Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "France" to "Francis Joseph I.": Volume 10, Slice 8Various
History
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "France" to "Francis Joseph I.": Volume 10, Slice 8
Various
Encyclopedias and dictionaries
The history of the Dual Monarchy during his reign is told under the
heading of AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, and here it is only necessary to deal with
its personal aspects. The young emperor was during the first years of
his reign completely in the hands of Prince Felix Schwarzenberg, to
whom, with Windischgraetz and Radetzky, he owed it that Austria had
emerged from the revolution apparently stronger than it had been before.
The first task was to reduce Hungary to obedience, for the Magyars
refused to acknowledge the validity of the abdication in so far as it
concerned Hungary, on the ground that such an act would only be valid
with the consent of the Hungarian parliament. A further motive for their
attitude was that Francis Joseph, unlike his predecessor, had not taken
the oath to observe the Hungarian constitution, which it was the avowed
object of Schwarzenberg to overthrow. In the war which followed the
emperor himself took part, but it was not brought to a successful
conclusion till the help of the Russians had been called in. Hungary,
deprived of her ancient constitution, became an integral part of the
Austrian empire. The new reign began, therefore, under sinister omens,
with the suppression of liberty in Italy, Hungary and Germany. In 1853 a
Hungarian named Lebenyi attempted to assassinate the emperor, and
succeeded in inflicting a serious wound with a knife. With the death of
Schwarzenberg in 1852 the personal government of the emperor really
began, and with it that long series of experiments of which Austria has
been the subject. Generally it may be said that throughout his long
reign Francis Joseph remained the real ruler of his dominions; he not
only kept in his hands the appointment and dismissal of his ministers,
but himself directed their policy, and owing to the great knowledge of
affairs, the unremitting diligence and clearness of apprehension, to
which all who transacted business with him have borne testimony, he was
able to keep a very real control even of the details of government.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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