Habsburg dynasty known since the XIII century, when it was owned by the representatives of Austria.On the middle of the XV century to the beginning of the XIX they all held the title of Holy Roman Emperors, being the most powerful monarchs of the continent.
history Habsburg
Founder kind of lived in the X century.About it today, it did not survive almost no information.It is known that his descendant, Count Rudolph, purchased land in Austria in the middle of the XIII century.Actually, they are the cradle and began southern Swabia, where the early representatives of the dynasty had the ancestral castle.The name of the castle - Gabiskhtsburg (from German - "hawk castle"), and gave the name of the dynasty.In 1273, Rudolf was elected King of the Germans and the Holy Roman Emperor.He won from the Czech King Premysl Otakar Austria and Styria, and his sons Albrecht and Rudolf became the first Habsburg, who ruled Austria.In 1298, Albrecht inherited from his father the title of emperor and German king.And later on that throne was elected and his son.However, throughout XIV century the title of Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Germans was still elected between the German princes, and he always got to representatives of the dynasty.Only in 1438, when the emperor becomes Albrecht II, the Habsburgs finally arrogate to themselves the title.The exception was subsequently only one when kingship force made the Elector of Bavaria in the middle of the XVIII century.
Dynasty heyday
From this period, the Habsburgs is gaining more and more power to reach the brilliant heights.Their success was laid a successful policy of Emperor Maximilian I, who ruled in the late XV - beginning of XVI century.Actually, his main success was a successful marriage: own, which earned him the Netherlands, and his son Philip, so that the Habsburgs seized by Spain.About grandson Maximilian, Charles V, said that over his possessions the sun never sets - so widely spread its power.He belonged to Germany, the Netherlands, parts of Spain and Italy, as well as some possessions in the New World.Habsburg experienced the highest peak of its power.
However, during the life of the monarch's gigantic state was divided into parts.And after his death, and all fell apart, after which representatives of the dynasty shared their possessions with each other.Ferdinand I went to Austria and Germany, Philip II - Spain and Italy.In the future, the Habsburgs, the dynasty that is divided into two branches, no longer have one.In some periods of the relatives even openly opposed to each other.As such, during the Thirty war in Europe.The victory of the reformers it was hit hard by the power of the two branches.Thus, the Holy Roman Emperor never had the influence of the former, which was associated with the emergence of secular states in Europe.A Spanish Habsburgs and did lose his throne, behind his Bourbons.
In the middle of the XVIII century, the Austrian rulers of Joseph II and Leopold II for some time unable to re-raise the prestige and power of the dynasty.This second heyday, when the Habsburgs were again influential in Europe, lasted for about a century.However, after the revolution of 1848, the dynasty loses its monopoly on power, even in his own empire.Austria turns into a dual monarchy - Austria-Hungary.Further - is irreversible - process of disintegration was detained only because of the charisma and wisdom reign of Franz Joseph, who was the last real ruler of the state.Habsburg (photo Franz Joseph on the right) after the defeat in the First World War was in full force expelled from the country, and on the ruins of the empire in 1919, there were a number of national independent states.
