Treaty of Schönbrunn

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Not to be confused with the Franco-Prussian treaty of alliance signed at Schönbrunn on December 15, 1805..

The Treaty of Schönbrunn (French: Traité de Schönbrunn; German: Friede von Schönbrunn), sometimes known as the Treaty of Vienna, was signed between France and Austria at the Schönbrunn Palace of Vienna on 14 October 1809. This treaty ended the Fifth Coalition during the Napoleonic Wars. Austria had been defeated, and France imposed harsh peace terms.

Austria ceded Tyrol and Salzburg to Bavaria, parts of Poland to the Duchy of Warsaw, and Trieste and Dalmatia south of the Sava River to France (see Illyrian provinces).

Austria recognized Napoleon's previous conquests from other nations as well as recognizing Napoleon's brother Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain. Austria also paid to France a large indemnity and the Austrian army was reduced to 150,000 men (a promise not fulfilled).

[edit] Assassination attempt

During the negotations at Schönbrunn, Napoleon narrowly escaped an attempt on his life. On October 12, the emperor exited the palace with a large entourage to observe a military parade. An 18-year-old German patriot, Friedrich Staps, demanded an audience with Napoleon to present a petition, but was refused by the emperor's aide Jean Rapp. Shortly thereafter, Rapp observed Staps approaching Napoleon from a different direction, and had him arrested. Taken to the palace, Staps was found to carry a kitchen knife inside his coat, concealed inside the petition. Staps then admitted his plans to kill the emperor. Napoleon asked if Staps would thank him if he was pardoned, to which Staps replied: "I would kill you no less."

Napoleon left Vienna on October 16, and the next day, Staps was shot outside the palace. At this execution, he is said to have shouted "Long live freedom! Long live Germany!" [1][2]

Staps soon came to be seen as a martyr of the burgeoning German nationalism. He was the subject of a poem by Christian Friedrich Hebbel and a play by Walter von Molo.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Stammbaum der Familien Wislicenus: Friedrich Staps
  2. ^ L'attentat de Staps
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