Franz Joseph became the Austrian Emperor in 1848, when the revolutionary events forced to abdicate the throne of his father and uncle.The board of the monarch - an epoch in the life of the peoples of Central Europe, were part of the multinational Austro-Hungarian Empire.Monarch ascetic in nature that combines good-natured with the love of army discipline, called himself "a senior official of the empire."From his youth, he fully devoted himself for a vast state.Franz Joseph was an erudite man spoke French, English, Italian, could converse in Polish, Hungarian and Czech.
monarch's personal life was a deeply unhappy man.Fall in love, 1 Franz Joseph married Elizabeth of Bavaria, daughter of King Maximilian I. Their marriage would be happy, but the interference of the power of Sofia - the mother of the emperor - gradually alienated spouses from each other.In-law took the children to his Sissy (the name of the young Empress in the home circle) and limited their meeting with her mother.This could not but affect the attitude of Elizabeth to her husband.Sissy never liked the palace etiquette, so they prefer to live away from the court.Elizabeth was the first beauty empire, her portraits in Austria and Hungary can still be found in the most unexpected places.Empress engaged in gymnastics, horseback riding, hunting, loved to travel, kept journals and wrote poetry.Franz Joseph gave his beloved wife of relative freedom, although he often lacked the presence of Elizabeth.Adversity imperial couple began in the early years, when they buried year-old daughter Sophia.In 1889, a new mountain came into the family - svёl own lives their son Rudolf.Elizabeth has since refused to dress in bright colors, and even more became unsociable.After 9 years, the Empress died.The heart of his beloved wife of Franz Joseph stopped beating, pierced with a file - a weapon the killer anarchist.
Chapter dual monarchy (Emperor of Austria-Hungary since 1867) conducted a successful internal policy by which Austria-Hungary in the second half of XIX - early XX centuries, has become one of the developed European countries.At the same time, foreign policy Emperor Franz Joseph sometimes commit fatal mistakes that led to very serious consequences.He refused to provide aid to Russia in the Crimean War, thereby lost his reliable ally, able to strengthen the position of Austria-Hungary in the international arena.The monarch has done a lot for his country, to a certain extent responsible for the collapse of the once-great power.Hard to imagine what would have been the fate of the empire, if not Franz Joseph in 1914 allowed themselves to be drawn into the conflict with Serbia, which led to the First World War.Emperor died in 1916, it was not able to see how the defunct power, he ruled 68 years.
In Vienna, Franz Joseph, this great personality, set only one monument.It is in the Burggarten garden, and is designed as a lonely figure absorbed in painful reflection man sad walking along the paths of the garden
