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.
