House of Habsburg
From a mist-shrouded Swiss hilltop to the thrones of Europe, the House of Habsburg built an empire on marriage, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of power—only to watch it all unravel in the fires of war and revolution.
"Let others wage war; you, happy Austria, marry."
Quick Facts
- Years Active
- 1020–1918
- Founder
- Radbot, Count of Habsburg
- Region
- Europe
- Religion
- Catholic
Notable Rulers
Radbot, Count of Habsburg
Count of Habsburg
Reign: 1020 – 1045
FounderRadbot, Count of Habsburg, emerges from the haze of early medieval obscurity as a man whose restless ambition was matche...
Rudolf I of Germany
King of the Romans
Reign: 1273 – 1291
Rudolf I of Germany was not born to rule empires, but to claw his way up from obscurity. He was, at heart, a man haunted...
Maximilian I
Holy Roman Emperor
Reign: 1508 – 1519
Maximilian I was the great architect of Habsburg destiny—a man who understood, perhaps better than any ruler before or s...
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
Reign: 1519 – 1556
Charles V was a man ceaselessly pursued—by destiny, by duty, and by his own haunted conscience. Born into one of history...
Maria Theresa
Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia
Reign: 1740 – 1780
Maria Theresa was never meant to rule, and perhaps it was this original exclusion that forged her character into an allo...
Franz Joseph I
Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary
Reign: 1848 – 1916
Franz Joseph I was, in many ways, the last great actor in a fading imperial tragedy—a man who wore the crown as a hair s...
Documentary Chapters
Timeline
Founding of Habsburg Castle
Radbot, Count of Habsburg, constructs the family's ancestral fortress in present-day Switzerland, establishing the nucleus of the future dynasty.
Rudolf I Elected King of the Romans
Rudolf I becomes the first Habsburg to wear a royal crown, marking the family's rise to major European power.
Battle on the Marchfeld
Rudolf I defeats Ottokar II of Bohemia, securing Austria, Styria, and Carinthia for the Habsburgs.
Habsburgs Secure the Imperial Crown
Albert II is elected Holy Roman Emperor, beginning nearly four centuries of Habsburg dominance of the imperial throne.
Marriage of Maximilian I to Mary of Burgundy
Maximilian marries Mary of Burgundy, acquiring the wealthy Burgundian Netherlands and establishing the Habsburg marriage strategy that would build an empire.
Charles V Becomes Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V inherits an empire spanning Europe and the Americas, reaching the zenith of Habsburg power.
Division of the Empire
Charles V abdicates, splitting the Habsburg lands between the Spanish and Austrian branches.
Siege of Vienna
Habsburg forces repel the Ottoman siege, preserving the dynasty's hold on Central Europe.
Accession of Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa becomes the first female ruler of the Habsburg dominions, sparking the War of the Austrian Succession.
Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire
Under pressure from Napoleon, Francis II abdicates as Holy Roman Emperor, ending the centuries-old institution.
Austro-Hungarian Compromise
The empire is reorganized as the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary under Franz Joseph I.
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The murder of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo triggers World War I and seals the fate of the Habsburg dynasty.