To my peoples was made plural. After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, diplomatic relations between Austria-Hungary and Serbia became strained. After weeks of discussions, government and army leaders of the Empire decided to risk war with Serbia, hoping for a short and victorious campaign. Emperor Franz Joseph signed the declaration of war in his Imperial Villa in Bad Ischl on July 28. The document was distributed all over the empire and was widely published on the morning of the next day. At this time, several
Archduke Albrecht Franz, Duke of Teschen Archduke Albrecht Franz, Duke of Teschen Albert Franz Josef Karl Friedrich Georg Hubert Maria, Archduke of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, Duke of Teschen (In German: "Erzherzog Albrecht Franz Josef Karl Friedrich Georg Hubert Maria von Österreich, Herzog von Teschen") – (24 July 1897 – 23 July 1955) was a member of the House of Habsburg and titular pretender to the Duchy of Teschen. Archduke Albrecht Franz was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, only son of Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen (1856–1936, son of Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria and Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria) and his wife, Princess