apr 30, 1740 - Summary of the Habsburg Story

Description:

• The Habsburgs became important when Rudolf I was elected King of Germany in 1273.
He then took over the Duchy of Austria, which became the family’s main power base.

• Fast‑forward to 1508: Maximilian I, a Habsburg, became Holy Roman Emperor.
From this point on, the Habsburg family basically controlled the Holy Roman Empire for centuries.

• Maximilian expanded Habsburg lands by marrying Mary of Burgundy, which brought the Netherlands into the family, even though she died early.

• His grandson, Charles V, was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1519. Charles inherited a massive collection of territories:
• Austria and the Habsburg lands (from Maximilian)
• The Netherlands (from Mary of Burgundy’s line)
• Spain and its huge overseas empire (from his father Philip the Handsome and mother Joanna of Castile)

• Because his empire stretched across Europe and the Americas, Charles V spent his life traveling, trying to keep everything under control.

• By 1556, exhausted and ill, Charles V abdicated (stepped down) and split the empire:
• His brother Ferdinand I got Austria and the Holy Roman Empire.
• His son Philip II got Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, and the Spanish colonies in the Americas and the Philippines (named after him).

Added to timeline:

Date: