Page - 610 - in THE FIRST WORLD WAR - and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918

610 The Death of the Old Emperor energy being concentrated on remedying the untenable domestic conditions that have been illuminated like lightning by today’s sad act’. And when a weary Interior Minister Handel pointed out resignedly that Austria had no means of persuading Hungary to give more, Herr von Tschirschky brought the Joint Supreme War Command into the conversation as though this were a natural response. If nothing else worked, then order should be instated in this way, ‘otherwise, today’s assassination of the Prime Minister will only be the beginning of a chain of grave events that will destroy the state and the dynasty, and must surely threaten our common victory over our enemies’. A strong arm was needed. In the diary of Conrad’s aide-de-camp, Kundmann, there is no entry for 21 October 1916. On the following day, the Chief of the General Staff wrote to the Chief of the Military Chancellery of Emperor Franz Joseph, General Baron von Bolfras.1405 In the letter, Conrad only focussed briefly on the shocking event : ‘However, quite apart from the horrific nature of the crime, the murderer has done severe damage to the Monarchy, since all foreign countries will now conclude that our domestic situation is in a sorry state, and they will also cite the regrettable incidents in Graz. It is precisely now all the more urgent that we ensure that the deficiencies that became too severe during the Stürgkh era are remedied immediately, and that above all, the distribution of food is regulated.’ Conrad wanted an energetic, prudent, impartial man, with no obligations to any particular side, and with a sensible outlook and organisational talent. ‘Say what you will  – such people are best found in a soldier’s uniform. In my opinion, therefore, the prime minister should be found from this source. On short reflection, Georgi, Schön- burg, Alfred Krauß and Bardolff would be potential candidates.’ After having acknowl- edged each one, he advocated Krauss, a comment that is surprising, since Conrad and Krauss had repeatedly been sharply at odds when it came to military and leadership issues. And so, just hours after the murder in fact, there was a return to daily business. Pressure was applied from the German side in particular, and a man with ‘energy and authority’ was requested.1406 This was above all due to the fact that the German author- ities had increasingly regarded the food question as the main problem in the Mon- archy, with everything else almost secondary to this. For their part, the opinions and discussions about the individual who was to become the new Austrian Prime Minister, who initially could only be identified on the basis of certain wishes, make it clear that Stürgkh was not mourned for long, and that instead, attention was focussed on the far more important question of his succession. His death also instigated a change that could be regarded as one of the last chances for the Monarchy. It is frequently the case that the sudden loss of individuals has a greater effect than simply swapping names. The case of the Imperial-Royal Prime Minister in particular had a great impact on the ruling elite.