with the beginning of the first world war, the olazábal family, regarded as close to the austrian circles and known for its "germanophilia", found itself pressured by french public opinion. in fact, tirso de olazábal had kept during his years of exile close relations with the emperor franz joseph, with the count of caserta, with the dukes in bavaria and other personalities with political or family connections to the imperial circles. olazábal was also a close friend of robert of parma - with whom he kept a regular correspondence over 30 years (particularly on hunting issues) - whose daughter, zita, married in 1911 the archduke charles and became, in 1916, empress consort of austria. some of his children, particularly josé joaquín, were close friends of the bourbon-parma family being regular guests at the château de chambord and at wartegg castle in rorschach.