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There was a widely-spread but entirely wrongful idea in the Monarchy that the Archduke had drawn up a programme of his future activities.  This was not the case.  He had very definite and pronounced ideas for the reorganisation of the Monarchy, but the ideas never developed into a concrete plan—­they were more like the outline of a programme that never was completed in detail.  The Archduke was in touch with experts from the different departments; he expounded the fundamental views of his future programme to prominent military and political officials, receiving from them hints on how to materialise these views; but a really finished and thought-out programme was never actually produced.  The ground lines of his programme were, as already mentioned, the abolition of the dualism and the reorganisation of the Monarchy to form a federative state.  He was not clear himself into how many states the Habsburg Monarchy should be converted, but the principle was the rebuilding of the Monarchy on a national basis.  Having always in view that prosperity depended on the weakening of the Magyar influence, the Archduke was in favour of a strong preference for the different nationalities living in Hungary, the Roumanians in particular.  Not until my return to Bucharest and following on my reports did the Archduke conceive the plan of ceding Transylvania to Roumania and thus adding Greater Roumania to the Habsburg Empire.

His idea was to make of Austria separate German, Czech, Southern Slav and Polish states, which in some respects would be autonomous; in others, would be dependent on Vienna as the centre.  But, so far as I know, his programme was never quite clearly defined, and was subject to various modifications.

The Archduke had a great dislike for the Germans, especially the northern Bohemians, who were partisans of the Pan-Germanic tendencies, and he never forgave the attitude of the Deputy Schoenerer.  He had a decided preference for all Germans in the Alpine countries, and generally his views were very similar to those of the Christian Socialists.  His political ideal was Lueger.  When Lueger was lying ill the Archduke said to me:  “If God will only spare this man, no better Prime Minister could be found.”  Franz Ferdinand had a keen desire for a more centralised army.  He was a violent opponent of the endeavours of the Magyars whose aim was an independent Hungarian army, and the question of rank, word of command, and other incidental matters could never be settled as long as he lived, because he violently resisted all Hungarian advances.

The Archduke had a special fondness for the navy.  His frequent visits to Brioni brought him into close touch with our navy.  He was always anxious to transform the Austrian Navy into one worthy of a Great Power.  In regard to foreign policy, the Archduke was always in favour of a Triple Alliance of the three Emperors.  The chief motive of this idea must have been that, in the three then apparently so powerful