Isabella Carter
Franz Joseph I of Austria, also known as Emperor Franz Joseph, was the ruler of the Austrian Empire and then the Austro-Hungarian Empire for 68 years, making him the third-longest reigning monarch in European history. During the first decade of his reign, he resisted constitutionalism in his domains, instead taking a very personal approach to ruling, aided by his advisers. However, after a series of foreign policy defeats, he began to pay more attention to the constitutional question, and in 1867, he sanctioned the December Constitution, which established the fundamental civic rights and governmental powers of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy.
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What You'll Learn
Franz Joseph I of Austria succeeded the throne in 1848
Franz Joseph I of Austria, also known as Francis Joseph I, succeeded the throne at the age of 18 in December 1848. He was the eldest son of Archduke Francis Charles and Sophia, daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria. As his uncle, Emperor Ferdinand I, was childless, Franz Joseph was educated as his heir-presumptive.
In the spring of 1848, he served with the Austrian forces in Italy, where Lombardy-Venetia, supported by King Charles Albert of Sardinia, rebelled against Austrian rule. When the revolution spread to the capitals of the Austrian Empire, Franz Joseph was proclaimed emperor at Olmütz (Olomouc) on 2 December 1848, after the abdication of his uncle, Ferdinand I. The rights of his father, the Archduke, to the throne were passed over.
In the early years of his reign, his realms and territories were referred to as the Austrian Empire. However, they were reconstituted as the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary in 1867. From 1 May 1850 to 24 August 1866, he also served as the president of the German Confederation.
Franz Joseph's early reign was marked by resistance to constitutionalism in his domains. He was considered a reactionary and spent his early years as emperor resisting constitutional reforms. This resistance to constitutionalism, coupled with the harsh rule of his advisor, Minister President Felix zu Schwarzenberg, and the formation of an intolerant police apparatus, evoked a latent mood of rebellion.
In 1867, Franz Joseph and his wife, Elizabeth, were formally crowned king and queen of Hungary. As the dual monarch, Franz Joseph planned to grant some form of self-government to the Austrian Slavs. However, this was opposed by the German and Magyar elites who controlled the empire.
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He resisted constitutionalism in his domains
Franz Joseph I of Austria, born on 18 August 1830, was the oldest son of Archduke Franz Karl and Princess Sophie of Bavaria. He succeeded as Emperor of Austria at Olmütz on 2 December 1848, at the young age of 18. During the first 10 years of his reign, he was considered a reactionary, resisting constitutionalism in his domains.
In the early years of his rule, he was aided by outstanding advisers such as Felix, Prince zu Schwarzenberg (until 1852), Leo, Count von Thun und Hohenstein, and Alexander, Baron von Bach. Together with Schwarzenberg, who had become prime minister and foreign minister in 1848, Franz Joseph set out to establish his empire. In foreign affairs, Schwarzenberg achieved a powerful position for Austria, particularly with the Punctation of Olmütz (November 1850), in which Prussia acknowledged Austria's predominance in Germany.
However, Schwarzenberg's harsh domestic rule and the formation of an intolerant police force evoked a latent mood of rebellion. This mood became more threatening after 1851 when the government withdrew the promise of a constitution, given in 1849. In 1854, Franz Joseph married his first cousin Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, with whom he had four children: Sophie, Gisela, Rudolf, and Marie Valerie. The marriage, however, was fraught with personal and political tensions.
In 1859, the defeat in the Second Italian War of Independence caused Franz Joseph to pay renewed attention to the constitutional question. A period of experimentation with federalistic and centralistic charters kept the country in a permanent state of crisis until 1867. In 1861, a constitution was passed, and reforms to modernise Austria were instigated, leading to industrialisation. However, problems persisted in foreign affairs, and Austria suffered defeats in the Second Italian War of Independence and the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, which triggered the empire's downfall.
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He was considered a reactionary
Franz Joseph I of Austria was considered a reactionary, spending the early years of his reign resisting constitutionalism in his domains. He became emperor at the age of 18 in December 1848, following his uncle Emperor Ferdinand I's abdication of the throne.
During the first 10 years of his rule, the era of so-called neo-absolutism, the emperor—aided by outstanding advisers such as Felix, Prince zu Schwarzenberg (until 1852), Leo, Graf (Count) von Thun und Hohenstein, and Alexander, Freiherr (Baron) von Bach—established a very personal regime. He was involved in both the formulation of foreign policy and the strategic decisions of the time. Together with Schwarzenberg, who had become prime minister and foreign minister in 1848, Franz Joseph set out to set his empire in order. In external affairs, Schwarzenberg achieved a powerful position for Austria; in particular, with the Punctation of Olmütz (November 1850), in which Prussia acknowledged Austria’s predominance in Germany.
However, in home affairs, Schwarzenberg’s harsh rule and the formation of an intolerant police apparatus evoked a latent mood of rebellion. This mood became more threatening after 1851, when the government withdrew the promise of a constitution, given in 1849. The Austrian Empire was forced to cede its influence over Tuscany and most of its claim to Lombardy–Venetia to the Kingdom of Sardinia, following the Second Italian War of Independence in 1859 and the Third Italian War of Independence in 1866. Although Franz Joseph ceded no territory to the Kingdom of Prussia after the Austrian defeat in the Austro-Prussian War, the Peace of Prague (23 August 1866) settled the German Question in favour of Prussia, which prevented the unification of Germany.
The mood of crisis after the defeat of 1859 caused Franz Joseph to pay renewed attention to the constitutional question. A period of experiments—alternating between federalistic and centralistic charters—kept the country in a permanent state of crisis until 1867. The congress of princes at Frankfurt in 1863, for which the reigning heads of all German states assembled with the sole exception of the king of Prussia, was a high point in Franz Joseph’s life. Yet the absence of the Prussian king demonstrated that Prussia no longer regarded Austria as the leading German power.
In 1867, Franz Joseph was coronated in Budapest, and the Compromise was signed, creating the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy, a real union between two states that were joined only by a common head of state and a common foreign policy. The Monarchy now had two capitals – Vienna and Budapest – and two separate governments and two parliaments in parallel to one another. The February Patent of 1861 was reissued as the ‘Law on Representation of the Peoples in the Empire’. This body of laws formed the constitutional basis of the Monarchy until 1918. A special feature of Austrian constitutionalism was the emperor’s extensive authority to exert power (monarchical constitutionalism). Franz Joseph retained the right of appointment for posts in the central bureaucracy and had the right of veto when laws were enacted. In contrast to the British monarchy, the government continued to be obliged first and foremost to the emperor rather than to Parliament. Ministers were primarily advisors to the emperor and were regarded as instruments of imperial will and not as the executive authority of the will of the people. Franz Joseph’s potential influence on government was bolstered by his right to adjourn or even dissolve the Reichsrat.
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He was the constitutional monarch from 1867-1898
Franz Joseph I of Austria became Emperor of Austria at the age of 18 in 1848. During the first 10 years of his reign, he resisted constitutionalism in his domains. However, the failure of neo-absolutist centralism and foreign policy setbacks made gradual reform towards a constitutional system inevitable during the 1860s.
In 1867, Franz Joseph was coronated in Budapest, and the Compromise was signed, creating the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy. This union between two states shared a common head of state and foreign policy but were otherwise completely autonomous. The monarchy now had two capitals, two governments, and two parliaments.
The December Constitution, sanctioned by Franz Joseph on 21 December 1867, established the fundamental civic rights and governmental powers of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy. This constitution formed the constitutional basis of the Monarchy until 1918. Notably, Franz Joseph retained extensive authority, including the right of appointment for central bureaucracy posts and the right to veto enacted laws.
During his reign as a constitutional monarch, Franz Joseph was well-respected and considered the glue that held the Empire together during challenging periods. He was also beloved by the people, fluent in multiple languages, and granted greater autonomy to various ethnic groups within the Empire.
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He was the glue that held the Empire together during tough times
Franz Joseph I of Austria was born on 18 August 1830 in Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace. He was the oldest son of Archduke Franz Karl and Princess Sophie of Bavaria. At the age of 13, he joined the Austrian army and fought on the Front in Italy in May 1848. In the same year, he and his family took refuge in Innsbruck from the demonstrations and rebellions in Vienna. On 2 December 1848, at the age of 18, Franz Joseph became Emperor in Olomouc, following his uncle Emperor Ferdinand I's abdication.
During the first 10 years of his reign, the era of so-called neo-absolutism, the emperor—aided by outstanding advisers—took control of foreign policy and strategic decisions. In 1854, he married his first cousin Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, with whom he had four children: Sophie, Gisela, Rudolf, and Marie Valerie.
Franz Joseph was well-respected and was regarded as the glue that held the Empire together during challenging periods. However, not everyone liked him, and an attempt was made on his life in 1853 when a Hungarian nationalist stabbed him in the neck from behind. Fortunately, he was saved by his high, sturdy collar. This incident occurred during the 1848 to 1860 absolutism era, which was marked by disappointments in foreign affairs, leading to the end of absolutism.
The foreign-policy reverses and the failure of neo-absolutist centralism made gradual reform towards a constitutional system inevitable during the 1860s. In 1861, a constitution was passed, marking the beginning of a period of experimentation with federalistic and centralistic charters. This kept the country in a constant state of crisis until 1867, when the Compromise with Hungary was signed, creating the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy.
In 1867, Franz Joseph was coronated in Budapest, and the December Constitution was sanctioned, establishing the fundamental civic rights and governmental powers of the new monarchy. The monarchy now had two capitals, Vienna and Budapest, each with its own government and parliament. Despite his role in shaping the new constitutional monarchy, Franz Joseph retained significant influence over the government, including the right to appoint and veto central bureaucratic positions and the right to adjourn or dissolve the Reichsrat.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, during the first 10 years of his reign, Franz Joseph resisted constitutionalism in his domains. However, the failures of neo-absolutist centralism made gradual reform towards a constitutional system inevitable during the 1860s.
The February Patent of 1861 was reissued as the 'Law on Representation of the Peoples in the Empire'. This body of laws formed the constitutional basis of the Monarchy until 1918.
The December Constitution was sanctioned by Franz Joseph on 21 December 1867. The five points of the constitution established the fundamental civic rights and the exercise of governmental, executive, and judicial power.
The congress of princes at Frankfurt in 1863 was a high point in Franz Joseph’s life. However, the absence of the Prussian king demonstrated that Prussia no longer regarded Austria as the leading German power.
The Compromise was an agreement between Austria and Hungary, creating the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy. Hungary was granted complete autonomy in all affairs of state except foreign policy and defence.
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