Franz II

Franz II (Florence, 1768-1835, Vienna), Deutscher Kaiser from 1792 until the end of the Holy Roman Empire (see Deutsches Reich, Altes) in 1806, and, as Franz I, Kaiser von Österreich from 1804 until his death. The son of Leopold II, he came to the throne as the French Revolution approached its climax. Franz induced the states of the Empire to invade France in the summer of 1792 (see Revolutionskriege). The expedition was a failure, and imperilled still further the lives of the French royal family (including Franz's aunt Queen Marie Antoinette), which it was intended to save. Though in 1795 Franz acquired ‘Little Poland’ with Lublin (see Poland, Partitions of), he lost much territory to the French in Italy. He suffered repeated defeat in the Napoleonic Wars, notably at Austerlitz in 1805, which was followed not only by the occupation of Vienna and the loss of territory, but also by the end of the Empire, and with it his traditional title. He had, however, made provision against this event by declaring the Austrian Crown Lands an empire (Kaiserreich) in 1804. He therefore reigned for two years as Franz II of the one empire, and as Franz I of the other. In 1809 he was again at war with France, but sustained defeat at Wagram. His attitude to popular support is indicated by his viewing the Tyrolean patriot Andreas Hofer as a disobedient subject. In 1810 he gave his daughter Marie-Louise to Napoleon in marriage, and in 1812 contributed a substantial force to the Grand Army for the invasion of Russia. After Napoleon's retreat he maintained a policy of caution, refraining from alliance with Russia and Prussia until August 1813.

In home policy he was a strict absolutist, seeing himself as God's delegate. He was one of the partners in the Holy Alliance (see Heilige Allianz), and, guided by Metternich, he exerted Austrian influence in the repression of liberal tendencies in Germany, notably in the Carlsbad Decrees (see Karlsbader Beschlüsse). He was married four times. He is the Franz of Haydn's Austrian national anthem, Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser'.