The Assassination of the Archduke

Drawing on unpublished letters and rare sources, this is the true story behind the tragic romance and brutal assassination that ignited World War I. In the summer of 1914, three great empires dominated Europe: Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. Four years later all had vanished in the chaos of World War I. One event precipitated the conflict, and at its heart was a tragic love story. When Austrian heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand married for love against the wishes of the emperor, he and his wif