Leopold Berchtold
The Austro-Hungarian foreign minister whose aggressive ultimatum to Serbia in 1914 lit the fuse for the First World War.
1863–1942 (age 79)·Austro-Hungarian politician·Birthday: April 18·The Gilded Age
Biography
Born into immense wealth and privilege within the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy, Leopold Berchtold seemed destined for a life of diplomatic salon politics. He served as ambassador to Russia, cultivating a deep-seated fear of Slavic nationalism that would shape his fateful decisions. Appointed Imperial Foreign Minister in 1912, he presided over a fracturing empire desperate to assert its dominance in the Balkans. After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Berchtold became the chief architect of a deliberately harsh ultimatum to Serbia, designed to be rejected. His push for a swift, local war to punish Serbia, backed by German assurances, instead triggered a cascade of alliances that exploded into a global conflict. He resigned in 1915, living long enough to see the empire he sought to save completely dismantled.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Leopold was born in 1863, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Leopold Was Born
The biggest hits of 1863
Leopold's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1863Born
President: Abraham Lincoln
1868Started school
President: Andrew Johnson
1876Became a teenager
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1879Could drive
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1881Could vote
President: Chester A. Arthur
1884Turned 21
President: Chester A. Arthur
1893Turned 30
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Turned 40
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Turned 50
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Turned 60
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1933Turned 70
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1942Died at 79
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
Key Achievements
- Served as the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to the Russian Empire from 1906 to 1911.
- Appointed Imperial Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary in 1912.
- Was the principal author of the July Ultimatum to Serbia in 1914, a key immediate cause of World War I.
- Played a central role in securing the 'blank cheque' assurance of German support for war against Serbia.
Did You Know?
He owned a famous stud farm and was a leading expert on horse breeding.
His immense art collection, housed in his Buchlau castle, was one of the finest in Central Europe.
Despite his hawkish stance in 1914, he was considered a moderate earlier in his career and was personally opposed to annexing Bosnia in 1908.
“The monarchy's prestige demands a decisive response to this provocation.”
