Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Three nations tell Habsburgs - stay away from the throne

July 13, 1935


Members of the Habsburg family were "warned today by a powerful combination of Austria's neighbor's to stay away from the non-existent throne of Austria." reports the Associated Press/

Roumania's Foreign Minister Nicholas Titulescu announced that if the Habsburgs were restored to the throne, Roumania, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, "now composing the little entente," would be forced "to mobilize their armies."   Parts of these three countries were once included in the former Austro-Hungarian empire.   Titulescu has conferred with Yugoslavia's regent Prince Paul.

"The little entente policies with respect to a Habsburg restoration have been settled on a positive basis, and mobilization would follow as a matter of course if the dynasty is re-established in Vienna,"  said Titulescu.

Two recent events have given "grave importance" to Titulescu's announcement.   Archduke Otto is said to be on his way from exile in Belgium to Austria, "which recently voted to return the sequestered properties of the Habsburgs to the royal family."    The second event is the automobile accident today near Linz, where Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg was "seriously injured."   He may retire as chancellor in favor of Prince Ernst von Starhemberg,  who is described as Austria's "most militant Fascist."  The prince has staid that he believes he should be "called to form a regency," in preparation of Otto's restoration to the throne.

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