THE HABSBURGSGray Kinnier

The One that started it all…was actually not a

HabsburgThe title of Holy Roman Emperor was created on Christmas Day in the year 800 when the Pope crowned Charles the Great as Emperor of the WestThe title of Holy Roman Emperor passed through Charles’ Carolingian descendants until Otto I rooted his power in the German StatesThis loose conglomerate of the German States would become what until its collapse in 1806 would be known as the Holy Roman Empire, this would be the means for the rise of Habsburg power.

The Founding of a Dynasty

Rudolf the first reigned from 1273 to 1291He was the first Habsburg to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the pope. Originally a Swiss-Germanic King he drew his power from the disputed province of Alsace near the French border.He was granted key Austrian territories by the pope, that would later form the center of the Habsburg domains, but those were passed to his sons.

An Imperial AffairFredrick III was an important Habsburg to rise to the position of Holy Roman Emperor in 1453.He was able to successfully cement his position as the Emperor through a financially advantageous marriage to Portugal.His election as the Holy Roman Emperor would begin a precedent that would hold of having a Habsburg on the Imperial throne until its inevitable fall.

Like Father like SonMaximilian I was the eldest son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III. He was granted the title of Duke of Austria in his mid-thirties.His marriages would cause several disputes in international politics (more on this later…)After ruling jointly with his father for 10 years he would be elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1493 unifying the territorial possessions of the family.

Neither Holy nor Roman nor an Empire

Pause for a moment to consider what this Holy Roman Empire wasSeven elector states would choose an emperor to “reign” over the provinces that would today be considered Germany. However these provinces were fairly disorganized and autonomous.The Habsburg however would draw their power from their position as Holy Roman Emperor for many years until the Peace at Westphalia would diminish that power, and they would begin to draw the majority of their clout from their position as the Duke of Austria.

A Marriage, An Empire that’s also not an Empire, and some very

Angry French PeopleBack to Max’s Marriage…Maximilian I married Mary of Burgundy, who had no brothers and was the heir to that throne. This established the precedent of Habsburg control in the low countries, which would royally tick off the French (get it…royally…haha…)When she died Maximilian would wed a Sforza bride extending his influence over Northern Italy as well

More Land = Happy Habsburg

The Habsburgs would continue to uses tools such as marriage to add more and more territory to their domainsIt was all consolidated when Charles V, the grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella, rose to the position of Holy Roman Emperor in the year 1519 and would reign until 1558His possessions included Spain, modern-day Germany, Belgium, Northern Italy, Austria, Naples, Milan, and all of Spain’s associated colonies in the new world

The Possessions of Charles V

Too Much for One ManCharles V served as a fork in the road for the Habsburg DynastyHis reign represented the climax of square miles under Habsburg control, with territory on 3 continents. However his reign was plagued by fierce opposition from the English and the French, but most of all, as a young emperor, the staunchly catholic Charles V had to deal with Martin Luther and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation

Too Much for One Man (cont.)

Despite many attempts to quash the protestant movement, it gained only more and more followers throughout Charles’ reign. His empire became unwieldy and as an old emperor in 1557 he abdicated the throne and split the empire. Spain, The Netherlands, Habsburg possessions on the Italian peninsula, and Spanish Territory in the New World went to his son Phillip IIThe position of Holy Roman Emperor, Habsburg possessions in Germany, Austria, and Hungary went to his brother Ferdinand II

Charles V

A Fork in the RoadWith his abdication, Charles recognized he was no longer fit to rule, yet his son was not yet ready to control a vast empire (nor would he ever be for that matter). His hope was that someday Phillip might reign over the territories his father had once commanded, however Ferdinand was unwilling to relinquish the Austrian throne or the Holy Roman Empire, passing them through his own son Maximilian. This forever split the family into the Spanish Habsburgs and the Austrian Habsburgs

The Age of Religious Wars

Charles’ successor’s would singlehandedly destroy what he had created, let us start with Ferdinand II.Ferdinand II was the Holy Roman Emperor through his position as King of Bohemia. Like all Habsburg’s he was a staunch catholic and he began to suppress the rights of protestants in Bohemia. This was the spark that would begin a thirty year conflict (1618-1648) waged by Austria, the states of the Holy Roman Empire, France, Spain, and Sweden, which would kill off 20% of the German population.

Thirty Years War in relation to the Austrian

HabsburgsThe wars conclusion at The Peace of Westphalia (signed by Ferdinand III, a Habsburg, in 1648) destroyed the Holy Roman Empire by making the independent states within it autonomous for all intents and purposes, allowing them the right to make treaties with foreign nations. It would also greatly weaken the prestige of the Austrian Habsburgs and as we said before it would end their power as Holy Roman Emperor.The Family’s power however did not die with the Empire, it simply moved.The Habsburgs would remain the Holy Roman Emperor until the fall of the Empire to Napoleon in 1806, but as this position became more and more hollow they drew on their Austrian territories as their political center.

Thirty Years War

Phillip IIPhillip II would become King of Spain in 1557 and would rule until 1598. In the early half of his reign he continued to expand in the new world, and with his ascendance to the throne of Portugal he controlled all of South America.Phillip’s empire however was expensive to maintain and more and more his empire was dependent upon silver flowing in from the New World.

The Spanish ArmadaAgain, like all Habsburg’s, Philip was a staunch Catholic. He viewed the spread of Catholicism as the overarching goal of his life. His anger at the Protestant English Queen, Elizabeth I, stemmed from their religious differences, their trade war, and her refusal of a marriage proposal after his wife Mary I (Elizabeth’s sister) died, and he lost his position as King Consort of England.With the execution of Mary Queen of Scots in 1588, a Catholic, Phillip had the grounds he needed to send a fleet to invade England.The mighty Spanish Armada was destroyed due to poor strategy and foul weather.

The Spanish Armada

The Fall of SpainWhile Habsburg control in Spain seemed at the time to be an undeniable power, Philip would essentially destroy it’s hegemony over the rest of Europe.He allowed Spain to be defeated by the English on the seas, and their trade from the new world began to collapse. Phillip, however, simply spent more. His various projects such as a massive castle for himself would bankrupt Spain three times.It was also Phillip who began the revolt in the Netherlands, through harsh anti protestant policies. The loss of the highly urbanized and wealthy Netherlands would not only be a blow to the Spanish Habsburgs, but it would be the first in a long line of nations to rebel and leave the Habsburg possessions.

And the Marriages Continue…

If anything can be said about the Habsburgs, it’s that they were great at weddings.Anne of Austria was made the bride of Louis XIII of France (1615), and even though they had a poor relationship, she was able to maintain her position as Queen of France and gave birth to Louis XIV.After the death of her husband Anne was made full regent for the young Louis XIV, and supported Cardinal Mazarin, leading to a victory during the wars of the Fronde. Habsburg blood now flowed in the veins of the French Monarchy.

Anne of Austria

Phillip IVPhillip IV of Castile was king of Spain, or technically the King of the Spain’s ( as he was also Phillip III of Aragon).It was under Phillip IV that the Netherlands revolt under William the Silent would finally succeed in 1648, and the Habsburgs would lose control of those territories.This helped to cement the inevitable fall of Spain on the European Stage.

Leopold ILeopold I would reign from 1658 to 1705, and would be the Holy Roman Emperor, but more importantly the Arch Duke of Austria. He was the first Austrian Habsburg to concentrate his power and efforts on expanding what would become the Austrian empire, instead of the Holy Roman Empire. His great successes would come against the Ottoman Turk’s as he and his son expanded Austrian territory greatly. He would also be the arch-rival of his cousin Louis IV, fighting him in many wars throughout the century.

Territorial Expansions

Charles II, The end of a Dynasty

The Spanish Habsburgs would die out with Charles IICharles II would reign over Spain from 1661 to 1700. He was regarded as an ineffectual leader with serious mental, physical, and emotional problems.His inability to produce a male heir left the throne of Spain open for Louis XIV to claim, which led to the War of Spanish Succession

The War of Spanish Succession

Charles II’s will left the throne of Spain to Louis XIV’s grandson, since Charles had never produced an heir.England and the Austrian Habsburgs declared war on France. Leading to a long war where England and Austria were the eventual victor.The peace at Utrecht was incredibly favorable to England, and it put a Bourbon on the throne of Spain however, no one person could rule Spain and France at the same time.This was the end of the Spanish Habsburgs, however Louis XIV’s mother was Anne of Austria meaning Habsburg blood was still on the Spanish throne.

Joseph IJoseph I was Leopold I’s son, ascending to the throne in 1705, and his reign was short but prosperous.He was the emperor of Austria when his armies defeated Louis XIV and this brought general prosperity to Austria.However his reign was only six years long as he died of Smallpox in Vienna in 1711.

Charles VICharles VI reigned over an incredibly large Empire spanning the majority of Central and Eastern Europe.He reigned from the death of his father in 1711 until 1740.At the time of his death he had no male heir, and he passed the Pragmatic Sanction, allowing the throne to pass to his eldest daughter Maria Theresa.However, the newly forming Brandenburg-Prussia ignored this and began the war of Austrian Succession that would plague the beginning of the reign of Maria Theresa.

Maria Theresa

Maria TheresaDespite the Pragmatic Sanction, Prussia used a female ascension to the Austrian throne as an excuse to begin the war of Austrian Succession.Frederick II of Prussia, in 1740, invaded and took over Silesia, a northern-coal rich province of the Austrian Empire.After a long war Maria Theresa was allowed to remain Arch Duchess of Austria, but she could not become Holy Roman Empress, and Prussia would retain Silesia.Her husband however, Francis Duke of Lorraine, who she had married out of love, was made Holy Roman Emperor, making her the Holy Roman Empress for all intents and purposes.

Maria TheresaMaria Theresa and Francis would have 16 children, 5 sons and 11 daughtersShe would marry them to important families across EuropeAmong these children were Joseph II and Marie AntoinetteJoseph II ruled jointly with his mother until she died in 1780, at which point he became the Emperor.

Joseph IIJoseph II would rule jointly with his mother after the death of his father, and in 1780 he became the Arch-Duke of Austria in addition to his position as Holy Roman Emperor. He, along with Catherine the Great of Russia and Frederick II of Prussia, is considered one of the three enlightened Absolute MonarchsHe reformed the Austrian Empire and was a major proponent of Enlightened absolutismHe died childless in 1790, leaving the throne to his brother Leopold II

Joseph II

The Fall of the Behemoth

After the short reign of Leopold II, Francis II came to power in 1792.He was the last Holy Roman Emperor. In 1806, the Third Coalition suffered a crushing defeat at Austerlitz to Napoleon. Francis finally dissolved the ancient relic of feudal times and created the Austrian Empire. He was the only Emperor to ever officially reign over both Germany and Austria.He would also be the first President of the German Confederation, upon its creation in 1815.

Ferdinand IFerdinand I of Austria ruled from1835 to 1848. His father, Francis II, viewed him as incapable of leading and wrote in his will that he be heavily controlled and influenced by Metternich.This age of ultra conservatism thus receives its name “The Age of Metternich” He abdicated to his son in 1848, Franz-Josef, and with the failed revolutions of 1848, Metternich resigned.

Franz-Josef Emperor of Austria-Hungary

Franz-Josef Emperor of Austria-Hungary

Franz-Josef came to power with the abdication of his father in 1848 after the Hungarian Revolution

Franz-Josef would reign over the final demise of the Austrian Empire.

First, he would ruin his relations with Russian by failing to support them in the Crimean War.

Second, he would lose all of his power over the Italian Peninsula as Cavour and Piedmont-Sardinia reunited the region.

He would have to bow to Magyar demands in 1867 and allow for the creation of Austria-Hungary, the dual monarchy. This made Hungary internally autonomous.

Perhaps most importantly he would lose several wars to the Prussians and in 1871 he would see Austria be upstaged by the new German Empire forged by Otto von Bismarck.

Finally and above all, he would take Austria into the First World War, dooming the nation.

However he would never see Austria’s eventual fate as he died in 1916.

Side note: MexicoMaximilian I was an Austrian Habsburg noble who was the only ever Emperor of the Second Mexican EmpireHe was not recognized and his reign ended in execution, however, he did institute some liberal reforms.This represents the only Habsburg colonization attempt, although it was French backed, near it’s eventual death.

The AssassinationArch Duke Franz Ferdinand became the heir to the Austrian throne through two untimely deathsHis politics were in direct conflict with Serbian nationalistsIn 1914, he and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo, triggering the complex system of alliances that would start the First World War.

The Assassination

Charles IAfter his 66 year reign Franz-Josef finally died at the height of the First World War in 1916. Charles I became his successor.After the defeat of Austria he was no longer Emperor, although he refused to abdicate and went into exile. He was considered the last Habsburg Emperor of Austria.He continued to attempt to restore the monarchy until his death in 1922.

A Dynasty in ExileThe Habsburgs continued to try to return to their throne throughout the 20th century. After the death of Charles, his wife Zita became the figurehead of the monarchist movement.The couple’s eldest son Otto continued to play a role in Austrian politics before and after the war. Before the second world war he served as an opposition figure to Hitler. After the war, however, to gain legitimacy, he no longer continued as a monarchist but as a politician in a postwar world.

The End of an EraOtto von Habsburg died in 2011, the final heir to the most influential family in European History.

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