Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor - All Monarchies of the World. Biography Franz II Emperor of Austria

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FRANZ II

From the historical dictionary:

FRANZ I HABSBURG (Franz I Habsburg) (1768-1835) - the last Emperor German "Holy Roman Empire" in 1792-1806. under the name of Franz II; Austrian emperor in 1806-1835

In the era of the Napoleonic Wars, he occupied an indecisive, ambivalent position. He was one of the initiators of the creation of the Third Anti-Napoleonic Coalition in 1805. Together with Alexander I, he participated in the battle of Austerlitz in 1805, shamefully fled from the battlefield. In 1810, his daughter Marie Louise became the wife of Napoleon I.

Member of the Congress of Vienna and one of the founders Holy Union. Under him, the country was actually ruled by K. Metternich, who determined the domestic and foreign policy of Austria.

Orlov A.S., Georgiev N.G., Georgiev V.A. Historical dictionary. 2nd ed. M., 2012, p. 540.

Holy Roman Emperor

Franz (1768-1835) - from the Habsburg dynasty. King of Hungary in 1792-1830 King of the Czech Republic in 1792-1835 German king and emperor of the "Holy Roman Empire" in 1792-1806. Emperor of Austria in 1804-1835 Son of Leopold II and Mary Louis of Spain.

1) from 6 Jan. 1788 Elisabeth, daughter of Friedrich Eugene, Duke of Württemberg (born 1767 + 1790);

2) from 19 Sept. 1790 Maria Theresa, daughter of King Ferdinand IV of Naples and Sicily (b. 1772 + 1807);

3) from 6 Jan. 1808 Maria Ludovika, daughter of Archduke Ferdinand of Modena (b. 1788 + 1816);

4) from November 10, 1816 Caroline Augusta, daughter of King Maximilian 1 of Bavaria (b. 1792 + 1873).

As a child, Franz was brought up under the supervision of his father in Florence, and from 1784 he lived at the Viennese court, where his uncle, Joseph II, personally initiated the prince into all the secrets of government. It is known that the emperor had a very low opinion of his nephew, saying that he had a dry heart, a heavy mind and overly developed egoism. In 1788, Franz took part in the war against the Turks, and the next year, with the assistance of Marshal Loudon, he even took over the leadership of the fighting, but did not show any great abilities or military talents. Three years later, after the sudden death of his father, he was elected Roman emperor. The reign of Franz lasted more than forty years and fell on one of the most turbulent eras in European history, but only with great difficulty can the historian find traces of his personal activity in it. According to many contemporaries, the emperor, due to his limitations, could not prepare important events, conduct complex negotiations or engage in legislative activity - all this work fell on the shoulders of imperial ministers. Franz's lot was mechanical clerical work, which he always did with great pleasure, every day reading and scribbling mountains of papers. He was distinguished by a slow, clumsy mind, poor imagination, stubbornness and boundless pedantry. Throughout his life he moved in the narrow realm of petty ideas and had a deadly aversion to any novelty that went beyond this. But at the same time, he was a cold-blooded, good-natured and condescending person, had an amazing memory, and had a reputation as an exemplary family man. He was very well versed in music, and playing the violins was the easiest way to win his favor. Throughout the years, the emperor enjoyed great popularity in Austria and people's love for his courtesy and courtesy.

Being a naturally peaceful but weak man, Franz easily allowed his minister Cobenzl to set himself up against revolutionary France. On April 20, 1792, the French declared war on the empire. With short breaks, it lasted more than twenty years - half of the reign of Franz, and demanded from Austria the exertion of all its forces. In the autumn of 1792, the imperial troops were defeated at Valmy and Zhemalpa. The French army invaded Belgium. During the campaigns of 1794 and 1795, in which the Austrians were mostly defeated, all of Belgium and the left bank of the Rhine were lost. In 1796 and 1797 the imperial army suffered terrible defeats in Italy from the young general Bonaparte. Finally, in the spring of 1797, the Peace of Campoformia was concluded. The emperor had to cede Belgium and Lombardy to France, and in return received the continental possessions of Venice.

But this world could not be lasting. Already in March 1799 the war resumed. Its beginning was successful for the powers of the coalition, especially when the Russian army headed by Suvorov crossed into Italy. But after the return of Napoleon from Egypt, the situation changed dramatically. In June 1800 the Austrians were defeated at Marengo, and in February 1801 the Peace of Luneville was concluded. Franz recognized the Batavian and Helvetic Republics. Tuscany was taken from the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand and turned into the kingdom of Eruthria.

In August 1804, at an extraordinary meeting of state dignitaries, Franz assumed the title of Emperor of Austria. This was done in defiance of Napoleon, who shortly before proclaimed himself Emperor of France. It became obvious to everyone that a new big war. Napoleon was not at all embarrassed by the observance of the Treaty of Luneville and treated Italy, Switzerland and Holland as his own property. In August 1805, a third anti-French coalition was formed from England, Austria, Russia, Sweden and the Kingdom of Naples. However, this campaign was just as unsuccessful for Austria as all the previous ones. In October, the Austrians capitulated at Ulm. On November 13, Napoleon entered Vienna, which Franz left the day before in terrible confusion, and on December 2, the Russians and Austrians suffered a crushing defeat at Austerlitz. Austria had no choice but to submit to the victor's terms. Franz met with Napoleon two days later at his camp at the campfire and negotiated the preliminary terms of a truce. On December 26, the Treaty of Pressburg was signed. Franz ceded to the enemy all the Austrian possessions in Italy, Istria and Dalmatia and recognized Napoleon as king of Italy. Significant concessions were made to the German allies of France - Wurtenberg and Bavaria. In fact, Austria was ousted from Italy and Germany. This was a death sentence for the "Holy Roman Empire". In August 1806, at the request of Napoleon, Franz renounced the title of Roman emperor and freed all members of the empire from the obligations imposed on them by the imperial constitution. In return, Napoleon formed Germany's Confederation of the Rhine under his own presidency.

Austria retreated, but did not reconcile. The following years passed in tense anticipation of the right moment to start. new war. After the defeat at Austerlitz, hasty reforms began. The army was greatly enlarged and reformed in the French manner. Four years later, the consequences of the terrible catastrophe were no longer felt so sharply. Meanwhile, the results of Napoleon's Erfurt meeting with the Russian Emperor Alexander clearly marked the end of the Franco-Russian alliance. Then the Austrian government perked up. In December 1808, in Vienna, they decided to go to war with Napoleon and began to intensively gather troops. Napoleon, who was then fighting in Spain, learned of these preparations and was furious. He had to hastily return from the Pyrenees to Paris. In April

In 1809, the Austrian army invaded Bavaria, but, having suffered several defeats, retreated. In May, Napoleon occupied Vienna, and in July the Austrians were defeated in a very bloody battle at Wagram. In October, Emperor Franz resigned Philipp Stadion, who had once persuaded the emperor to start a warrior, and gave the post of chief minister to Prince Metternich, who after that had a huge influence on all European politics for forty years. Shortly thereafter, the Peace of Vienna was signed. Austria lost its eastern Illyrian provinces: Salzburg, Galicia, Carniola, Trieste and Friul with 3.5 million subjects and had to pay an indemnity of 85 million francs. She was now completely dependent on Napoleon.

Dependence further intensified after Napoleon divorced Josephine and in April 1810 married Franz's eldest daughter, Marie Louise. Franz himself admitted later that, by agreeing to this marriage, he "sacrifice what was dearest to his heart in order to prevent irreparable misfortune and acquire a guarantee of a better future." The emperor really received considerable benefits from this marriage. Napoleon, who had previously relied in his policy on his alliance with Alexander, began to gradually move away from Russia and draw closer to Austria.

The Austrian corps of Schwarzenberg participated in the Russian campaign of 1812. After the brutal defeat of Napoleon in Russia and the formation of the Sixth Coalition, Franz and Metternich did not immediately join it, but waited for some time to see which side the victory would take. Only in June 1813 did Franz finally break with his son-in-law. With the accession of the Austrian army to the coalition troops, the forces of the allies increased so much that Napoleon, despite all his skill, can no longer hope for victory. Defeated in several bloody battles, he retreated to France and in April 1814 abdicated. Terrible France, after continuous wars that lasted a quarter of a century, was finally defeated, and the role of Austria in this victory turned out to be one of the most important. During all this time, it was Austria that was one of the most stubborn and implacable enemies of France and suffered huge losses in this war. At the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815. she received compensation corresponding to her losses: all the possessions taken from her by Napoleon were annexed back, after which Austria acquired a dominant influence in Italy and Germany. The duchies of Modena and Tuscany passed to members of the Austrian imperial house. As a reward for Belgium, Franz received Lombardy, the Venetian region and Dalmatia. Tyrol, Salzburg, Galicia and Illyria were also returned.

After 1815, the emperor led a quiet measured life in the circle of his family. He still stubbornly resisted all reforms. In the end, the lethargy and inertia of the state mechanism surpassed all measure. With great difficulty, only the most urgent needs were met.

All the monarchs of the world. Western Europe. Konstantin Ryzhov. Moscow, 1999

The last Emperor

FRANZ II (Franz) (1768–1835), the last emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and, under the name Franz I, the first emperor of Austria. Son of Grand Duke Leopold of Tuscany and Maria Luisa of Spain. Born February 12, 1768 in Florence, at baptism received the name Franz Joseph Karl. During brief reign father in the possessions of the Habsburgs (Leopold II, 1790-1792) Franz actively participated in public administration. After the death of his father on March 1, 1792, Franz became the ruler of the Habsburg lands. On July 14, he was elected Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. hallmark the new ruler began to have excessive confidence in ill-chosen advisers. Colloredo, who became cabinet minister, largely determined domestic policy, and the narrow-minded reactionary Baron Tugut and the mediocre Philipp Cobenzl were able to oust the experienced State Chancellor, Prince Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz. As a result, Austria entered the war with revolutionary France under very unfavorable circumstances; the reforms prepared by Leopold were forgotten, and the government began to pursue a more repressive policy in an attempt to suppress any manifestations of discontent. Wars with revolutionary and Napoleonic France(1792-1815) significantly undermined the foundations of Franz's power. In a number peace treaties(Campo Formio, 1797; Luneville, 1801; Pressburg, 1805; Vienna, 1809) Franz was forced to cede the richest of his provinces (Belgium, Lombardy, Tyrol, Trieste, Krajina, Western Galicia), and also to abandon the Holy Roman Empire . In 1804 Franz proclaimed himself Hereditary Emperor of Austria. Two years later, he renounced the title of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, recognizing the dominance of Napoleon in Germany, where Franz's power was clearly undermined.

After the defeats in 1805 (at Ulm and Austerlitz), Franz removed the inept advisers, instructing his brother, Archduke Karl, to reorganize the armed forces. Nevertheless, Napoleon's new offensive took him by surprise. The defeats of 1809 (at Eckmuhl and Wagram) led to the fact that the Archduke Karl lost all influence, and the talented diplomat Klemens Wenzel von Metternich was appointed state chancellor. The latter convinced Franz to make an alliance with Napoleon and offer the hand of his daughter Marie Louise to the French ruler. The wedding took place in 1810. In 1813, when the inevitability of Napoleon's fall became obvious, Franz broke with his son-in-law, which allowed him to take part in the final military operations against France. In accordance with the peace treaty (Congress of Vienna, 1815), the emperor returned the lost possessions, but abandoned Belgium in exchange for additional territories in Italy.

The last period of Franz's reign was marked by a complete rejection of any innovations. In the old and new possessions, all symptoms of discontent were resolutely suppressed. The military operations in Europe started by Metternich and the measures against the revolutionary movement in Italy seriously undermined the public finances, based on an outdated system of taxation, beneficial to large landowners.

All of Franz's children were by his second wife, Maria Theresa, who was married in 1791. Although his eldest son Ferdinand was unable to rule the country, Franz, in accordance with the principle of legitimacy, did not dare to deprive him of the right to inherit. He bequeathed that after his death, the affairs should be transferred to Metternich, Franz Kolowrat and the least capable of his brothers, Ludwig. Franz II died in Vienna on March 2, 1835.

Materials of the encyclopedia "The World Around Us" are used

In the Napoleonic Wars

Franz I of Habsburg (Franz Habsburg) (12.2.1768. Florence - 2.3.1835, Vienna), Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, Hungary, Croatia, Dalmatia, Jerusalem, Prince of Transylvania, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Duke of Lorraine, Catinthia, Lower Silesia , Margrave of Moravia, Count of Tyrol, Goritsky, Gradissky, Illyrian, etc. Son of Emperor Leopold II and Maria Ludovica, daughter of King Charles III of Spain. He was brought up under the supervision of Count F. von Coloredo-Waldsee. On January 6, 1788, he married Elisabeth (1767-1790), daughter of Duke Friedrich Eugene of Württemberg. On September 19, 1790, he remarried Maria Theresa (1772-1807), daughter of Ferdinand IV of Naples and the Two Sicilies. 6/6/1792 crowned in Budapest as king of Hungary, 9/8/1792 - in Prague as king of Bohemia. On July 5, 1792, at a congress of electors in Frankfurt, he was elected emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. On July 14, 1792, he was crowned with the imperial crown in Frankfurt and took the name of Emperor Franz P. In March 1792, France began a war against Austria, which lasted, intermittently, for 23 years. By 1793, Mainz had been lost, the empire was in a severe crisis, and many of the states formally included in it (primarily Bavaria) tried by all means to evade the support of F. by their contingents. During the wars of the “first coalition” (1792-97), F. first lost the Netherlands and land along the Rhine, then returned them, but later lost everything again (except Mainz). He participated in the division of Wormwood, after which he also received the title of Grand Duke of Krakow on 10/24/1795. In 1797 the army of N. Bonaparte invaded from Italy into the depths of the Austrian lands. F. according to the Leobensky and Campoformia peace treaties was forced to abandon Belgium in exchange for Italian territories. Participated in the creation of the "second coalition" (1799-1801), whose actions were initially quite successful. But after the brilliant victories of Bonaparte in Italy, F. 9/2/1801 was forced to agree to the signing of the unfavorable peace of Luneville. “My monarchy has lost so many people and money,” he wrote, “that it is not able to occupy its proper place in the system of European equilibrium.” France received the entire left bank of the Rhine (including Cologne, Mainz and Trier) and large areas along the right bank. On August 11, 1804, he proclaimed himself Emperor of Austria under the name of Franz I. His military and political blunders during the campaign of 1805 led to the fact that for the first time since 1683 the enemy surrounded Vienna and the court was forced to flee the capital. After the conclusion of peace, he lost large territories, incl. "Crown" Tyrol and Vorarlberg. On August 6, 1806, he renounced the purely nominal title of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. On January 6, 1808, he entered into a third marriage with Maria Louis (1788-1816), daughter of Archduke Ferdinand of Modena. After losing the campaign of 1805 in Austria, the "war party" came to the fore, and large-scale military reforms (carried out by Archduke Charles) began. The new campaign of 1809 ended in disaster. The Austrian army that entered Bavaria was defeated, the French occupied Vienna, the court fled again. 10/14/1809 signed the Treaty of Schonbrunn, according to which Austria lost Salzburg, Hertz, Istria with Trieste, Kraina, part of Carinthia and Croatia, Friume, Western Galicia went to the Duchy of Warsaw, and the Tarnopol district went to Russia. The number of Austrian troops was reduced to 150 thousand people, Austria paid 85 million francs indemnity, recognized Joseph as king of Spain and reaffirmed its commitment to the continental blockade. In 1809 the government was headed by Prince K. Metternich-Winneburg, who until the end of F.'s life was the most influential person in the empire. In 1810 he married his daughter Marie Louise to Napoleon. In March 1812, the Austrian government concluded an alliance treaty with France, under which it undertook to provide an auxiliary Austrian corps (30,000 men) to Napoleon's army. During the Patriotic War of 1812 as part of great army fought the Austrian corps of Gen. K. Schwarzenberg. In Jan. 1813 a truce was signed with Russian Empire. In Apr. 1813 Austria offered its mediation to the belligerents, which was accepted by all powers. In the summer of 1813 Austria joined the anti-French coalition. All coalition troops were under the command of the Austrian Field Marshal Schwarzenberg (although the number of Austrian troops themselves was less than the number of armies of other countries). Under the terms of the Congress of Vienna, he received the principality of Trent and Brixen, Eastern Galicia. South Tyrol was united with Tyrol, Venice was united with the Duchy of Milan, and a new kingdom was created under the rule of the Habsburgs, the Duchy of Parma was transferred to F.'s daughter, Maria Louise. 11/10/1816 married Caroline Augusta (1792 - 1873), daughter of the King of Bavaria. After the end of the war, he began to enjoy great prestige in Germany, and in 1820 Metternich said: "The word uttered by Austria becomes an immutable law in Germany." By this time, F. became the most powerful monarch of Germany.

Brothers F.: Archdukes Ferdinand III Grand Duke of Tuscany, Karl, John, Ludwig (see separate articles about them), as well as:

Joseph (9.3.1776 - 13.1.1847), Archduke. The 4th son of Emperor Leopold II, brother of Emperor Franz I. He was the palatine (governor) of Hungary. He had huge land holdings in Hungary. He did a lot for the development of Budapest, where a square was named after him and a monument was erected. From 1819 he was married to Marie Dorothea Duchess of Württemberg (1797 - 1855).

Rainer (September 30, 1783 - January 16, 1853), Viceroy of the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom. From 1820 he was married to Princess Elizabeth of Savoy-Karigan (1800 - 1856).

Materials of the book were used: Zalessky K.A. Napoleonic Wars 1799-1815. Biographical Encyclopedic Dictionary, Moscow, 2003

Read further:

Patriotic War of 1812 (chronological table and directory system).

Historical faces of Austria(biographical guide)

Habsburgs(materials about the Habsburg dynasty)

II Franz II Career: Rulers
Birth: Austria, 12.2.1768
Franz II (German: Franz II. Joseph Karl, February 12, 1768, Florence March 2, 1835, Vienna) the last emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (17921806) and the first Austrian emperor (18041835), as emperor of the Austrian (as well as the Hungarian and Czech kings) bearing the name of Franz I. He reigned during the Napoleonic Wars, after a series of defeats he was forced to liquidate the Holy Roman Empire and give his daughter Marie-Louise to Napoleon I. In domestic politics, his reign was a reaction against the liberal reforms of his immediate predecessors.

Son of Archduke Leopold, future Emperor Leopold II, and Marie Louise, daughter of Charles III, King of Spain. He spent his childhood in Florence; from 1784 he was brought up in Vienna at the court of his uncle, Joseph II, who considered him an incapable and extremely stubborn young man. In 1788 he married Elisabeth-Wilhelmina, Princess of Württemberg. In the war with the Turks, he discovered personal courage; in the campaign of 1789 he was, moreover, commander-in-chief, but only fictitiously; in reality, they were led by Loudon. After the death of Joseph II (February 20, 1790), Franz, until the arrival of his father Leopold in Vienna (March 12), was regent of the state; Kaunitz was still at the head of the government. In 1791, he was present at the Pillnitz Congress of Sovereigns, which worked out a plan of action against the French Revolution; in this place, he became close friends with the Prussian crown prince, later King Friedrich Wilhelm III. All major events During his life, Franz had a habit of entering details into diaries, the value of which is terribly low.

The fight against revolutionary France and the division of Poland

On March 1, 1792, the end of Leopold II called him to the throne of Austria; after that, he was elected emperor and crowned on July 14 in Frankfurt am Main; He was also crowned with the Hungarian crown in Ofen and the Bohemian crown in Prague. During these coronations, Franz showed a great love for simplicity and an inclination for economy, which later turned into avarice in him. Even Leopold II, in February 1792, concluded an allied contract with Prussia against France; in April, F. began the war and waged it not without perseverance, as the monarch of both Austria and the Holy Roman Empire, moreover, after Prussia concluded a separate peace with France in Basel (April 5, 1795). However, the victories of General Bonaparte in Italy forced F. to an unfavorable peace in Campoformio (October 17, 1797), according to which Austria lost the Netherlands and Lombardy, but received Venice, Istria and Dalmatia. In 1794, Mr.. F. went to the army, which after that won two minor victories at Kato and Landrecy, attributed to his presence. After the indecisive battle of Tournai, in June 1794, F. returned to Vienna. During the third partition of Poland (1795), Austria received western Galicia. In 1799, F. joined the second coalition (with Russia and England) against France, but the defeats at Marengo and Hohenlinden forced him to agree to the Luneville peace, which was damned difficult for Austria.

Enemy and father-in-law of Napoleon. Fall of the Holy Empire

When Napoleon began to directly try to proclaim France an empire, even before it took place, Franz proclaimed himself Emperor of Austria (August 11, 1804). In 1805 he gladly joined the Third Coalition of Russia, Sweden and England against France. The approach of the French to Vienna forced him to rush from there first to Pressburg, later to Brunn, then to the army camp in Olmutz, leaving the capital to the French. On September 23rd, the French occupied Vienna, and on the 29th, Franz entered into peace negotiations with them, without stopping, for all that, hostilities. On December 2, 1805, the famous Battle of Austerlitz of the Three Emperors took place, in which Emperor Franz also took a personal part, who turned out to be just as capable of understanding Napoleon's strategic considerations as his generals. On December 26, 1805, he concluded the Treaty of Pressburg, according to which he had to sacrifice Tyrol and Venice. On August 6, 1806, he abdicated the crown of the Holy Roman Empire.

Austria's damage last war was so heavy that in the new alliance of Prussia with Russia and the war of 180607. Franz was not in a position to take part, despite the fact that his hatred for France and for Napoleon, as the bearer of revolutionary principles, did not decrease at all. He found a chance to satisfy this feeling in 1809 by declaring war on France for the fourth time (the War of the Fifth Coalition), but the defeat at Wagram forced him to conclude the Schönbrun (Vienna) peace (October 14, 1809), according to which Austria lost Illyria and reached the climax of their misfortunes. Personally, Franz suffered another humiliation: Napoleon demanded the hand of his daughter Marie-Louise, and Franz had to agree on this relationship with Napoleon, whom he considered a simple adventurer. Franz looked at that very marriage as great sacrifice homeland, but the political situation of the country did not improve. After personal negotiations with Napoleon in Dresden, in May 1812, Franz was forced to send his troops against Russia; but in July 1813 he joined the Sixth Allied Coalition fighting Napoleon. According to the first peace of Paris, he received back a large amount of lost lands. From 1815 until the death of Franz, peace reigned in Austria, interrupted only in 1821 by uprisings in Italy, which were relatively easily suppressed.

Reaction

The Austrian policy, at this time led by Metternich, was one of extreme reaction, both within and outside Austria (particularly in Italy). Inside, a harsh police system dominated; the press and all other manifestations of public opinion were embarrassed to the last extreme; espionage was most assiduously encouraged. Franz himself was most interested in cases of political crimes; he had plans for prisons, took care of all the details of the life of political prisoners, ordered their transfer from one prison to another, striving to ensure that not a single political offense was left without retribution. The order created or at least reinforced by him was distinguished by devilishly petty cruelty (for an outline of him and Franz's personal role, see Miei prigioni (My dungeons) by Silvio Pellico and the additions to them by Maroncelli and Andrian). In foreign policy Franz was completely guarding the Holy Alliance.

personal existence

Despite the cruelty and pettiness in relations with opponents, Franz wanted to be considered cordially. kind person who, when imposing punishments, perform only a heavy duty; in his dealings with people he had the appearance of patriarchal simplicity; having a good command of many languages, he spoke with pleasure to the common people in the Viennese folk dialect. In 1790 Franz's first wife died; after 7 months, he married Maria Theresa of Sicily, who bore him 13 children, between them Ferdinand, later emperor, and Marie Louise, wife of Napoleon. She also died in 1807; after 8 months, Franz married for the third time to Maria-Louis-Beatrice, Princess of Modena, who died in April 1816. In November of the same year, he married for the fourth time to Caroline-August, daughter of King Maximilian-Joseph of Bavaria, divorced wife of the Crown Prince , later King William I of Württemberg. The last two marriages, like the initial one, remained childless. Despite the rapidity of new marriages, Franz was considered a good family man and, apparently, loved all his wives. Monuments were erected to him in Vienna, Prague, Graz and Franzensbad (Frantiskovy Lazne).

Son of Archduke Leopold, future Emperor Leopold II, and Marie Louise, daughter of Charles III, King of Spain.

He spent his childhood in Florence; since 1784, he was brought up in Vienna at the court of his uncle, Joseph II, who considered him an incapable and very stubborn young man. In 1788 he married Elisabeth Wilhelmina, Princess of Württemberg.

In the war with the Turks, he discovered personal courage; in the campaign of 1789 he was even commander-in-chief, but only nominally; in reality it was led by Field Marshal Loudon.

After the death of Joseph II (February 20, 1790), Franz, until the arrival of his father Leopold in Vienna (March 12), was regent of the state; Kaunitz was still at the head of the government. In 1791, he attended the Pilnitz Congress of Sovereigns, which worked out a plan of action against the French Revolution; here he became close friends with the Prussian crown prince, later King Frederick William III. Franz used to record all the most important events of his life in diaries, the value of which is very small.

2. The fight against revolutionary France and the division of Poland

Francis II wearing the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire (1792)

On March 1, 1792, the death of Leopold II called him to the throne of Austria; after that he was elected emperor and crowned on July 14 in Frankfurt am Main; He was also crowned with the Hungarian crown in Ofen and Bohemian in Prague. During these coronations, Franz discovered a great love of simplicity and a desire for economy, which later turned into avarice in him.

Even Leopold II, in February 1792, concluded an alliance treaty with Prussia against France; in April, Franz began the war and fought it not without perseverance, as monarch of both Austria and the Holy Roman Empire, even after Prussia concluded a separate peace with France at Basel (April 5, 1795). In 1794, Franz went to the field army, which thereafter won two minor victories at Cato and Landrecy, attributed to his presence. After the indecisive Battle of Tournai, in June 1794, Franz returned to Vienna. The victories of General Bonaparte in Italy also forced Franz to an unfavorable peace in Campoformio (October 17, 1797), according to which Austria lost the Netherlands and Lombardy, but received Venice, Istria and Dalmatia.

During the third partition of Poland (1795), Austria received western Galicia.

In 1799, Franz joined the second coalition (with Russia and England) against France, but the defeats at Marengo and Hohenlinden forced him to agree to the Luneville Peace, which was extremely difficult for Austria.

3. Enemy and father-in-law of Napoleon. Fall of the Holy Empire

When Napoleon began to clearly strive to proclaim France an empire, even before it took place, Franz proclaimed himself Emperor of Austria (August 11, 1804).

In 1805 he gladly joined the Third Coalition of Russia, Sweden and England against France. The approach of the French to Vienna forced him to flee from there, first to Pressburg, then to Brunn, then to the military camp in Olmutz, leaving the capital to the French. On September 23, the French occupied Vienna, and on September 29, Franz entered into peace negotiations with them, without stopping, however, hostilities. On December 2, 1805, the famous Battle of Austerlitz of the Three Emperors took place, in which Emperor Franz also took a personal part, who turned out to be as little able to understand Napoleon's strategic considerations as his generals. On 26 December 1805 he concluded the Peace of Pressburg, by which he had to sacrifice Tyrol and Venice. On August 6, 1806, he abdicated the crown of the Holy Roman Empire.

The damage to Austria in the last war was so heavy that Franz was not able to take part in the new alliance of Prussia with Russia and the war of 1806-1807, despite the fact that his hatred of France and Napoleon, as the bearer of revolutionary principles, did not at all decreased. He found an opportunity to satisfy this feeling in 1809 by declaring war on France for the fourth time (the War of the Fifth Coalition), but the defeat at Wagram forced him to conclude the Schönbrun (Vienna) peace (October 14, 1809), according to which Austria lost Illyria and reached the apogee of its misfortunes.

Franz personally suffered another humiliation: Napoleon demanded the hand of his daughter Marie-Louise, and Franz had to agree to this relationship with Napoleon, whom he considered a simple adventurer. Franz looked at this marriage as a great sacrifice to the fatherland, but the country's political situation did not improve. After personal negotiations with Napoleon in Dresden, in May 1812, Franz was forced to send his troops against Russia; but in July 1813 he joined the Sixth Allied Coalition fighting Napoleon. According to the first peace of Paris, he received back most of the lost lands.

From 1815 until the death of Franz, peace reigned in Austria, interrupted only in 1821 by uprisings in Italy, which were relatively easily suppressed.

4. Reaction

Austrian politics, at this time led by Metternich, was one of extreme reaction, both inside and outside Austria (particularly in Italy). Inside, a harsh police system dominated; the press and all other manifestations of public opinion were embarrassed to the last extreme; espionage was most assiduously encouraged. Franz himself was most interested in cases of political crimes; he had plans for prisons, took care of all the details of the life of political prisoners, ordered their transfer from one prison to another, striving to ensure that not a single political offense was left without retribution. The regime he created or at least strengthened was distinguished by extremely petty cruelty (for a description of him and Franz's personal role, see Silvio Pellico's Miei prigioni (My Dungeons) and the additions to them by Maroncelli and Andrian). In foreign policy, Franz was completely guarding the Holy Alliance.

5. Personal life

Franz's third wife, Maria Ludovika of Modena

Franz's fourth wife, Charlotte Augusta of Bavaria

Despite the cruelty and pettiness in relation to opponents, Franz wanted to be considered a heartily kind person, performing only a heavy duty when imposing punishments; in his dealings with people he had an air of patriarchal simplicity; fluent in many languages, he willingly spoke with the common people in the Viennese folk dialect.

In 1790, Franz's first wife, Elisabeth of Württemberg, died; 7 months later he married Maria Theresa of Sicily, who bore him 13 children, between them Ferdinand, later emperor, and Marie Louise, wife of Napoleon. She also died in 1807; 8 months later, Franz married for the third time to Marie Louis Beatrice, Princess of Modena, who died in April 1816. In November of the same year, he married for the fourth time Caroline-August, daughter of King Maximilian-Joseph of Bavaria, the divorced wife of the Crown Prince, later King William I of Württemberg. The last two marriages, like the first, remained childless. Despite the rapidity of new marriages, Franz was considered a good family man and, apparently, loved all his wives. Monuments were erected to him in Vienna, Prague, Graz and Franzensbad (Frantiskovy Lazne).

Literature

Hormayr, "Kaiser F. und Metternich" (Leipzig, 1848);
Meynert, "Kaiser F. I" (B., 1871-73);
Ad. Beer, "Leopold II, Franz II und Katharina II" (Leipzig, 1874);
Wertheimer, Die drei ersten Frauen des Kaisers F. (B., 1893);
Guglia, "Kaiserin Maria-Ludovica" (B., 1894).

When writing this article, material from the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron (1890-1907) was used.

800		814		840		843		855		875		877		881		887		891
	Charles I		Louis I		-		Lothair I		Louis II		Charles II		-		Charles III		-

983		996		1002		1014		1024		1027		1039		1046		1056		1084		1105		1111		1125		1133		1137		1155
	-		Otto III		-		Henry II		-		Conrad II		-		Henry III		-		Henry IV		-		Henry V		-		Lothair II		-

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	Friedrich I		Henry VI		-		Otto IV		-		Friedrich II		-		Henry VII		-		Ludwig IV		-		Charles IV		-

1410	1437		1452		1493		1508		1519		1530		1556		1564		1576		1612		1619		1637
	Sigismund	-		Friedrich III		-		Maximilian I		-		Charles V		Ferdinand I		Maximilian II		Rudolf II		Matvey		Ferdinand II

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	Ferdinand III		Leopold I		Joseph I		Charles VI		-		Charles VII		Franz I		Joseph II		Leopold II		Franz II

Carolingians - Saxon dynasty - Salic dynasty - Hohenstaufen - Wittelsbach - Habsburgs

Franz II (Joseph-Karl, 1768-1835) - Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, as Emperor of Austria, who bore the name Franz I, son of Emperor Leopold II and Marie-Louise, daughter of Charles III, King of Spain. He spent his childhood in Florence; since 1784, he was brought up in Vienna at the court of his uncle, Joseph II, who considered him an incapable and very stubborn young man. In 1788 he married Elisabeth-Wilhelmina, Princess of Württemberg. In the war with the Turks, he discovered personal courage; in the campaign of 1789 he was even commander-in-chief, but only fictitiously; in reality it was led by Loudon. After the death of Joseph II (February 20, 1790), F., until the arrival of his father Leopold in Vienna (March 12), was regent of the state; Kaunitz was still at the head of the government. In 1791, he was present at the Pillnitz Congress of Sovereigns, which worked out a plan of action against the French Revolution; here he became close friends with the Prussian Crown Prince, later King Frederick William III. All the most important events of his life F. had a habit to enter in detail in diaries, the value of which is very small. On March 1, 1792, the death of Leopold II called him to the throne of Austria; after that he was elected emperor and crowned on July 14 in Frankfurt am Main; He was also crowned with the Hungarian crown in Ofen and Bohemian in Prague. During these coronations, F. discovered a great love for simplicity and a desire for economy, which later turned him into avarice. Even Leopold II, in February 1792, concluded an alliance treaty with Prussia against France; in April, F. started the war and fought it not without perseverance, as the monarch of both Austria and the Holy Roman Empire, even after Prussia concluded a separate peace with France in Basel (April 5, 1795). However, the victories of General Bonaparte in Italy forced F. to an unfavorable peace in Campoformio (October 17, 1797), according to which Austria lost the Netherlands and Lombardy, but received Venice, Istria and Dalmatia. In 1794, Mr.. F. went to the army, which then won two minor victories at Cato and Landrecy, attributed to his presence. After the indecisive battle of Tournai, in June 1794, F. returned to Vienna. During the third partition of Poland (1795), Austria received western Galicia. In 1799, F. joined the second coalition (with Russia and England) against France, but the defeats at Marengo and Hohenlinden forced him to agree to the Luneville peace, which was extremely difficult for Austria (see). When Napoleon began to clearly strive for the proclamation of France as an empire, even before it took place, F. proclaimed himself Emperor of Austria (August 11, 1804). In 1805 he gladly joined the coalition of Russia, Sweden and England against France. The approach of the French to Vienna forced him to flee from there, first to Pressburg, then to Brunn, then to the military camp in Olmutz, leaving the capital to the French. On September 23, the French occupied Vienna, and on the 29th, F. entered into peace negotiations with them, without stopping, however, hostilities. On December 2, 1805, the famous Battle of Austerlitz of the Three Emperors took place, in which the emperor F. took a personal part, who turned out to be just as little able to understand Napoleon's strategic considerations as his generals. On December 26, 1805, he made peace in Pressburg, according to which he had to sacrifice Tyrol and Venice. On August 6, 1806, he abdicated the crown of the Holy Roman Empire. The damage to Austria in the last war was so heavy that in the new alliance of Prussia with Russia and the war of 1806-07. F. was not able to take part, despite the fact that his hatred of France and Napoleon, as the bearer of revolutionary principles, did not decrease at all. He found an opportunity to satisfy this feeling in 1809 by declaring war on France for the fourth time, but the defeat at Wagram forced him to conclude the Treaty of Schönbrun (Vienna) (October 14, 1809), according to which Austria lost Illyria and reached the climax of its misfortunes. Personally, F. was subjected to another humiliation: Napoleon demanded the hand of his daughter Marie-Louise, and F. had to agree to this relationship with Napoleon, whom he considered a simple adventurer. F. looked at this marriage as a great sacrifice to the fatherland, but the country's political situation has not improved. After personal negotiations with Napoleon in Dresden, in May 1812, F. was forced to send his troops against Russia; but in July 1813 he joined the allies fighting Napoleon. According to the first peace of Paris, he received back most of the lost lands (see the corresponding article). From 1815 to the death of F. peace reigned in Austria, interrupted only in 1821 by uprisings in Italy, which were relatively easily suppressed. The Austrian policy, at this time led by Metternich, was one of extreme reaction, both within and outside Austria (particularly in Italy). Inside, a harsh police system dominated; the press and all other manifestations of public opinion were embarrassed to the last extreme; espionage was most assiduously encouraged. F. himself was most interested in cases of political crimes; he had plans for prisons, took care of all the details of the life of political prisoners, ordered their transfer from one prison to another, striving to ensure that not a single political offense was left without retribution. The regime created or, at least, strengthened by him was distinguished by extremely petty cruelty (for a description of him and F.'s personal role, see Silvio Pelico's "Miei prigioni" and the additions to them by Maroncelli and Andrian). In foreign policy, F. entirely stood guard over St.. union. Despite the cruelty and pettiness in relation to opponents, F. wanted to be considered a sincerely kind person, performing only a heavy duty when imposing punishments; in his dealings with people he had an air of patriarchal simplicity; fluent in many languages, he willingly spoke with the common people in the Viennese folk dialect. In 1790 F.'s first wife died; 7 months later he married Maria Theresa of Sicily, who bore him 13 children, between them Ferdinand, later emperor, and Marie Louise, wife of Napoleon. She also died in 1807; after 8 months, F. married a third time to Maria-Louis-Beatrice, Princess of Modena, who died in April 1816. In November of the same year, he married for the fourth time to Caroline-August, daughter of King Maximilian-Joseph of Bavaria, a divorced wife Crown Prince, later King William I of Württemberg. The last two marriages, like the first, remained childless. Despite the speed of the conclusion of new marriages, F. was considered a good family man and, apparently, loved all his wives. Monuments were erected to him in Vienna, Prague, Graz and Franzensbad.

See Hormayr, "Kaiser F. und Metternich" (Leipzig, 1848); Meynert, "Kaiser F. I" (B., 1871-73); Ad. Beer, "Leopold II, Franz II und Katharina II" (Leipzig, 1874); Wertheimer, "Die drei ersten Frauen des Kaisers F." (B., 1893); Guglia, "Kaiserin Maria-Ludovica" (B., 1894).

V. V-in.

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FRANZ II(Franz) (1768–1835), the last emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and, under the name Franz I, the first emperor of Austria. Son of Grand Duke Leopold of Tuscany and Maria Luisa of Spain. Born February 12, 1768 in Florence, at baptism received the name Franz Joseph Karl. During his father's brief reign in the Habsburg domains (Leopold II, 1790–1792), Franz was actively involved in state administration. After the death of his father on March 1, 1792, Franz became the ruler of the Habsburg lands. On July 14, he was elected Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. A hallmark of the new ruler was an excessive trust in ill-chosen advisers. Colloredo, who became cabinet minister, largely determined internal politics, and the limited reactionary Baron Tugut and the mediocre Philipp Cobenzl were able to oust the experienced state chancellor, Prince Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz. As a result, Austria entered the war with revolutionary France under very unfavorable circumstances; the reforms prepared by Leopold were forgotten, and the government began to pursue a more repressive policy in an attempt to suppress any manifestations of discontent.

The wars with revolutionary and Napoleonic France (1792-1815) significantly undermined the foundations of Franz's power. In a number of peace treaties (Campo Formio, 1797; Luneville, 1801; Pressburg, 1805; Vienna, 1809), Franz was forced to cede the richest of his provinces (Belgium, Lombardy, Tyrol, Trieste, Krajina, Western Galicia), and also to refuse from the Holy Roman Empire. In 1804 Franz proclaimed himself Hereditary Emperor of Austria. Two years later, he renounced the title of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, recognizing the dominance of Napoleon in Germany, where Franz's power was clearly undermined.

After the defeats in 1805 (at Ulm and Austerlitz), Franz removed the inept advisers, instructing his brother, Archduke Karl, to reorganize the armed forces. Nevertheless, Napoleon's new offensive took him by surprise. The defeats of 1809 (at Eckmuhl and Wagram) led to the fact that the Archduke Charles lost all influence, and the talented diplomat Clemens Wenzel von Metternich was appointed state chancellor. The latter convinced Franz to make an alliance with Napoleon and offer the hand of his daughter Marie Louise to the French ruler. The wedding took place in 1810. In 1813, when the inevitability of Napoleon's fall became obvious, Franz broke with his son-in-law, which allowed him to take part in the final military operations against France. In accordance with the peace treaty (Congress of Vienna, 1815), the emperor returned the lost possessions, but abandoned Belgium in exchange for additional territories in Italy.