Habsburg Monarchy
Article
August 11, 2022
The Habsburg Monarchy (Habsburg Empire, Danubian Monarchy or Austrian Monarchy) is the informal name for the conglomerate of fiefs that were ruled by the Austrian branch of the Habsburg dynasty. Usually used in reference to the period from 1526, when Archduke Ferdinand I of Austria took over the thrones of Bohemia and Hungary. In 1804 the Austrian Empire was formed. The term "Habsburg Monarchy" can also be used more broadly to refer to the period from 1276 (the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria) to 1918 (the collapse of Austria-Hungary). Until 1804, the territories under the rule of the Habsburgs did not have a single official name. The name Habsburg Empire is also widely used to refer to the totality of state entities under the rule of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V of Habsburg, including Spain, the Spanish Netherlands, Franche-Comté, Lombardy, the Kingdom of Naples, Sicily, Sardinia and the American possessions of Spain. Monarchs from the Habsburg dynasty were also Holy Roman Emperors from 1439-1806 (with the exception of the period 1740-1745).