The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-10-27
Royal House Of HaPsbssrg.


or Houses-those of Austria and Prussia,
around the one or the other of which every
petty King and great duke" and dukc,p
will arrange himself in the impending strug-
gle. We begin with Austria. ..-
The House of Hapsburg, which reigns over
the Austrian Empire, is one of the most an
cient royal families in Europe. 1t Itoriginated
in the Canton of Aargau Cor Argovie) in
Switzerland. On the right bank of the river
Aar in that Canton, there is village which
was the birthplace of this distinguished fam
| lily. An old castle stands on hill of consid-
cradle elevation, and overlooks the town.
This castle was built by Bishop Warner in
the 14th century, and from it its lofty and
.es-' 7,ssSaS5 Nsirrs.ssry, 1r-syt,sres'
burg, which it still bears. The proprietors
Of this castle in the succeeding century be-
gan to be called Counts of Hapsburg, and
gradually extending their possessions in
Aargau and other parts of northern Switzer-
land, became in process of time the most
powerful family in the country. Not only
so; they acquired large possessions in Al
SAGE, which is now a part of France, but was
then, and for long time afterwards, plrt
of the German Empire. 5a-.... .e..g -.....
| In 1878, Rodolph, the eldest son of Albert
", Count of Hapsburg and Langrave of
Alsaca, was elected Emperor of Germany,
| fl,a axyti,, 81 90
His accession to the imperial throne was op-
posed by Ottocar, King of Bohemia, in whose
armies he had long served in the wars which
that monarch was carrying on with the pa
gan Prussians. He had another opponent
in Alphonso, King of CASTLE, whom the
Pope, Gregory X (the friend of Roiolph, }
persuaded to renounce his claim. The King
of Bohemia was not so easily disposed Of
Rodolph, who had reached the age of fifty
five, strengthened himself by marrying two
of his daughters to the Count Palatine, of Ba-
varia, and the Duke of Saxony, both power
tul princes. These marriages were the foun-
dations of serious troubles in subsequent
times. 4 war between the new Emperor
and the King of Bohemia ended in 1878. bv
the death of the latter, and the acquisition
by Rodoph ola part of his possessions, Up
per and Lower Austria, on the Danube. II
was in this way that the House of Hapsburs
came into the possession of a province which
formed the nucleus of its present vast do
main in the Southeastern parts of Germany,
and has given name to modern empire.
Rodolph reigned nineteen years. He was
sagacious, brave, unaffected, and simple in
manners, and magnanimous. Few princes
have surpassed him in energy of character,
or in talent for civil and military affairs
Such was Rodolph I, the founder of the illus
trious House of Hapsburg. ...
! The work of family aggrandizement, COM
menced by Rodolph, was steadily prosecuted
by his defendants, until partly by marriage
and partly by arms, Styria, Carniola, Corin
thia, the Tyrol, Dalmatia, Bohemia, Moravia,
Hungary, and Gallcia, were all added to the
patrimonial domain of Austria. History
scarcely furnishes parallel of similar sue
cess. The defendants of the originally poor
Counts of Hapsburg became the proud En-
perors of Germany, and in our days, the
monarchs of avast empire which their am
bition and energy have created. The mar
riage of Maria Theresa-daughter of Charles
VI, VINO abolished, by pragmatic sanction,
the Sale law, which excludes females from
the throne-with Francis Stephen, Duke of
Lorraine, and at that time the reigninp Duke
OF Tuscany, who year or two later (namely,
l745D was elected Emperor of Germony.
gave rise to the House of Hapsburg- Lorraine,
which now leigns in Austria.
With the exception ofa few brief intervals.
the House of Hapsburg furnished Emperors
for Germany from 1872 to 1906. period of
53f We lrs, and to Austria from 1906 to the
present time, period of So years. Some of
these Emperors were certainly men of no or
binary ability, but, taken as dynasty, the
House of Hapsburg has been inferior in this
respect to some of the short-lived dynasties
which proceeded it, particularly those ofSax-
ony and Hohen-Staufen. The long wars
which they waged with the Turks, as well
as those which they carried on in italy with
the Italians and the Spaniards, as also those
with the French, both in Italy and Flanders,
contributed to make the Hapsburgs war
like House. Among the best Of the whole
OF them were Maximilian l., his grandson
Ferdinand [. (brother of Charles V. and hus
band of the last heiress Of the throne of
Hungary and Joseph H. As dynastic
House, the race has been singulariy devoted
to the interests Of Rome, and many of them
were exceedingly narrow and bigoted in
their religious views and principles.
Since 1906, the epoch of its commence
ment, the Empire of Austria has had three
monarchs-Francis l. (who as the last Em-
pelor of Germany is known to history as
Francis It.;) Ferdinand L., who reigned from
1885 to 1913 (Dec. 2nd,) when he abdcated:
Francis Joseph, the present Emperor, who
on the 18th of August entered upon his 29th
year. Certainly they have not been remark
able for talent or character They Inherited
their full share ofthe obtinacy Of their House.
The late Emperor, Ferdinand l. (now living