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The Assassination of the Archduke

Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance That Changed the World
Dec 31, 2019Janice21383 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
An enjoyable and sympathetic story of the couple whose ill-advised trip to Sarajevo set off World War I, and the fate of their descendants. Too sympathetic in some ways -- The Assassination was written with the cooperation of their family, and is almost entirely told from their point of view. Aspects of their personality are softened, and the political background even more so. For example, according to the authors, rather than conspiring with the Kaiser to divide European territory, the Archduke "only" agreed that his son should rule Lorraine. Since regaining thie territory from Germany had been a priority of France's foreign policy for decades, this plan, in itself, was extremely provocative. That said, Franz Ferdinand and his Sophie deserve a three-dimensional portrait like this, rather than their usual depiction as Symbols of a Dying Era.