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 504 General History of Europe war was brutally murdered, and the emperor fled. The city was, however, besieged by General Windischgratz and was forced to surrender. The imperial government was now in a position still further to strengthen itself. A reactionary ministry was formed and the emperor, a notoriously inefficient person, was forced to abdicate (December 2, 1848) in favor of his youthful nephew, Francis Joseph I, who ruled as emperor until his death in 1916. 898. Suppression of Hungarian Republic. A vigorous campaign was begun against Hungary, which, under the influence of the patriotic Kossuth, had deposed its Hapsburg king and declared itself an independent republic un- der the presidency of Kos- FRANCIS JOSEPH AT HIS ACCESSION suth The Tsar placed his Francis Joseph (1830-1916) witnessed the forces at the disposal of revolutions of 1848 at the age of eighteen Francis Joseph, and with and the great war of 1914 at the age of,. , . eighty-four the aid of an arm y of one hundred and fifty thousand Russians, who marched in from the east, the Hungarians were compelled, by the middle of August, to surrender. Austria took terrible vengeance upon the rebels. Thousands were hanged, shot, and imprisoned, and many, including Kossuth, fled to the United States or elsewhere. But within a few years Hungary won its independence by peaceful measures and became the equal of Austria in the dual federation, which from that time was officially known as Austria-Hungary (920). 899. Austria reestablishes the Former Conditions in Italy. Austria was soon able to reestablish her power in Italy and to