Established by Charlemagne in the 790s, the Ostmark (Eastern March) was destroyed by the Magyars in 907. Otto I reconquered the area in 955 and Otto II recreated the Ostmark in 976 as a buffer against Hungary. The founder of the Babenberg family, Leopold I, was a son or grandson of the Bavarian duke Arnulf. In the 12th century, the margraves of the Ostmark became increasingly important due to their family ties to the Hohenstaufen. Leopold IV and Heinrich II were both made dukes of troublesome Bavaria by their half-brother Konrad III of Germany. When Bavaria was returned to the Welfs, Heinrich II was compensated with the title of Duke of Austria in 1156. Leopold V added Styria to the holdings of the Austrian dukes in 1192. With the death of Friedrich II in battle, the male line of the Babenbergs died out and a number of in-laws claimed Austria and Styria, as did the German king. In this last capacity, Rudolf I of Habsburg drove out Ottokar of Bohemia and made Austria and Styria a domain of his own family in 1276, abdicating in favor of his sons in 1282. Rudolf I’s son Albrecht I eventually obtained his father’s royal crown in 1298 and imposed his son Rudolf III on Bohemia. But neither arrangement lasted. The Habsburgs, who had been picked as kings precisely because they were not powerful, now seemed too dangerous to be given the throne. Albrecht I’s son Friedrich I became anti-king in opposition to Ludwig V, but was captured and eventually co-opted as co-ruler, dying in 1330. The next Habsburg king would appear more than a century later. Albrecht II added Carinthia to the family holdings in 1335, and his son Rudolf IV added Tyrol in 1363. Rudolf IV’s surviving brothers Albrecht III and Leopold III divided the family lands between them, the former keeping Austria, and the latter Carinthia, Styria, and Tyrol. This division continued under their descendants, although the members of both lines continued to style themselves Duke of Austria. Albrecht V of Austria married Elisabeth daughter of Emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg, and, largely through this connection, became king of Bohemia, Hungary, and Germany shortly before his death in 1439. His posthumous son Ladislaus could not hope to retain Germany, and had enough problems asserting himself in Bohemia and Hungary. However, a descendant of Leopold III was elected German king as Friedrich III in 1440 (crowned emperor 1452), and with him began the continuous Habsburg ascendancy. First regent and then heir of young Ladislaus, a brother, and another cousin, Friedrich III reunited the Habsburg domains under his own rule, having taken the title of Archduke in 1453. At the same time, Friedrich III married his son Maximilian I to Marie, the heiress of Burgundy and the Netherlands, establishing a sizable Habsburg enclave on the opposite side of the empire. Maximilian I married his son Philipp to the heiress of Castile and Aragón, making him, as Felipe I, king of Castile. Eventually, Felipe’s son and Maximilian’s grandson Karl I (Karl V as emperor, Carlos I as king of Spain) found himself emperor and master of the Netherlands, Naples, Sicily and Spain, not to mention the transatlantic possessions of the Spanish crown. Karl I soon resigned his Austrian lands to his younger brother Ferdinand I, who became by marriage the king of Bohemia and Hungary in 1526. In 1531 Ferdinand I was crowned German king, and in 1558 he succeeded his older brother as emperor. Ferdinand I’s branch of the Habsburgs continued to rule Germany until 1806 and Austria, Bohemia, Hungary and their crown lands until the end of the First World War. In 1804, Archduke Franz II added Emperor of Austria to his title of Holy Roman Emperor, and in 1806 abandoned the latter title entirely, becoming Franz I as Emperor of Austria.
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Babenberg Margraves of Ostmark, Dukes of Austria from 1156
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976–994 |
Leopold I the Illustrious |
Son of Arnulf duke of Bavaria; Margrave of the Bavarian Ostmark |
994–1018 |
Heinrich I the Rebel |
Son of Leopold I |
1018–1053 |
Adalbert the Victorious |
Son of Leopold I |
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Leopold the Strong |
Son of Adalbert; co-ruler till 1043; killed in battle
against Hungary |
1053–1075 |
Ernst the Brave |
Son of Adalbert; killed against Saxony |
1075–1095 |
Leopold II the Handsome |
Son of Ernst (or died 1102) |
1095–1136 |
Leopold III the Saint |
Son of Leopold II (or succeeded 1102) |
1136–1141 |
Leopold IV the Generous |
Son of Leopold III |
1141–1177 |
Heinrich II Jasomirgott |
Son of Leopold III; (Duke of Austria 1156) |
1177–1195 |
Leopold V the Able |
Son of Heinrich II |
1195–1199 |
Friedrich I the Catholic |
Son of Leopold V |
1199–1230 |
Leopold VI the Glorious |
Son of Leopold V |
1230–1246 |
Friedrich II the Warlike |
Son of Leopold VI; killed in battle against Hungary |
1246–1247 |
LADISLAUS of Moravia |
Son of Václav II of Bohemia; married Gertrud daughter
of Heinrich son of Leopold VI |
1248–1250 |
HERMANN of Bade |
Son of Hermann IV of Bade; married Gertrud of Austria
widow of Ladislaus |
1250–1251 |
Friedrich III |
Son of Hermann; deposed, executed after battle at
Tagliacozzo 1268 |
1251–1276 |
Ottokar of Bohemia |
Brother of Ladislaus; married Margarete, daughter of
Leopold VI; deposed, killed 1278 |
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Habsburg Dukes of Austria, Archdukes of Austria from 1453
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1276–1282 |
Rudolf I of Habsburg |
Son of Albrecht IV of Habsburg; abdicated, died 1291 |
1282–1298 |
Albrecht I |
Son of Rudolf I; abdicated, murdered 1308 by Johann son
of Rudolf II |
1282–1283 |
Rudolf II |
Son of Rudolf I; abdicated, died 1290 |
1298–1307 |
Rudolf III |
Son of Albrecht I |
1307–1330 |
Friedrich I the Handsome |
Son of Albrecht I |
1307–1326 |
Leopold I the Glorious |
Son of Albrecht I |
1307–1358 |
Albrecht II the Wise |
Son of Albrecht I |
1307–1327 |
Heinrich the Friendly |
Son of Albrecht I |
1307–1339 |
Otto the Beloved |
Son of Albrecht I |
1339–1344 |
Friedrich II |
Son of Otto |
1339–1344 |
Leopold II |
Son of Otto |
1358–1365 |
Rudolf IV the Founder |
Son of Albrecht II; (supposedly Archduke 1356–1365) |
1358–1362 |
Friedrich III |
Son of Albrecht II |
1358–1395 |
Albrecht III with the Braid |
Son of Albrecht II; in Austria |
1358–1386 |
Leopold III the Able |
Son of Albrecht II; in Styria, Carinthia, and Tyrol; killed in battle against the Swiss |
1386–1406 |
Wilhelm the Ambitious |
Son of Leopold III; in Styria |
1386–1411 |
Leopold IV the Fat |
Son of Leopold III; in Tyrol and Carinthia |
1386–1424 |
Ernst I the Iron |
Son of Leopold III; in Styria and Carinthia |
1386–1439 |
Friedrich IV the Rich |
Son of Leopold III; in Tyrol |
1395–1404 |
Albrecht IV |
Son of Albrecht III; in Austria |
1404–1439 |
Albrecht V |
Son of Albrecht IV; in Austria (Archduke 1453) |
1424–1493 |
Friedrich V the Peaceful |
Son of Ernst; in Styria and Carinthia; Austria 1457 and
Tyrol 1490 (Archduke 1453) |
1424–1463 |
Albrecht VI the Spendthrift |
Son of Ernst; in Styria and Carinthia (Archduke 1453) |
1439–1490 |
Siegmund |
Son of Friedrich IV; in Tyrol; (Archduke 1453) abdicated,
died 1496 |
1440–1457 |
Ladislaus the Posthumous |
Posthumous son of Albrecht V; in Austria |
1493–1519 |
Maximilian I the Last Knight |
Son of Friedrich V |
1519–1522 |
Karl I |
Son of Felipe I of Castile son of Maximilian I;
abdicated, died 1558 |
1522–1564 |
Ferdinand I |
Brother of Karl I |
1564–1576 |
Maximilian II |
Son of Ferdinand I; in Austria |
1564–1595 |
Ferdinand II |
Son of Ferdinand I; in Tyrol |
1564–1590 |
Karl II |
Son of Ferdinand I; in Styria and Carinthia |
1576–1612 |
Rudolf V |
Son of Maximilian II; in Austria (abdicated 1608); in
Tyrol 1595 |
1576–1595 |
Ernst II |
Son of Maximilian II |
1576–1619 |
Matthias |
Son of Maximilian II; in Austria 1608 |
1576–1618 |
Maximilian III |
Son of Maximilian II; in Tyrol 1612 |
1576–1621 |
Albrecht VII |
Son of Maximilian II; in Tyrol 1620 |
1590–1637 |
Ferdinand III |
Son of Karl II; in Styria and Carinthia |
1625–1632 |
Leopold V |
Son of Karl II; in Tyrol |
1632–1662 |
Ferdinand Karl |
Son of Leopold V; in Tyrol |
1662–1665 |
Siegmund Franz |
Son of Leopold V; in Tyrol; murdered |
1637–1657 |
Ferdinand IV Franz |
Son of Ferdinand III |
1657–1705 |
Leopold VI |
Son of Ferdinand IV |
1705–1711 |
Josef I |
Son of Leopold VI |
1711–1740 |
Karl III |
Son of Leopold VI |
1740–1765 |
Franz I Stefan |
Son of Léopold-Joseph of Lorraine; husband of Maria
Theresia daughter of Karl III |
1765–1790 |
Josef II |
Son of Franz I |
1790–1792 |
Leopold VII |
Son of Franz I |
1792–1806 |
Franz II the Good |
Son of Leopold VII; died 1835 |
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Emperors of Austria |
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1804–1835 |
FRANZ I the Good |
= Archduke Franz II of Austria |
1835–1848 |
FERDINAND I the Goodly |
Son of Franz I; abdicated, died 1875 |
1848–1916 |
FRANZ-JOSEF I |
Son of Franz son of Franz I |
1916–1918 |
KARL I |
Son of Otto son of Karl Ludwig brother of Franz-Josef
I; deposed, died 1922 |
1918– |
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Division of Empire between Austria, Hungary,
Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Italy |