Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/41

Rh Tuscany and of Modena. Head of the first branch is Archduke Ferdinand, born June 10, 1835, nominal Grand Duke of Tuscany from July 21, 1859, to March 22, 1860, now resident at Salzburg; head of the second branch is Archduke Francis, born June 1, 1819, Duke of Modena from 1846 to 1860, now resident at Vienna.

The Imperial family of Austria descend from Rudolf of Habsburg, a German Count, born 1218, who was elected Kaiser of the Holy Roman empire in 1273. The male line died out in 1740 with Emperor Karl VI., whose only daughter, Maria Theresa, gave her hand to Duke Franz I. of Tuscany, of the House of Lorraine, who thereby became the founder of the new line of Habsburg-Lorraine. Maria Theresa was succeeded, in 1780, by her son Joseph II., who, dying in 1790, left the Crown to his brother Leopold II., at whose death, in 1792, his son Franz I. ascended the throne, who reigned till 1835, and having been married, four times, left a large family, the members of which and their descendants form the present Imperial House. Franz was the first sovereign who assumed the title of Emperor, or 'Kaiser,' of Austria, after having been compelled by Napoleon to renounce the Imperial Crown of Germany, for more than five centuries in the Habsburg family. The assumption of the title of Kaiser of Austria took place on August 11, 1804. Franz I. was succeeded by his son, the still living Emperor Ferdinand, on whose abdication, Dec. 2, 1848, the Crown fell to his nephew Franz Joseph I., the fifth Emperor of Austria of the house of Habsburg-Lorraine.

The following is a list of the sovereigns of Austria, descendants of Rudolf of Habsburg, with the date of their accession : —

House of Habsburg.

Rudolf I 1278

Albert I 1291

Friedrich 'the Handsome' 1308

Albert II 1313

Rudolf II 1358

Albert III 1365

Albert IV 1395

Albert V 1404

Friedrich II 1439

Maximilian I 1493

Karl I 'the Fifth' of Germany 1519 Ferdinand I 1556

Maximilian II 1564

Rudolf II 1576

Matthias 1611

Ferdinand II 1619

Ferdinand III 1637

Leopold I 1657

Joseph I 1705

Karl II 1711

Maria Theresa 1740

House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

Joseph II 1780

Leopold II 1790

Franz I 1792

Ferdinand IV 1835

Franz Joseph I 1848

The average reign of the above twenty-six emperors of the House of Habsburg, who ruled over Austria for nearly six centuries, filling, in most instances, likewise the throne of Germany (see page 94), comprises a term of twenty-two years.