Ferenc József politikai játszmái a 20. század elején : Avagy miként politizált az államfő? = The Political Games of Francis Joseph in the Early 20th Century or How The Head o State Played Politics?

Kárbin, Ákos (2025) Ferenc József politikai játszmái a 20. század elején : Avagy miként politizált az államfő? = The Political Games of Francis Joseph in the Early 20th Century or How The Head o State Played Politics? LEVÉLTÁRI KÖZLEMÉNYEK, 95 (2024). pp. 9-30. ISSN 0024-1512

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Abstract

In this study, I have tried to present three selected cases from the parliamentary history of the Monarchy after the turn of the century, in which the intervention of Francis Joseph in everyday politics is very evident. At the same time, we can see that as the head of state has aged, he has adapted to everyday processes and adapted to them in an appropriate way. How much did the political routine of the head of state, born in August 1830 and enthroned in December 1848 – 51 years in Austrian terms, 33 years in Hungarian terms – serve him in the years after 1900? He was the first man of the state, who was, in a sense, the initiator and the terminator of certain processes. A very active head of state, who has intervened in constitutional and parliamentary relations. In addition to his room for manoeuvre, which depended on the monarch, the common foreign minister’s personal and political character, virtuosity, combinatorial ability and, above all, creativity were decisive factors for the foreign and security policy of the entire Monarchy. The Head of State was aware of this. Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal’s predecessors – Gustav von Kálnoky, as well as Agenor Gołuchowski – were essentially overthrown by the Hungarians, because of their interference in Hungarian internal affairs. The Hungarian Prime Minister, Dezső Bánffy was responsible for Kálnoky’s displacement, and, in case of Gołuchowski the delegations were. Given these backgrounds, it is not surprising that when Aehrenthal was appointed, Francis Joseph acted with caution, and Aehrenthal himself sought the support of the Hungarian government. The Hungarian connection provided by the marriage of Aehrenthal was demonstrably important to Francis Joseph. The ruler was actively political, not reluctant to make decisions and to stand by them consistently. The emperor took a serious step, when he appointed Ernest von Koerber as Austrian Prime Minister. After his downfall at the end of 1904, Paul von Gautsch, who had been more in favour, was again given the opportunity to form a government, and not for the last time. However, following an assassination attempt on the Austrian Prime Minister, Karl Stürgkh, Koerber became Prime Minister again, and he was appointed by Francis Joseph. In his decisions, the head of state has acted – in most cases – in accordance with the Constitution, or at least in agreement with the customary law. There are some among his decisions, which are, as head of state, questionable ones, for example the decision to leave István Tisza Hungarian Prime Minister in office, and the events after that, followed by a constitutional crisis, what clearly places responsibility on the king.

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