Franz Joseph I, Austrian Emperor

Franz Joseph I (August 18, 1830 - November 21, 1916) was Emperor of Austria, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916. Franz Joseph was troubled by nationalism during his entire reign. He concluded the Ausgleich of 1867, which granted greater autonomy to Hungary, hence transforming the Austrian Empire into the Austro-Hungarian Empire under his dual monarchy. His domains were then ruled peacefully for the next 45 years, although he personally suffered the tragedies of the suicide of his son, Crown Prince Rudolf in 1889, and the assassination of his wife, Empress Elisabeth in 1898. After the Austro-Prussian War, Austria-Hungary turned its attention to the Balkans, which was a hotspot of international tension due to conflicting interests with the Russian Empire. The Bosnian crisis was a result of Franz Joseph's annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, which had been occupied by his troops since the Congress of Berlin (1878). The assassination of the heir-presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in 1914, resulted in Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against the Kingdom of Serbia, which was Russia's ally. Because of his age, he was unable to take as much as an active part in the war in comparison to past conflicts. He died in 1916, at the age of 86, after ruling his domains for almost 68 years. Bain News Service photograph circa 1910-15

Picture No

10978047

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47617658

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2700px x 5523px (2.3MB)

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