Wilhelm Franz von Habsburg-Lothringen ( February 10, 1895 — August 18, 1948) — (Vasyl Vyshyvanyi) (Ukrainian: Василь Вишиваний) — Austrian archduke, colonel of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, poet.
Monarchical styles of
Archduke Wilhelm of Austria
Reference style His Imperial and Royal Highness
Spoken style Your Imperial and Royal Highness
Alternative style Sir
Archduke Wilhelm was the youngest son of Archduke Karl Stephan and Archduchess Maria Theresia. He was born in Pula (present day Croatia). Being a member of the Habsburg imperial house he worked closely with Ukrainian deputies to the parliament of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in an effort to gain more rights to the Ukrainian minority in the empire. During the First World War he commanded a detachment comprised of Ukrainians from Halychyna and commanded the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen regiment stationed in Southern Ukraine in 1918. Several attempts were undertaken to make him a sovereign of Ukraine transforming the country into monarchy — he, however, refused every time. In 1918 he was made a colonel of the army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and worked for the Ministry of Defence of the country. In protest to Petlura’s peace treaty with Poland in 1920 he resigned and lived in exile in Vienna. In 1921 he published a book of poetry in Ukrainian «Mynayut Dni» (Минають дні). After the Second World War he was arrested by Soviet intelligence. Wilhelm was accused of cooperation with the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and brought to Lukyanivska Prison in Kiev, where he died in August of 1948. His burial place was kept in secret by NKVD and is still unknown.