The Habsburgs, also known as the House of Austria, were a German-Austrian royal family and one of the most influential dynasties in Europe from the 15th to the 20th century. They ruled over Austria from 1282 to 1918, when they were deposed following World War One. The family believed they were divinely ordained to rule, and their six centuries of dominance came to an end with the fall of the Habsburg Empire during World War One and the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria in 1918.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Is there a royal family in Austria? | Yes, the Habsburgs |
When did they rule? | 1282 to 1918 |
What did they rule? | Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Spain, and the Spanish empire |
Where did they rule? | Vienna |
Are they still in power? | No, the monarchy was abolished in 1918 |
What You'll Learn
The Habsburg family ruled Austria from 1282 to 1918
The House of Habsburg, also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most prominent royal families in European history. The family ruled the Habsburg Empire for six centuries from Vienna, believing they were divinely ordained to rule.
The history of the Habsburg monarchy can be traced back to the election of Rudolf I as King of Germany in 1273. In 1282, Rudolf I assigned the Duchy of Austria to his sons, thus establishing the "Austrian hereditary lands". From that moment, the Habsburg dynasty was also known as the House of Austria.
The family's custom was to vest the government of its hereditary domains not in individuals but in all male members of the family in common. Over time, the territories ruled by the Austrian monarchy changed, but the core always consisted of what are now the modern states of Austria and Slovenia, as well as territories in northeastern Italy and southwestern Germany.
The Habsburgs expanded their influence through arranged marriages and by gaining political privileges. They also profited from the extinction of other noble families. The family split several times into parallel branches, most consequentially in the 16th century into its Spanish and German-Austrian branches. Although they ruled distinct territories, the different branches maintained close relations and frequently intermarried.
The zenith of Habsburg power came in the 16th century under Emperor Charles V. The Habsburgs ruled Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Spain, and the Spanish Empire for almost two centuries. They also controlled several principalities in the Low Countries and Italy, numerous Prince-Bishoprics in the Holy Roman Empire, and, in the 19th century, became emperors of Austria-Hungary.
The monarchy began to fracture in the face of inevitable defeat during World War I and ultimately disbanded in late 1918 with the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria and the First Hungarian Republic. The last Habsburg ruler, Charles I of Austria (also known as Charles IV of Hungary), issued a proclamation in 1918 recognising Austria's right to determine the future of the state and renouncing any role in state affairs.
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The Habsburgs believed they were divinely ordained to rule
The House of Habsburg, also known as the House of Austria, was a German-Austrian royal family that ruled over Austria from 1282 to 1918. They believed they were divinely ordained to rule, and their dynasty was one of the most prominent and important in European history. This belief was not uncommon during the age of divine monarchs, where kings and emperors claimed that God had ordained them to rule with unquestioned authority.
The origins of the Habsburgs can be traced back to the castle of Habsburg, or Habichtsburg ("Hawk's Castle"), built in the 1020s in what is now Switzerland. The first to take the fortress name as his own was Radbot's grandson, Otto II, who added "Count of Habsburg" to his title. In 1273, Radbot's seventh-generation descendant, Rudolph of Habsburg, was elected King of the Romans. Rudolph took advantage of the extinction of the Babenbergs and appointed his sons as Dukes of Austria, thus establishing the "Austrian hereditary lands". From that moment, the Habsburg dynasty was also known as the House of Austria.
The Habsburgs expanded their influence through arranged marriages and by gaining political privileges. They frequently intermarried, even between distinct branches of the family, and added to their territories, often profiting from the extinction of other noble families. The family's custom was to vest the government of its hereditary domains not in individuals but in all male members of the family in common.
The Habsburgs produced numerous monarchs across Europe, including Holy Roman Emperors, Roman-German kings, rulers of Austria, Kings of Bohemia, Kings of Spain, Kings of Hungary and Croatia, and many others. The Habsburg monarchy was a union of crowns, with only partial shared laws and institutions outside of the Habsburg court itself. The territorial possessions of the monarchy were thus united only by a common monarch.
The Habsburgs sought to consolidate their power through frequent consanguineous marriages, which had a cumulatively deleterious effect on their gene pool. This led to several members of the family displaying specific facial deformities, including an enlarged lower jaw with an extended chin known as the "Habsburg jaw".
The belief that they were divinely ordained to rule continued until World War I, when the monarchy began to fracture in the face of inevitable defeat. Ultimately, the Habsburg monarchy was disbanded with the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria and the First Hungarian Republic in late 1918, bringing an end to the dynasty's six centuries of rule.
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The Habsburgs ruled over numerous territories outside of Austria
The Habsburgs, also known as the House of Austria, ruled over a vast collection of territories outside of Austria. The dynasty's history can be traced back to the election of Rudolf I as King of Germany in 1273 and his acquisition of the Duchy of Austria for the Habsburgs in 1282. Over time, the Habsburgs accumulated more lands and titles through strategic marriages, wars, inheritances, and political agreements. By the time of Charles V, who inherited the Habsburg Netherlands, Spain and its territories, and Habsburg Austria, the Habsburg possessions were so vast that he was constantly travelling throughout his dominions.
Outside of their core lands in Central and Eastern Europe, the Habsburgs ruled over numerous other territories at various points in their history. These included:
- The Austrian Netherlands (covering modern-day Belgium and Luxembourg) for most of the 18th century
- The Duchy of Milan (1706-1797)
- The Duchy of Mantua (1706-1797)
- The Kingdom of Naples (1707-1735)
- The Kingdom of Sardinia (1707-1720)
- The State of the Presidi (1707-1733)
- The Grand Principality of Transylvania (1699-1867)
- The Kingdom of Serbia (1718-1739)
- The Banat of Temeswar (1718-1778)
- The Banat of Craiova (1718-1739 de facto, 1716-1737)
- The Kingdom of Sicily (1720-1735)
- The Duchy of Parma and Piacenza (1735-1748)
- The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, in modern Poland and Ukraine (1772-1918)
- The Duchy of Bukovina (1774-1918)
- The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (1868-1918)
- The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (1765-1801, 1814-1859)
- The Duchy of Modena (ruled by the House of Austria-Este, 1814-1859)
- The Second Mexican Empire (1863-1867), headed by Maximilian I of Mexico, the brother of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria
In addition, the Habsburgs also held the title of Holy Roman Emperor between 1438 and 1740, and again from 1745 to 1806.
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The last Habsburg ruler was Charles I of Austria
The last ruler of the Habsburg monarchy, Charles I of Austria, also known as Karl Franz Josef Ludwig Hubert Georg Otto Maria, was born on the 17th of August 1887. He was a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, which ruled the Habsburg Empire for six centuries from Vienna. Charles I became heir presumptive to the Habsburg throne upon the assassination of his uncle Franz Ferdinand in 1914.
Charles I ascended the throne on the 21st of November 1916, following the death of his great-uncle, Franz Joseph. He was the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy. As a peace-loving man, he attempted to take Austria-Hungary out of World War I through secret negotiations with the Allied powers. However, these attempts failed, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire began to disintegrate, with Czechoslovakia and the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs being proclaimed, and Hungary breaking monarchic ties with Austria.
On the 11th of November 1918, after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian armies on the Italian front, Charles I issued a proclamation recognizing Austria's right to determine the form of the state and relinquishing his participation in government affairs. He did not officially abdicate, but this is considered the end of the Habsburg dynasty. The following day, the independent Republic of German-Austria was proclaimed, and in April 1919, the National Assembly formally dethroned and banished the Habsburgs.
Charles I spent the rest of his life in exile, making two failed attempts to reclaim the Hungarian throne in 1921. He died in exile on the Portuguese island of Madeira on the 1st of April 1922, at the age of 34.
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The Habsburgs' lineage continued after their rule ended
The Habsburg lineage continued after their rule ended in 1918, with the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria and the First Hungarian Republic. The last Habsburg ruler, Charles I of Austria (also known as Charles IV of Hungary), issued a proclamation recognising Austria's right to determine its future and renounced any role in state affairs. The new Austrian government passed a law banishing the family from Austrian territory unless they renounced intentions of regaining the throne.
The lineage continued through the female line as the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. This new house was created by the marriage of Maria Theresa and Francis Stephan, Duke of Lorraine. Both were great-grandchildren of Habsburg emperor Ferdinand III, but from different empresses.
The current head of the family is Karl von Habsburg, and the surname of more recent members is "von Habsburg" or "von Habsburg-Lothringen".
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Habsburgs were a German-Austrian royal family that ruled over Austria from 1282 to 1918.
The Habsburgs, also known as the House of Habsburg, were one of the principal sovereign dynasties of Europe. They were known for their belief in divine right, patronage of the arts, and ability to gain power over numerous territories.
Notable members of the Habsburg family include Charles V of Spain, the nephew of Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon; Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France before the revolution; Ferdinand II of Spain, who financed Christopher Columbus' journey to the Americas; and Maximilian I of Mexico, the only Emperor of the Second Mexican Empire.
The Habsburgs were deposed in November 1918 after World War One. The last Habsburg ruler, Charles I, issued a proclamation recognizing Austria's right to determine its future without him and went into exile in Switzerland.
Yes, there are still Habsburg descendants living and working in Europe today. One of them is Karl von Habsburg, a resident of Austria and a claimant to the defunct throne.