Franz Joseph I of Austria

Reign: 1848 – 1916
Life: 1830–1916

In the early part of his reign, his realms and territories were referred to as the Austrian Empire, but in 1867 they were reconstituted as the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. In December 1848, Franz Joseph's uncle Emperor Ferdinand I abdicated the throne at Olomouc as part of Minister President Felix zu Schwarzenberg's plan to end the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. Franz Joseph then ascended to the throne at the age of eighteen. Largely considered a reactionary, Franz Joseph spent his early reign resisting constitutionalism in his domains. The Austrian Empire was forced to cede its influence over Tuscany and most of its claim to Lombardy, Venetia to the Kingdom of Sardinia, following the Second Italian War of Independence in 1859 and the Third Italian War of Independence in 1866. Although Franz Joseph ceded no territory to the Kingdom of Prussia after the Austrian defeat in the Austro-Prussian War, the Peace of Prague (23 August 1866) settled the German Question in favour of Prussia, which prevented the unification of Germany from occurring under the House of Habsburg.

During Franz Joseph I of Austria's reign, Emperor Meiji ruled Japan, William III of the Netherlands ruled Netherlands, and Wilhelm II ruled Prussia.

Want to learn more? Further reading

Twilight of the Habsburgs: The Life and Times of Emperor Francis Joseph by Alan Palmer

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The World During Their Reign

The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

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Go deeper on Franz Joseph I of Austria

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