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The House of Habsburg, a royal German family, was the family dynasty that ruled the Austria-Hungarian Empire for centuries. The dynasty was one of the principal sovereign dynasties of Europe from the 15th to the 20th century. The Habsburgs ruled Austria from 1282 until 1918, and also controlled Hungary and Bohemia from 1526 to 1918. The zenith of Habsburg power came in the 16th century under Emperor Charles V.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the family dynasty | House of Habsburg, or Hapsburg |
| Origin of the name | Derived from the castle of Habsburg, or Habichtsburg ("Hawk's Castle"), built in 1020 by Werner, bishop of Strasbourg, and his brother |
| Rule in Austria | 1282 until 1918 |
| Rule in Hungary and Bohemia | 1526–1918 |
| Rule in Spain and the Spanish empire | 1504–06, 1516–1700 |
| First member to become German king | Rudolf I, in 1273 |
| First member to become Holy Roman emperor | Frederick III, in 1452 |
| Last member to become Holy Roman emperor | Charles VI, in 1711 |
| Motto | A.E.I.O.U. ("Austriae est imperare orbi universo," meaning "Austria is destined to rule the world," or "Alles Erdreich ist Österreich untertan," meaning "The whole world is subject to Austria") |
| First university founded in the Austrian half of the Empire | Charles University, founded by Emperor Charles IV in Prague in 1347 |
| Formation of Austria-Hungary | 1867, through the Austro-Hungarian Compromise or Ausgleich, which joined the Kingdom of Hungary and the Empire of Austria |
| Collapse of Austria-Hungary | 1918 |
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What You'll Learn
- The Babenbergs ruled Austria from 976 until the mid-13th century
- The House of Habsburg ruled from 1282 until 1918
- The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 joined the Kingdom of Hungary and the Empire of Austria
- The Austrian Empire was ruled by a state council after Emperor Francis I's death in 1835
- The zenith of Habsburg power came in the 16th century under the emperor Charles V
The Babenbergs ruled Austria from 976 until the mid-13th century
The Babenbergs, a Bavarian noble family, ruled Austria from 976 until the mid-13th century. The family descended from the Popponids and originated from Bamberg in the Duchy of Franconia (present-day Bavaria). The Babenberg family can be divided into two groups: the Elder or Franconian House of Babenberg, and the Younger or Austrian House of Babenberg, or simply the House of Babenberg. The latter are the descendants of Margrave Leopold I, who ruled Austria from 976 onwards. Leopold I was a loyal supporter of Emperor Otto I and his son and successor, Otto II. In 976, he became the count of the Bavarian Eastern March, a district on the eastern frontier of the duchy, which later grew into the Margraviate of Austria. Leopold extended the territory down the Danube River into what is today Lower Austria.
Leopold was succeeded in 994 by his son, Henry I, who continued his father's policies. Henry was followed in 1018 by his brother, Adalbert, whose loyalty to Emperor Henry II and his Salian successor, Henry III, was rewarded with various honours. The Babenbergs ruled the imperial Margraviate of Austria from its creation in 976 until its elevation to a duchy in 1156. They continued to rule until the extinction of their line in 1246, when they were succeeded by the House of Habsburg. By the time the last male Babenberg died in the mid-13th century, the dynasty had significantly expanded its dominion.
The House of Habsburg, a royal German family, was one of the principal sovereign dynasties of Europe from the 15th to the 20th century. The name 'Habsburg' is derived from the castle of Habsburg, or Habichtsburg ('Hawk's Castle'), built in 1020 by Werner, bishop of Strasbourg, and his brother. The agelong identification of the Habsburgs with Austria began in 1273, when Albert IV's son, Rudolf IV of Habsburg, was elected German king as Rudolf I. He bestowed Austria and Styria upon his two sons, Albert (the future German king Albert I) and Rudolf (Rudolf II of Austria). The family's custom was to vest the government of its hereditary domains in all male members of the family in common.
The Habsburgs constantly expanded their sphere of influence, acquiring the duchies of Styria, Carinthia, and Tyrol through contracts of succession, and adding Gorizia and Istria (with Trieste) to the areas under their control. In 1453, Frederick, the senior representative of the Inner Austrian line, ratified the Habsburgs' use of the unique title of 'archduke of Austria'. The motto 'A.E.I.O.U.', which he occasionally used, is generally interpreted as meaning 'Austriae est imperare orbi universo' ('Austria is destined to rule the world') or 'Alles Erdreich ist Österreich untertan' ('The whole world is subject to Austria').
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The House of Habsburg ruled from 1282 until 1918
The House of Habsburg, also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most prominent and important dynasties in European history. The family ruled Austria from 1282 until 1918, as well as controlling Hungary and Bohemia from 1526 to 1918, and the Spanish Empire for almost two centuries.
The name 'Habsburg' comes from the castle of the same name, or 'Habichtsburg' ('Hawk's Castle'), built in the 1020s in present-day Switzerland by Radbot of Klettgau, who named the fortress after himself. Radbot's grandson, Otto II, was the first to take the name 'Habsburg' as his own, adding 'Count of Habsburg' to his title.
In 1273, Count Radbot's descendant, Rudolph of Habsburg, was elected King of the Romans. Following his victory over Ottokar II of Bohemia at the Battle on the Marchfeld in 1278, Rudolph appointed his sons as Dukes of Austria and moved the family's power base to Vienna. From this point onwards, the Habsburg dynasty became known as the 'House of Austria'.
The throne of the Holy Roman Empire was continuously occupied by the Habsburgs from 1440 until their extinction in the male line in 1740. As the Habsburg-Lorraines, they ruled from 1765 until the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.
The zenith of Habsburg power came in the 16th century under the emperor Charles V. The Austrian Empire was formed in 1806 when Holy Roman Emperor Francis II created the title 'Emperor of Austria' for himself and his successors, becoming Francis I of Austria.
The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 created a real union between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Empire of Austria, with the two countries joining on an equal basis to form a dual monarchy. This lasted until the deposition of the Habsburgs in 1918 following their defeat in World War I.
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The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 joined the Kingdom of Hungary and the Empire of Austria
The Austro-Hungarian Empire was ruled by the House of Habsburg, one of the principal sovereign dynasties of Europe from the 15th to the 20th century. The family custom was to vest the government of its hereditary domains in all male members of the family in common.
The Austrian Empire was legally a single state, but the overarching structure and the status of its component lands remained largely the same. The old Habsburg possessions of Further Austria (in modern-day France, Germany, and Switzerland) had already been lost in the 1805 Peace of Pressburg.
Following the Austrian defeat in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 was adopted, joining the Kingdom of Hungary and the Empire of Austria to form Austria-Hungary. The official name of the state was adopted when the Ausgleich came into force as a constitutional law passed by the Hungarian parliament in March 1867.
The Austro-Hungarian Compromise established a dual monarchy, a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states with a common army and foreign policy. The two halves of the empire had their own constitutions, governments, and parliaments, and citizens were treated as foreigners in the other half. The agreement restored the Kingdom of Hungary's territorial integrity and its old historic constitution. Hungary received full internal autonomy and, in return, agreed that the empire should remain a single state for purposes of war and foreign affairs.
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The Austrian Empire was ruled by a state council after Emperor Francis I's death in 1835
The Austrian Empire was ruled by the House of Habsburg, a royal German family that was one of the principal sovereign dynasties of Europe from the 15th to the 20th century. The family's association with Austria began in 1273 when Albert IV's son Rudolf IV of Habsburg was elected German king as Rudolf I.
Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, also known as Francis I of Austria, foresaw the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire and created the title of Emperor of Austria for himself and his successors in 1804. Francis I died in 1835, and his heir, Ferdinand I, suffered from health issues and was not capable of ruling. As a result, the leadership of the Austrian Empire was transferred to a state council composed of Metternich, Francis I's brother Archduke Louis, and Count Franz Anton Kolowrat, who later became the first Minister-President of the Austrian Empire. Metternich, who had a large degree of influence over foreign policy under Emperor Francis I, saw his influence decline after the latter's death. The liberal Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire forced Metternich to resign, and he is remembered for maintaining the status quo and the Habsburg influence in international affairs.
The Austrian Empire, which was legally a single state, comprised all the lands of the Habsburg monarchy, which had previously been separate realms in a composite monarchy under Francis I and his predecessors. The family custom of the Habsburgs was to vest the government of its hereditary domains in all male members of the family in common. The Austrian Empire was one of the great powers of the 19th century, and its influence extended to international affairs, with Metternich becoming the virtual ruler of the empire until 1848.
The Austrian Empire was reconstituted as the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary in 1867, and Franz Joseph I, or Francis Joseph I, became Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death in 1916.
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The zenith of Habsburg power came in the 16th century under the emperor Charles V
The Habsburgs, a royal German family, were one of the principal sovereign dynasties of Europe from the 15th to the 20th century. The zenith of their power came in the 16th century under the emperor Charles V, who was one of the most powerful European rulers of all time.
Charles V's empire extended over several continents, and contemporaries referred to his dominions as the empire "on which the sun never set". The basis of his power was Spain, and he was the first to unite in his person the crowns of Castile, Navarra, and Aragón, becoming the first king of a unified Spain. His dominions also included the kingdoms of Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia, together with the Netherlands as part of the Burgundian inheritance. Charles is also associated with the beginnings of the Spanish colonial empire in South and Central America, and the destruction and exploitation of ancient American civilisations and the enslavement of indigenous peoples reached their peak during his rule.
Charles V's empire was vast, and he also held territories in Europe, including American continental holdings and the West Indies, European territories like the Low Countries, Italian territories, Portugal, and parts of France, and the Philippines and other possessions in Southeast Asia. During his reign, Charles pursued campaigns in North Africa, leaving his brother, Ferdinand, to resist the expansion of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan territories. Charles saw himself as a defender of Christianity, but it was during his reign that the unity of the Roman Catholic Church finally collapsed due to his underestimating the power of the Reformation within the empire.
The period of Charles V's rule is known as the Spanish Golden Age of arts and literature, producing some of the world's most influential writers, painters, and intellectuals, including Teresa of Ávila, Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Miguel de Cervantes, Francisco de Quevedo, Diego Velázquez, El Greco, Domingo de Soto, Francisco Suárez, and Francisco de Vitoria.
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Frequently asked questions
The House of Habsburg, a royal German family, ruled the Austria-Hungarian Empire for centuries.
The Habsburgs ruled Austria from 1282 until 1918.
The Habsburgs also controlled Hungary, Bohemia, Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Burgundy, and the Spanish Empire.
The motto of the Habsburgs was A.E.I.O.U., generally interpreted as "Austriae est imperare orbi universo" ("Austria is destined to rule the world") or "Alles Erdreich ist Österreich untertan" ("The whole world is subject to Austria").
The official name of the state shaped by the Ausgleich was Austria-Hungary.
