The head of the dual state of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, the Emperor of the Austrian Empire and the King of Bohemia, Franz Joseph 1, during the years of his reign was not distinguished by any particular greatness of affairs, but took an honorable place in European history due to... his long reign - he was on the throne for 68 years! The Russian island of Franz Josef Land, discovered in 1873 by an Austrian polar expedition, is named in honor of the emperor in the Arctic Ocean.

The conservative emperor had a habit of going to bed early and getting up early, for which the common people nicknamed him “the early bird.” Over the long years of his reign, this habit of his was well adopted by the Hungarians, Czechs and Austrians. The Germans adopted it from the latter. For which everyone was grateful to him - active life in cities begins early and ends early, leaving more free time for family and personal life. This habit has continued to this day.

The emperor was a pedant in everything: in clothes, ceremonies, etiquette. He was stingy and conservative, did not want a telephone to be brought into his palace, and had difficulty agreeing to electricity. He knew his weaknesses and called himself "the last monarch of the old school." Franz Joseph loved the army, parades, and uniforms. You will love our Japanese tea sets of various colors and configurations. And in everything he tried to maintain strict order and subordination, but by nature he was cheerful and sociable among those closest to him.

Franz Joseph was a decent, intelligent and educated man. Since childhood, he showed excellent abilities for languages, he was fluent in French, English, spoke Hungarian, Polish, Czech and Italian...

Franz Joseph I began to rule in 1848. During the Austrian revolution, his uncle abdicated the throne and his father renounced his rights of inheritance, and 18-year-old Franz Joseph 1 found himself at the head of the multinational Habsburg power. At this time, there was turmoil in Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and neighboring countries, including, first of all, Italy. Somewhere social revolutions were brewing, somewhere the people, as in Italy, were trying to get rid of the alien conquerors of the Austrians.

Franz Joseph was not a strategist, although he studied military science. But it was necessary to find a place for Austria among European states, create military alliances, enter into conflicts, and achieve victories for their subjects. He didn't do any of this. He saw his main enemy... in the Russian Empire. This was his big mistake. Neither France nor Prussia became his reliable allies. He lost previously conquered territories, in particular Lombardy in Italy. The Habsburg monarchy was in danger of collapse.

The bitter experience of war and uprising in Hungary and the Czech Republic forced him to make liberal concessions; Franz Joseph declared freedom of religion, began to become more active in the economy, build railways, and contributed to the education of the population. In 1878, at the Congress of Berlin, Austria-Hungary received a substantial increase - Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is quite possible that Franz Joseph would have achieved more significant results during his reign if not for family troubles. He had a young and beautiful wife, the Bavarian Princess Elizabeth - Sissi, whom the Austrians adored, but the spouses lost interest in each other. In 1867, his younger brother, Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico, was shot and killed in Mexico. In 1872, his mother Sophia of Bavaria, whom he revered very much, died, and six years later his father Franz Karl died. In 1889, his only son and heir Rudolph shot himself, having previously killed his bride. In 1898, an Italian anarchist murdered his wife, Elisabeth. And in 19N, the new heir to the throne, Franz Joseph’s nephew, Franz Ferdinand, was shot dead in Sarajevo, which was the reason for the First World War. These were heavy losses for the emperor. They ruined his health. Two years later, Franz Joseph died at the age of 86.

His father, Archduke Franz Karl, was an ordinary and unambitious man. Franz Joseph owed many of his qualities, as well as the throne itself, to his mother, the Bavarian Princess Sophia. This intelligent and extremely energetic woman gave her son a very good, thoughtful education, dreaming of later elevating him to the imperial throne. From childhood, the young Duke showed remarkable abilities, especially in languages. In addition to French, English and Latin, he knew Hungarian very well and spoke fluent Polish, Czech and Italian. Much attention in his education was paid to military sciences. This left a certain imprint on his character: all his life Franz Joseph maintained a love of order, discipline, uniform, and strict observance of chain of command. On the contrary, music, poetry, and art played a very insignificant role in his life. By nature, Franz Joseph had a sociable, cheerful disposition, and loved the simplicity of life and relationships. In the field of state and legal sciences, he did not have time to gain fundamental knowledge, since his studies were interrupted by the revolution.

In December 1848, the emperor was forced to abdicate in favor of his nephew. Franz Joseph took the helm of a huge empire, torn apart by social and national contradictions. On March 7, 1849, he signed the so-called “Octroated Constitution,” which strengthened the power of the emperor and eliminated the autonomy of the provinces. On March 23, the Sardinian army was defeated at the Battle of Novara, and by August Habsburg power over all Italian provinces was restored. Things were worse in Hungary, where parliament refused to recognize Franz Joseph as king and on April 14 adopted the Declaration of Hungarian Independence. On May 21, the emperor signed the Warsaw Pact with Russia. Soon, the Austrian and Russian armies simultaneously invaded Hungary from the west and east. On August 9, the Hungarian army was defeated at Temesvár. The Hungarian revolution was suppressed.

After this, the Habsburg position became so strong that in December 1851, Franz Joseph abolished the constitution and restored absolutism. After the death in 1866 of Prince Alfred Windischgrätz, who headed the liberal cabinet and played a prominent role at the beginning of the reign of Franz Joseph, power was finally concentrated in the hands of the emperor. He saw his main task during these years in maintaining the unity and strengthening the power of the Austrian Empire, in creating a strong centralized state in which the boundaries between the various lands of the Habsburg monarchy would be erased. To this end, Franz Joseph tried to introduce a unified administrative, judicial and customs system throughout the state, to unify finances, taxation and the education system. However, many insurmountable difficulties finally forced the emperor to abandon this policy.

During the Crimean War, Franz Joseph betrayed Russia, which saved him: Austria did not support it in the war. This was a major diplomatic mistake by the emperor, who was left without strong allies. The Sardinian kingdom, with the support of Prussia and France, resumed the struggle for the unification of Italy. In three battles, the Austrian army was defeated by French and Sardinian troops. By 1860, the Habsburgs had lost Lombardy, Modena and Tuscany.

In 1866, Austria suffered a crushing defeat from Prussian troops at the Battle of Sadovaya. She had to leave Germany, which a few years later was united under the leadership of Prussia. Immediately after this, a powerful uprising began in Hungary, which threatened the final collapse of the Habsburg monarchy. Franz Joseph realized that his previous course would bring him nothing but defeat. To preserve the unity of the state, significant concessions had to be made to the national and liberal movement.

Back in 1861, Franz Joseph agreed to the introduction of a constitution in Austria. In 1867, a very liberal constitution was given to the Hungarians. She provided them with complete autonomy, equalized their rights with the Austrians, organized the entire internal administration of the country on a national basis and allowed them to have their own army. That same year, Franz Joseph was crowned King of Hungary in Budapest. Following this, full autonomy was introduced in Galicia and partial autonomy in the Czech Republic. Throughout the empire, jury trials were established and the irremovability of judges was recognized. Subsequent years showed that the reform policy, despite all its moderation, produces good results. With the introduction of universal conscription, the army became stronger. Finances have strengthened. The construction of numerous railways led to an industrial boom. Equality of religions was declared. Great strides have been made in the field of education. Vienna and other cities expanded and were decorated with beautiful buildings. The estrangement with Prussia that occurred after 1866 was overcome in 1878, when Austria-Hungary received Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Berlin Congress.

In these and subsequent years, Franz Joseph strengthened his reputation as a balanced, tactful, benevolent monarch. He never imposed his will, but tried to be a sensitive and skillful administrator. The emperor always dealt with administrative affairs himself. He tried to cover the whole range of problems and delve into every detail, devoting a lot of time to looking through papers. His favorite residence throughout his life was Schönbrunn. The emperor got up very early - already at four o'clock he was on his feet, put on his general's uniform, drank a cup of coffee and got down to business, which he did until 10 o'clock with remarkable diligence and accuracy. This was followed by audiences and meetings with ministers. He never held collegial meetings of the Council of Ministers, but always communicated with each minister separately. At one o'clock it was time for breakfast. It was served right in his office so that the emperor would not be distracted from his business. At three o'clock work was interrupted. After the walk, Franz Joseph went to Vienna. At 6 o'clock he returned to Schönbrunn and dined with a narrow circle of invitees. At half past eight the emperor went to bed. This measured routine was not disturbed for many years.

Franz Joseph's personal life was unhappy. He never had friends, and he was close to his wife, the Bavarian Princess Elizabeth, only in the first years after the wedding. Subsequently, Elizabeth almost never lived in Austria, preferring Hungary and other countries. In 1898, she was assassinated in Geneva by Italian anarchists. The Emperor's eldest son and heir, Archduke Rudolf, a bright but nervous character, unexpectedly committed suicide in 1889. Franz Joseph's younger brother, who became Emperor of Mexico, was executed by rebels in 1867. (Until the end of his life, Franz Joseph refused to receive Mexican envoys). The Emperor's second brother, Karl Ludwig, died in 1896. His son Franz Ferdinand was declared heir to the throne. The emperor treated his nephew with detachment, did not bring him closer to him and did not seek to involve him in state affairs. The murder of the heir and his wife on June 8 in Sarajevo was the last personal tragedy that the old emperor had to endure. As you know, this murder became the reason for the outbreak of the First World War. Franz Joseph was pessimistic about its outcome. Indeed, the course of military operations gave very little reason to hope for victory. For another two years, the emperor tried to keep all the threads of government in his weakening hands, but then his health condition deteriorated sharply. In November 1916, he fell ill with pneumonia and died soon after.

Age of Reign Franz Joseph, which lasted almost seven decades, became the period of decline of the great Austrian Empire.

Franz Joseph ascended to the throne of the Austrian Empire at the age of eighteen, during the period when the 1848 revolution was raging in the country. His uncle Emperor Ferdinand I, abdicated the throne, and the father, Archduke Franz Karl, renounced the rights of inheritance, which opened the way for Franz Joseph to the imperial crown.

Portrait of the family of Franz Joseph I (1861). Commons.wikimedia.org

The position of the Austrian Empire during this period was critical, and only the intervention of Russian troops, who assisted in suppressing the revolution in Hungary, helped to prolong the existence of the Habsburg monarchy as a whole.

The weakness of power in the Austrian Empire forced Franz Joseph I to make political compromises, giving national regions more and more rights.

In 1866, Austria was defeated in the war with Prussia, thus losing the opportunity to become the center of unification of the German world.

In March 1867, the Austrian Empire became the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a constitutional dualist monarchy. This decision was reached as a result of a compromise with the powerful national movement in Hungary.

Franz Joseph I was extremely skeptical of parliamentarism and adhered to conservative views, but the situation forced him to make more and more concessions. The Emperor considered the most important task to be to avoid military conflicts that could completely destroy the monarchy.

Franz Joseph I (1851). Commons.wikimedia.org

Time for big problems

Franz Joseph managed to achieve this goal: from 1866 until the outbreak of the First World War, Austria did not participate in military conflicts. The emperor tried to support the development of industry, science and culture, and preserved the external splendor of the ancient monarchy.

In the 1870s, Austria-Hungary entered into a military-political alliance with Germany, which allowed it to somewhat restore its influence in European politics. After the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, Austria-Hungary made its last territorial acquisition, first occupying and annexing Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908.

These actions of Austria-Hungary spoiled the country's relations with Russia and especially Serbia. In the territory inhabited by the Slavic peoples of Austria-Hungary, pan-Slavic organizations supported by Serbia were active, seeking independence from Vienna.

Franz Joseph in 1855. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

An additional problem in relations with the Slavic population of the empire was that Franz Joseph I was a devout Catholic who had close relations with the papal throne, and many of his subjects professed Orthodoxy. Keeping the situation under control under these conditions was extremely difficult.

The fact that Franz Joseph had no direct heirs did not add to the stability of the monarchy. In 1889 his only son, Crown Prince Rudolf, committed suicide. Died even earlier Franz Joseph's brother, Maximilian, proclaimed Emperor of Mexico.

Became heir to the throne Franz Joseph's nephew, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The emperor treated his nephew with detachment, did not bring him closer to him and did not seek to involve him in state affairs.

Assassination attempt on Franz Joseph I (1853). Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Franz Joseph was not close to the ideas of Franz Ferdinand about transforming Austria-Hungary into the “United States of Austria-Hungary” with the expansion of the rights of the nations living within the state.

In addition, Franz Ferdinand was a categorical opponent of a military conflict with Russia, and at that time a “war party” formed around Franz Joseph, which believed that a military solution to the conflict with Serbia was possible, as well as a military clash with Serbia’s ally Russia with the help of Germany.

Craving for war

The Austrian "War Party" was headed by Chief of the General Staff of Austria-Hungary Konrad von Hetzendorff, who called for war with Serbia, despite possible Russian intervention back in 1908, immediately after the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Franz Joseph I and Hungarian Prime Minister István Tisza (1905). Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

This position was strengthened after Russia, in 1909, wanting to avoid war with Germany and Austria-Hungary, actually forced Serbia to recognize the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The smoldering Balkan crisis erupted in June 1914, when heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed at the hands of a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo.

84-year-old Franz Joseph, who outlived another of his heirs, supported the “war party,” which intended to use the murder in Sarajevo as a pretext for a military solution to the “Serbian problem.” Despite the fact that immediately after the death of Franz Ferdinand, the Austrian government and Emperor Franz Joseph personally hastened to assure Russia that they did not intend to take any military action, three weeks later Serbia was presented with an obviously impossible ultimatum. After Serbia rejected a number of his points, Franz Joseph I declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914 and began mobilizing the army.

A few days later, the ensuing chain reaction of the allies of both sides turned into the beginning of the First World War.

Thank you for not making it

Emperor Franz Joseph, formally retaining the reins of power in his hands, appointed his commander-in-chief of the Austro-Hungarian troops brother, Archduke Frederick. According to Franz Joseph, Frederick should “not interfere” with the action of the main supporter of the war - Chief of the General Staff Konrad von Hetzendorff.

However, the first months of the war showed that the Austro-Hungarian military leaders overestimated the power of their army. For a long time, Austria-Hungary could not defeat the Serbian army, which was many times inferior in numbers, and the crushing defeat from the Russian army in the Battle of Galicia completely forced the military leaders to subsequently conduct operations only together with Germany, and not on their own.

The further the war went, the more obvious its disastrous consequences for Austria-Hungary became. However, Franz Joseph I did not see the last act of the drama of his empire. His health deteriorated, and on November 21, 1916, at the height of the war, the 86-year-old emperor died.

Emperor Franz Joseph

Franz Joseph I - Emperor of the Austrian Empire and King of Bohemia from December 2, 1848, Apostolic King of Hungary from December 2, 1848 to April 14, 1849 (1st time) and from August 13, 1849 (2nd time); from March 15, 1867 - head of a dual state - the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
Ruled 68 years; his reign is an era in the history of the peoples that were part of the Danube monarchy.

Sophia of Bavaria and Franz Karl

Eldest son of Archduke Franz Charles, son of Franz II and younger brother of Ferdinand I.
Mother - Sophia of Bavaria. During the Austrian Revolution of 1848, his uncle abdicated the throne and his father renounced his rights of succession, leaving 18-year-old Franz Joseph I at the head of the multinational Habsburg power.

Franz Joseph I

During the seven decades of the reign of Franz Joseph (who was not actively involved in government affairs), the Austrian Empire, which had been a great power in the mid-19th century, came to complete collapse as a result of the First World War.

The new emperor received the crown largely thanks to the help of Russian troops in suppressing the Hungarian uprising, which was a humiliation for the Austrian monarchy.
As a result, relations between Austria and Russia deteriorated, which played an important role in the beginning of the Crimean War.
Despite the fact that Austria did not enter the conflict, a series of diplomatic mistakes led to the country being left without significant allies.
The Kingdom of Sardinia took advantage of this and, with the support of France and Prussia, resumed the struggle for the unification of Italy.
As a result, by 1860 the empire lost Lombardy, and representatives of the House of Habsburg lost power in Modena and Tuscany.

In 1866, Austria started a war against Prussia, the reason for which was the question of leadership in the German world. After the Battle of Sadovaya, which ended in the defeat of the Austrian army, the empire was forced to admit defeat.
Austria lost Venice and recognized the unification of the North German states with Prussia. Soon after, the Hungarian elite demanded that Franz Joseph grant them equal rights with the Austrian Germans and transform the Austrian Empire into a dual monarchy. Fearing a new revolution, the emperor, who was almost killed by a Hungarian nationalist in 1853, was forced to agree.
This led to the beginning of a national movement among other peoples of the Danube monarchy.

Franz von Matsch. German princes congratulate Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I on the 60th anniversary of his reign. 1908. Hoffburg.
(In the center is Kaiser Wilhelm II).

In 1871, Austria-Hungary recognized the proclamation of the German Empire and entered into an alliance with it (until the mid-1880s, Russia was also a member of it).
This allows Franz Josef's power to gain increased influence in the Balkans during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878; in particular, the empire occupied and annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908.
The latter event led to increased differences with Russia, open confrontation with Serbia, and ultimately the fatal participation of Austria-Hungary in the First World War. Franz Joseph himself did not see the collapse of his empire; he died in 1916 at the age of 86.

Empress Elisabeth wearing a tiara. Portrait of Franz Russ. 1863. Schonburn.

In 1854, Franz Joseph married the Bavarian Princess Elisabeth, known as "Sissi". Her relationship with Franz Joseph's mother, Empress Sophia, did not work out, and Elizabeth soon developed a nervous disorder.

Empress Elizabeth

Since the prestige of the imperial family was already damaged by the homosexual adventures of Franz Joseph I's younger brother Ludwig (who was eventually expelled from Vienna), Elizabeth withdrew from the court to avoid possible complications.

Franz Joseph and Elisabeth.

Three generations of the imperial house. Franz Joseph's parents are Archduke Franz Karl and Archduchess Sophia of Bavaria, Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth, their children Princess Gisella (in the arms of her grandmother) and Princess Sophia. Lithograph by Joseph Bayer, 1856.
clickable

From 1875 to 1914, the couple's summer residence was the Villa in Bad Ischl.
Since the 1860s, the Empress spent her time traveling, rarely meeting her husband and taking almost no part in raising her children.

The first tragedy shocked the family of Franz Joseph in 1867, when his brother Maximilian, who was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico, was shot by Republicans in Mexico.
In 1872, Franz Joseph's mother Sophia, who had a great influence on her son, died, and six years later his father Franz Karl died.

Katerina Schratt
Since 1885, actress Katharina Schratt was the emperor’s mistress; their relationship was never hidden.

Rudolf and Stefania

Maria Vechera

The only son and heir of Franz Joseph, Crown Prince Rudolf, shot himself in 1889 at Mayerling Castle, having previously killed his beloved Baroness Maria Vecheru.
In 1898, Empress Elisabeth was assassinated in Geneva by the Italian anarchist Luigi Lukeni.

After Rudolf's suicide, the emperor's nephew Franz Ferdinand became the new heir to the throne.
In 1914, the new heir to the throne was killed along with his wife in Sarajevo by the Serbian terrorist Gavrilo Princip.

Franz Joseph I in the uniform of a field marshal. 1865. Portrait by F. K. Winterhalter

At the Papal Conclave of 1903, Emperor Franz Joseph vetoed the election of Cardinal Rampolla del Tindaro to the papacy. The veto formula was proclaimed on behalf of the emperor by the Krakow Cardinal Puzina. The cardinals could not contradict Franz Joseph, the only monarch who had no conflicts with the popes. Giuseppe Sarto was elected.

FRANZ JOSEPH I

During the 68 years of his reign, this is the only time that Franz Joseph used his veto. Franz Joseph is the last monarch in history to use it; the new Pope Pius X abolished this right.

Interesting Facts

The emperor was known for his conservatism, simplicity of life, attention to etiquette and traditions. He called himself "the last monarch of the old school."
After his brother was shot in Mexico, for the rest of his life, almost 50 years, the emperor did not receive Mexican envoys.
He never got a telephone into the palace and with great difficulty agreed to electricity.
When his son committed suicide, Franz Joseph wrote to all European monarchs that the cause of the crown prince's death was an accidental shot while hunting; but he wrote the truth to Pope Leo XIII.

It is often said that Austrians, Hungarians and Czechs still get up early and go to bed early (and, accordingly, active life in the cities begins and ends earlier) because Franz Joseph, who was a “lark,” during his long reign accustomed the entire empire to his regime.

Bust of Franz Joseph I in Szeged

The Russian-owned Franz Josef Land, discovered in 1873 by an Austrian polar expedition, is named in his honor.

Habsburg family tree. Modern postcard.
By the way, one generation is missing here. Maximilian I had a son, Philip, who was not emperor, and Charles V and Ferdinand I were Philip's sons.

Postcard dedicated to the celebrations in honor of the silver wedding of Emperor Franz Joseph and Elisabeth. Behind the imperial couple is Crown Prince Rudolf.
Illustrations from the book “Franz Josef and Elizabeth” by Georg Kugler. Bonechi Verlag Styria, 2004.

Painting in honor of the engagement of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth's eldest daughter Gisella to Prince Leopold of Bavaria, 1873.
Elizabeth turned away. She didn't approve of the wedding.

Lunch with the Austrian imperial couple. Around 1890. Franz Joseph sits between his daughters, Gisella and Valeria, Elisabeth sits between his sons-in-law, Leopold of Bavaria and Archduke Franz Salvator of Tuscany, the boys are the grandchildren of the imperial couple, Gisella's children, George and Conrad of Bavaria.

Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph during a state visit to St. Petersburg; Nicholas II next to him, 1897

Ivan Stychinsky

Franz Joseph I ( Franz Josef I) was born on August 18, 1830 in Laxenburg. His father, Archduke Franz Karl, was a rather insignificant and ordinary figure. Franz Joseph owes many of his qualities, as well as his succession to the throne, to his mother, the Bavarian Princess Sophia. This intelligent and extremely energetic woman, “ the only male in the imperial family", gave her son a very good, well-thought-out education, dreaming of later elevating him to the throne. From childhood, the young Archduke showed remarkable abilities, especially in foreign languages. In addition to French, English and Latin, he knew Hungarian very well and spoke fluent Polish, Czech and Italian. Much attention in his education was paid to military sciences. This left a certain imprint on his character: all his life Franz Joseph maintained a love of order, discipline, uniform and strict observance of chain of command. On the contrary, music, poetry, and art played an insignificant role in his life.

Emperor Franz Joseph I The Emperor wears the white “festive” uniform of German generals. Among the awards are the Military Medal, the Officer's Badge for Service, the Russian Military Order of St. George IV degree, stars of the highest degrees of the Military Order of Maria Theresa, the Order of St. Stephen, the Order of Leopold and the Order of the Iron Crown. The ribbon of the Military Order of Maria Theresa is worn over the shoulder

By nature, Franz Joseph had a sociable, cheerful disposition, and loved the simplicity of life and relationships. In the field of state and legal sciences, he did not have time to gain fundamental knowledge, since his studies were interrupted by the revolution.

In December 1848, Emperor Ferdinand was forced to abdicate in favor of his nephew. From this moment on, Franz Joseph becomes emperor. His full title is as follows: His Imperial and Apostolic Majesty Franz Joseph I, by the grace of God Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia, King of Lombardy and Dalmatia, Croatia, Galicia and Illyria, King of Jerusalem, etc.; Archduke of Austria; Grand Duke of Tuscany and Krakow; Duke of Lorraine, Salzburg, Styrian, Carinthian, Carniolian and Bukovinian; Grand Duke of Transylvania; Margrave of Moravia; Duke of Upper and Lower Silesia, Modena, Parma, Piacenza and Guastal, and Zatora; Teshinsky, Friulian, and; sovereign count of Habsburg and Tyrolean, Kyburg, Goriz and Gradis; Prince of Trent and Brixen; Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia and Istria; Count, Feldkirch, Bregenz, Sonneber, etc.; sovereign of Trieste, Kotor and the Vendian mark; Great, and so on, and so on, and so on.

Having become emperor, he married his cousin Elisabeth, daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria.

The long reign of Franz Joseph was filled with many upheavals, both external and internal. He took the helm of a huge empire, torn apart by social and national contradictions. For the first three years of his reign, the emperor had to reckon with the Constitution, but after 1849, Russian troops suppressed the Hungarian revolution and the Habsburg position became so strong that in December 1851, Franz Joseph abolished the constitution and restored absolutism. After the death in 1859 of Prime Minister Prince Alfred Windischgrätz, who headed the liberal cabinet and played an important role at the beginning of the emperor's reign, power was finally concentrated in the hands of Franz Joseph. He saw his main task during these years in maintaining the unity and strengthening the power of the empire, in creating a strong centralized state in which the boundaries between the various lands of the Habsburg monarchy would be erased. To this end, Franz Joseph tried to introduce a unified administrative, judicial and customs system throughout the state, to unify finances, taxation and the education system. However, many insurmountable difficulties finally forced the emperor to abandon this policy.

The Crimean War became the first serious test for his system. Franz Joseph stood firmly against Russia during these years. He wrote to his mother: “ Our future is in the east and we will drive the power and influence of Russia into the limits beyond which it has gone only because of weakness and discord in our camp. Slowly, preferably unnoticed by Tsar Nicholas, but surely we will bring Russian politics to collapse. Of course, it’s not good to oppose old friends, but in politics it’s impossible to do otherwise, and our natural enemy in the east is Russia" From this letter it is clear that Franz Joseph was hardly aware of how fundamental the old "Holy Alliance" was to the preservation of his own empire. The Italian War, which began in 1859, turned out to be a bitter epiphany for the emperor. In three battles, the Austrian army was defeated by French and Sardinian troops. The emperor himself found himself in the same position in which he had shortly before placed Nicholas I. His former allies abandoned him in the most insidious way: France fought on the side of Sardinia, and Prussia “ didn't even lift a finger", calmly watching " gross trampling» rights of Austria. In November, a peace was signed in Zurich, according to which Lombardy came under the rule of the Savoy dynasty; but it turned out that the emperor had not yet completely drunk the cup of humiliation. In 1866, Austria suffered a crushing defeat from Prussian troops at Sadovaya. She had to leave Germany, which a few years later was united under the leadership of Prussia. Immediately after this, a powerful uprising began in Hungary, threatening the final collapse of the Habsburg monarchy. Franz Joseph realized that his previous course would bring him nothing but defeat. To preserve the unity of the state, significant concessions had to be made to the national and liberal movement.

Back in 1861, Franz Joseph agreed to the introduction of a constitution in Austria. In 1867, a very liberal constitution was given to the Hungarians. She provided them with complete autonomy, equalized their rights with the Austrians, organized the entire internal administration of the country on a national basis and allowed them to have their own army. That same year, Franz Joseph was crowned King of Hungary in Budapest. Following this, full autonomy was introduced in Galicia and partial autonomy in the Czech Republic. Throughout the empire, jury trials were established and the irremovability of judges was recognized. Subsequent years showed that the reform policy, despite all its moderation, produces good results. With the introduction of universal conscription, the army became stronger. Finances have strengthened. The construction of numerous railways led to an industrial boom. Equality of religions was declared. Great strides have been made in the field of education. Vienna and other cities expanded and were decorated with beautiful buildings. The estrangement with Prussia that occurred after 1866 was overcome in 1878, when Austria-Hungary received at the Berlin Congress the right to temporarily occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In these and subsequent years, Franz Joseph strengthened his reputation as a balanced, tactful, benevolent monarch. He never imposed his will, but on the contrary, he tried to be a sensitive and skillful administrator. The emperor dealt with administrative matters himself. He tried to cover the whole range of problems and delve into every detail, devoting a lot of time to looking through papers. His favorite residence throughout his life was Schönbrunn. The emperor got up very early - already at four o'clock in the morning he was on his feet, put on his general's uniform, drank a cup of coffee and got down to business, which he did until 10 o'clock with remarkable diligence and accuracy. This was followed by audiences and meetings with ministers. He never held collegial meetings of the Council of Ministers, but always communicated with each minister separately. At one o'clock in the afternoon it was time for breakfast. It was served right in his office so that the emperor would not be distracted from his business. At three o'clock work was interrupted. After the walk, Franz Joseph went to Vienna. At 6 o'clock he returned to Schönbrunn and dined with a narrow circle of invitees. At half past eight the emperor went to bed. This measured routine was not disturbed for many years. Now they say that Austrians, Hungarians and Czechs get up early and go to bed early, so life in cities begins and ends earlier. Franz Joseph, who was a “lark”, accustomed the entire empire to his routine.

The emperor's personal life was unhappy. He never had many friends, and he was close to his wife only in the first years after their wedding. Subsequently, Elizabeth almost never lived in Austria, preferring Hungary and other countries. In 1898, she was killed by an Italian anarchist, who did not even know who he was attacking. The emperor's eldest son and heir, Rudolf, a bright but nervous character, unexpectedly committed suicide in 1889. The younger brother Maximilian, having become the Mexican emperor, was shot by rebels in 1867. The Emperor's second brother, Karl Ludwig, died in 1896. His son Franz Ferdinand was declared heir to the throne. The emperor treated his nephew with detachment, did not approach him and did not seek to involve him in state affairs. In 1908, Franz Joseph celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of his reign.

On June 28, 1914, Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed in Sarajevo. The killer was Serbian Gavrila Princip. As you know, this murder marked the beginning of the First World War. Despite his reluctance to get involved in an international conflict (especially since he was extremely pessimistic about the prospects for war), Franz Joseph agreed with the representatives of the “war party” - V. including the Chief of the General Staff, General. Franz Conrad von Hetzendorf and L. Berchtold - and began the escalation of the conflict. In the first days the emperor said: “ If the monarchy is destined to die, then it should at least die with dignity" At the outbreak of war, the emperor did not take charge of the army, but appointed his brother Archduke Frederick as commander. For another two years, the emperor tried to keep all the threads of government in his hands, but then his condition deteriorated sharply and on November 21, 1916, Franz Joseph I died in Schönbrunn.

An archipelago in the Arctic Ocean that now belongs to the Russian Federation, Franz Josef Land, discovered by Austrian explorers in 1873, was named in his honor.