The Empire of Austria; Its Rise and Present Power

The Empire of Austria; Its Rise
and Present Power

The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Empire of Austria; Its Rise and
Present
Power, by John S. C. Abbott
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The Empire of Austria; Its Rise and Present Power
Author: John S. C. Abbott

Release Date: June 15, 2005 [eBook #16070]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
EMPIRE OF AUSTRIA; ITS RISE AND PRESENT POWER***
E-text prepared by Curtis Weyant, David King, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team from page images
generously made available by the Making of America Collection of the
University of Michigan Library (http://www.hti.umich.edu/m/moagrp/)

Note: Images of the original pages are available through the Making of
America Collection of the University of Michigan Library. See
http://www.hti.umich.edu/m/moagrp/

The Monarchies of Continental Europe
THE EMPIRE OF AUSTRIA; ITS RISE AND PRESENT POWER

by
JOHN S. C. ABBOTT
New York; Published by Mason Brothers, Cincinnati: Rickey, Mallory
& Co. Stereotyped by Thomas B. Smith, 82 & 84 Beekman St. Printed
By C. A. Alvord. 15 Vandewater St.
1859

PREFACE
The studies of the author of this work, for the last ten years, in writing
the "History of Napoleon Bonaparte," and "The French Revolution of
1789," have necessarily made him quite familiar with the monarchies
of Europe. He has met with so much that was strange and romantic in
their career, that he has been interested to undertake, as it were, a
biography of the Monarchies of Continental Europe--their birth,
education, exploits, progress and present condition. He has commenced
with Austria.
There are abundant materials for this work. The Life of Austria
embraces all that is wild and wonderful in history; her early struggles
for aggrandizement--the fierce strife with the Turks, as wave after wave
of Moslem invasion rolled up the Danube--the long conflicts and
bloody persecutions of the Reformation--the thirty years' religious
war--the meteoric career of Gustavus Adolphus and Charles XII.
shooting athwart the lurid storms of battle--the intrigues of Popes--the
enormous pride, power and encroachments of Louis XIV.--the warfare
of the Spanish succession and the Polish dismemberment--all these
events combine in a sublime tragedy which fiction may in vain attempt
to parallel.
It is affecting to observe in the history of Germany, through what woes
humanity has passed in attaining even its present position of
civilization. It is to be hoped that the human family may never again
suffer what it has already endured. We shall be indeed insane if we do
not gain some wisdom from the struggles and the calamities of those
who have gone before us. The narrative of the career of the Austrian
Empire, must, by contrast, excite emotions of gratitude in every
American bosom. Our lines have fallen to us in pleasant places; we
have a goodly heritage.
It is the author's intention soon to issue, as the second of this series, the

History of the Empire of Russia.
JOHN S. C. ABBOTT.
Brunswick, Maine, 1859.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
RHODOLPH OF HAPSBURG. From 1232 to 1291.
Hawk's Castle.--Albert, Count of Hapsburg.--Rhodolph of
Hapsburg.--His Marriage and Estates.--Excommunication and its
Results.--His Principles of Honor.--A Confederacy of Barons.--Their
Route.--Rhodolph's Election as Emperor of Germany.--The Bishop's
Warning.--Dissatisfaction at the Result of the Election.--Advantages
accruing from the Possession of an interesting
Family.--Conquest.--Ottocar acknowledges the Emperor; yet breaks his
Oath of Allegiance.--Gathering Clouds.--Wonderful Escape.--Victory
of Rhodolph.--His Reforms. Page 17

CHAPTER II.
REIGNS OF ALBERT I., FREDERIC, ALBERT AND OTHO. From
1291 to 1347.
Anecdotes of Rhodolph.--His Desire for the Election of his Son.--His
Death.--Albert.--His Unpopularity.--Conspiracy of the Nobles.--Their
Defeat.--Adolphus of Nassau chosen Emperor.--Albert's Conspiracy.--
Deposition of Adolphus and Election of Albert.--Death of
Adolphus.--The Pope Defied.--Annexation of Bohemia.--Assassination
of Albert.--Avenging Fury.--The Hermit's Direction.--Frederic the
Handsome.--Election of Henry, Count of Luxemburg.--His
Death.--Election of Louis of Bavaria.--Capture of
Frederic.--Remarkable Confidence toward a Prisoner.--Death of
Frederic.--An early Engagement.--Death of Louis.--Accession of Albert.
Page 34

CHAPTER III.

RHODOLPH II., ALBERT IV. AND ALBERT V. From 1389 to 1437.
Rhodolph II.--Marriage of John to Margaret.--Intriguing for the
Tyrol.--Death of Rhodolph.--Accession of Power to Austria.--Dividing
the Empire.--Delight of the Emperor Charles.--Leopold.--His Ambition
and successes.--Hedwige, Queen of Poland.--"The Course of true Love
never did run smooth."--Unhappy Marriage of Hedwige.--Heroism of
Arnold of Winkelreid.--Death of Leopold.--Death of Albert
IV.--Accession Of Albert V.--Attempts of Sigismond to bequeath to
Albert V. Hungary and Bohemia. Page 48

CHAPTER IV.
ALBERT, LADISLAUS AND FREDERIC. From 1440 to 1489.
Increasing Honors of Albert V.--Encroachments of the Turks.--The
Christians Routed.--Terror of the Hungarians.--Death of Albert.--
Magnanimous Conduct of Albert of Bavaria.--Internal
Troubles.--Precocity of Ladislaus.--Fortifications Raised by