brought into the Grand Hotel National.


Oberstdivisionär Hans Pfyffer von Altishofen, also the manager of the hotel, as the messenger of the Federal Government, informed the verbatim ex-emperor that he was no longer wanted in Switzerland, and the ex-emperor burst into tears. England, France, Spain and Sweden were also unwilling to host the Habsburgs.
 
#179 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 103

At the request of the Hungarian government, Zita and Karl were temporarily allowed to stay in Switzerland, especially since the two had promised to leave by the end of August 1921.


They got lodgings in Hotel Hertenstein Castle at Lake Lucerne. A Hungarian detective was stationed there to monitor the couple. At the request of Pope Benedikt XV, the residence permit was extended by three months.



Photo: Karl and Zita Habsburg in makeshift exile at Hertenstein Castle on Lake Lucerne in 1921, after Karl's first attempt to regain power failed
 
#180 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 104

20 October – 6 November 1921

However, Karl continued to see himself as the rightful monarch, a position in which he was supported by his wife and the Vatican. Meanwhile Karl’s personal agents and Hungarian Legitimist officers called and prepared for armed action.


A personal secretary of the king, Aladár Boroviczény, made consecutive journeys during the summer to secure the support of all Royalist groups in Central Europe for Karl’s Restoration. His reports on talks with Hungarian politicians and Legitimist officers and with Czech, Croatian and Romanian circles only added to the king’s determination, albeit that his return was postponed to September.

Finally Karl started another, precipitate attempt to return to power in Hungary, as Admiral Horthy was successively neutralizing Karl’s supporters there. The second attempted putsch was far better organized: Karl was to be taken to Hungary by aeroplane, this time accompanied by his wife Zita. There he would meet up with loyal military units in Sopron and with their backing take the train to Budapest. A telegram was sent, announcing his arrival for 20 October 1921.

Departing from Hertenstein at 10:00 on 20 October, Karl and Zita, now 29 years old and pregnant with the eighth child, took the precaution of changing their car at Rapperswil before they arrived at the airport of Dübendorf outside Zürich.

The couple identified themselves to the Swiss airport authority as Mr. and Mrs. Kovno.


Shortly before noon Karl boarded a brand new Junkers F 13, registration CH 59,


of the Swiss airline Ad Astra Aero,


with the German pilot Wilhelm Zimmermann at the wheel and two Hungarian pilots


(the plane is now in the Budapest Transport Museum). They took off at 12:14 for Hungary. Some sources say that on 15 October secretary Boroviczény had bought the plane for 50,000 francs to avoid control and possible detention when crossing the borders, but this is wrong, as it is revealed by the report of the flight written by the Junkers pilot Zimmermann.
 
#181 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 105

Vehicle House Home
Vehicle Aircraft Airplane

Their landing in the afternoon at Dénesfa near the Austrian border caused a major uproar in the castle of József Béla László Barnabás Count Cziráky de Dénesfalva, where the landlord, also a legitimist, and his guests celebrated the baptism of a new-born baby. Nobody expected the King’s arrival - at least not at that particular date. Even those who knew about Karl’s return expected his arrival to take place on the 23rd or to have been postponed once again.

Photograph Portrait Chin Forehead Self-portrait

It quickly became clear that the loyal Infantry Regiment 48 under the command of Colonel Antal (Anton) Freiherr von Lehár,

Moustache Chin Forehead Facial hair Portrait

a brother of the composer Franz Lehár, was not yet ready for the march to conquer the Hungarian capital Budapest, as the telegram in cipher with the command to mobilize, sent four days before, apparently arrived just four hours earlier than the King.

History Building House Mansion Home

The imperial couple was then brought incognito to Kastelo de Rupprecht of Count Rupprecht in Sajtoskál to rest for the night.
 
#182 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 106

Photograph Monochrome Headgear Event History
Photograph Standing History Monochrome Family

Without wasting much time the next day he drove to Ödenburg (Sopron) southwest of Lake Neusiedl and appointed a new government, as he considered the old government appointed by Admiral Horthy to be simply illegitimate.

Chin Forehead Portrait History Jaw

István Rakovszky de Nagyrákó et Nagyselmecz
became prime minister, Colonel von Lehár became minister of defense

Portrait Black-and-white Monochrome Photography Moustache

and highly sceptical and disheartened but always loyal Count Gyula (Julius) Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka the Younger was given the foreign ministry.

Photograph Portrait Self-portrait Black-and-white Physicist

Minister of the Interior became Ödön Beniczky de Benice et Micsinye,

Portrait Physicist

Minister of Finance and Industry Gusztáv Gratz

Forehead Facial hair Moustache Elder Beard

and at last Minister of Education Count Albert György Gyula Mária Apponyi, Count of Nagyappony.
 
#183 ·
Portrait History Art

The battalions of Major Count Gyula Ostenburg-Moravek

Military officer Military rank Grandparent

and Colonel von Lehár, were sworn in on "Karl von Habsburg, Apostolic King of Hungary and King of the Czech Republic". The soldiers were told that a communist coup attempt was underway in Budapest and that Horthy would ask King Karl for help. The three trains with troops and the royal couple could only depart on 22 October at 04:00; they took nine hours to Györ (Raab)!

People Crowd History Troop
Standing Black-and-white Monochrome Headgear Uniform
Photograph Snapshot Monochrome Crowd Black-and-white
Social group Team Crew Class Uniform

At 13:00 in Györ there was a large reception with company of honor, defile, military music, Eljen calls, swearing in of the garrison that joined the king. Its commander, General Lörinczy, had informed Horthy of the majesty's arrival.
 
#184 ·
“The Enemy Within”, Part 108

Photograph Street Monochrome Table Crowd
Photograph History Black-and-white Workhouse Vintage clothing
History Vehicle

Numerous church services,

Transport Mode of transport Railway Train Vehicle
Transport Vehicle Railroad car Railroad engineer
Photograph Standing Snapshot Uniform Black-and-white
Military rank Troop Military officer Military uniform Uniform
Photograph Standing Uniform Headgear Team
People Crowd Rebellion Event History

many stops on several stations and small parades further delayed the march to Budapest considerably. The start of the journey to Budapest was thus postponed by 24 hours. This meant that the element of surprise was lost, and the enterprise could no longer be kept secret. In Sopron there were demonstrations of loyalty towards Karl. On the evening of 21 October the imperial couple set off for Budapest, accompanied by a hastily sworn-in ‘counter-government’ and 2,000 soldiers. At first the journey became a sort of triumphal procession; whole units from the army swore an oath of allegiance to Karl.


Photograph Standing Uniform Monochrome Photography

Alarmed by this news, Horthy began to take counter measures. The situation for Admiral Horthy waiting in Budapest became more and more critical. Despite orders to the Hungarian army, officers in many places openly refused to declare themselves to Horthy. Legitimists took over in Szombathely. Györ and Komárom's garrisons joined the side of the king when he and his retinue stopped at the train stations in the two cities. Even in Budapest, only two of twelve battalions seemed determined to stand up for Admiral Horthy.
 
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