Austria; key historical events
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modified 30/1/2021
See also Albania
See also Bulgaria
See also Germany
See also Greece/Turkey
See also Italy
See also Poland
See also Romania
(see here for Moldova)
See also Russia/USSR
See also Yugoslavia
2/11/2020, A major terror attack took place in Vienna. 4
people were killed and 23 injured, several seriously, when an Islamist
radicalised Austrian-North Macedonian man went on the rampage with a gun and a
knife.
15/10/2017, Elections in
Austria produced gains for the far-right party, over
issues of immigration.
22/5/2016, In
Austrian Presidential elections, Mr Norbert Hofer of the far-Right
lost to Mr
Alexander Van der Bellen of the Greens by the narrow margin of 0.6%.
The result was connected to rising concern about migration into Europe from
Asia and Africa.
26/4/2008, Police
arrested Josef
Fritzl in Amstetten, Austria, after he held women and children for
years in a dungeon below his home. He was jailed for life in March 2009.
20/2/2006, British historian David
Irving was sentenced to three years in prison by an Austrian court
for Holocaust denial.
2/2000, Following elections, Joerg
Haider’s Freedom Party formed a Hard-Right coaltion with the conservative
People’s Party.
11/11/2000, A fire on
a funicular railway
in the Austrian ski resort of Kaprun
killed 155 holidaymakers.
8/7/1992, Thomas Klestil became President
of Austria
21/1/1987, In
Austria, a coalition government under Dr Franz Ranitzky took office.
8/6/1986, Kurt Waldheim
was elected president of Austria, amid controversy over his alleged
collaboration with the Nazis in World War Two. He was inaugurated on 8/7/1986.
18/11/1977, Kurt von Schuschnigg,
Austrian politician, died.
21/12/1975, Left wing terrorists, including Carlos
The Jackal, kidnapped delegates of an OPEC conference in Vienna.
They killed three hostages, extorted US$ 3 million, and vanished into the
Middle East.
1/3/1970, Socialists won an unexpected victory in Austrian general elections.
22/6/1956, In
Austria, following the general election of 13/5/1956, Julius Raab formed a coalition
government of the People’s Party and the Socialists.
15/5/1955. Austria became de jure an independent
state within its 1937 borders under the Austrian
State Treaty, signed by the USA, USSR, France, and Britain (see 7/1/1946). All the
four-power occupation forces were withdrawn by 25/10/1955. On 5/11/1955 Austria declared itself constitutionally to be permanently
neutral.
30/12/1954, Archduke Eugen,
Austrian field marshal, died aged 91.
1950, An attempted Communist coup in Austria failed.
7/1/1946. Austria was established as a de facto
independent state, divided into four zones of military occupation, as was
For more events of World War Two in Europe see France-Germany
11/8/1939, The Axis
Conference opened at
22/4/1937. The
Austrian Chancellor, Schuschnigg, met Mussolini.
21/5/1936, In Austria, Kurt Schusnigg
was made leader of the Fatherland Front, the only permitted Party.
1/4/1936. Austria
introduced conscription.
4/7/1935, Austria, encouraged by Mussolini,
abolished anti-Hapsburg laws and restored some imperial property.
14/3/1935, Anton Rintelen
was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in the July Putsch.
30/4/1934, Chancellor
Dollfuss became dictator of Austria.
17/2/1934. A
Socialist revolt in Austria was brutally crushed.
30/1/1934. All
Austrian political parties were banned except the 'Fatherland Front'.
10/11/1933. Dollfuss
declared martial law in
29/3/1933, Austrian
Nazis staged a large demonstration, in defiance of Chancellor Dollfuss. Meanwhile
Germany instituted a punitive 1,000 Mark tourist tax on any German visiting
Austria, which severely damaged the Austrian tourist industry.
7/3/1933. Chancellor
Dollfuss suspended the Austrian Parliament.
27/7/1932, Archduchess
Gisela of Austria died, aged 76.
20/5/1932, Engelbert
Dolfuss, Austrian Chancellor, formed a coalition government of
Christian Socialists and Agrarians.
13/9/1931, In
Austria, an attempted Fascist coup by the
Heimwehr under Dr
Pfrimer failed.
9/11/1930. Social
Democrats won elections to the Austrian Parliament.
26/9/1929, John Schrober
became chancellor of Austria.
30/4/1929, Ernst
Streeruwitz was appointed Chancellor of Austria.
5/12/1928, Wilhelm Miklas
was elected President of Austria, succeeding Michael Hainish.
15/7/1927. Vienna faced
a General Strike as Socialists rioted. The left wing was upset that
Austrian courts were much more lenient on offences committed by right-wing
offenders, even up to murder.
15/10/1926, Ignaz Seipel
formed a Christian Socialist Government in Austria, replacing Rudolf Ramek.
9/12/1920, Michael Hainish
elected first President of Austria.
10/9/1919, The Treaty
of St Germain was signed by the Allies with Austria at the Paris Peace Conference. Austria had to pay large reparations to
the Allies, and recognise the independence of Yugoslavia, Poland,
Czechoslovakia and Hungary.
10/6/1919, Austria
protested against the terms of the Paris Peace Conference.
11/5/1919, The
population of Vorarlberg, the
westernmost
12/11/1918, The Republic of Austria was declared, ending the Hapsburg Dynasty, as Emperor Charles
abdicated.
10/4/1918, A congress of Austrian-subject peoples was held in
Rome.
For main
European events of World War One see France-Germany
21/11/1916. Emperor Franz Josef,
ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire since 1848, died.
He was succeeded by his 29-year old grandson, Charles I.
23/7/1914. Austria determined that the government of Serbia
was involved in the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand on 28/6/1914, and sent
an ultimatum to the President of Serbia, Narodna Odbrana, drafted so as to prepare for
war with Serbia. The terms were designed to be too humiliating for Serbia to
accept. In fact Serbia accepted most of the terms, but insisted that an
Austro-Serbian judicial enquiry into the assassination would be subject to
Serbian law, and Austria rejected this condition. See 28/7/1914. Austria’s real issue with Serbia was that
it blocked potential Austrian territorial expansion southwards into the
Balkans, to give Austria domination of the Aegean Sea.
5/12/1912, Italy, Germany and Austria renewed their Triple
alliance for a further six years.
15/11/1908. Austria sent troops to the Serbian frontier.
7/10/1908.
10/1/1907, Austria
passed a Bill giving the vote to all males aged 24 and over.
16/9/1903, Franz Joseph
of Austria proposed to bring Hungarian Army regiments in under a unified
military command. This provoked opposition from the Magyars.
23/6/1902, Germany, Austro-Hungary, and
10/9/1898, Elizabeth, consort of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria,
was stabbed to death by anarchist Luigi Luccheni.
14/12/1897, Kurt Schusnigg,
Austrian politician, was born.
30/7/1897, Alfred Arneth,
Austrian historian, died (born 10/7/1819).
18/2/1895, Friedrich Albert, Austrian Field Marshal, died (born 3/8/1817 in
Vienna).
4/10/1892, Engelbert Dolfuss, Austrian dictator, was
born.
6/5/1891, The Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria, and Italy was
renewed.
24/10/1886, Friedrich Beust, Austrian statesman, died near
Vienna (born in Dresden 13/1/1809).
20/5/1882, Austria formed a Triple Alliance with Germany and
Italy; this threatened Russia.
27/4/1881, Ludwig Benedek, Austrian General, died in Graz
( born in Odenburg, Hungary 14/7/1804).
8/7/1876, The Austrian
and Russian
foreign Ministers, Andrassy and Gorchakov, met at the Reichstadt
in Bohemia to discuss the future of the Balkans on the conclusion of the
current conflict.
29/6/1875, Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria, died (born
19/4/1793).
15/3/1867, Austria and Hungary
buried their differences and agreed to joint rule, sharing defence, foreign, and
financial matters but with separate parliaments. However the Czechs, annoyed by
the minor role they were given in this arrangement, walked out of the
Parliament on 22/8/1868.
8/2/1867, As Prussia became increasingly powerful under Prime Minister
Otto von Bismarck and King Wilhelm I, political differences between Germany
and the Hapsburgs of Austria, who had ruled Austria since 1278. This weakened
Austria to the point where Hungary threatened to break away, and to save the
unity of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was forced to agree to a Dual
Monarchy, where each State had a separate government and a convoluted system of
joint Ministers to oversee the Empire. However this in turn alienated ethnic minorities within
Austro-Hungary, ultimately sparking off demands for Serbian independence and
the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand that led to World
War One.
3/10/1866, A peace treaty was concluded between Austria and Italy.
Austria surrendered Venetia to Italy.
23/8/1866. The Treaty of Prague was signed, ending the war between Austria and Prussia.
24/6/1866, The Italians fighting the Austrians were defeated at Custozza.
14/6/1866, The brief Austro-Prussian
War began, over a dispute between Prussia and Austria over the Duchies of
Schleswig and Holstein.
10/11/1859, A peace
treaty signed at Zurich ended the war between France, allied
to Piedmont, and Austria. The effects of the treaty were crucial in the
unification of Italy. Under its terms, Lombardy passed from Austria to
Piedmont, with the exception of the Quadrilateral forts (see 24/6/1859) which
were retained by Austria. Piedmont compensated France 60 million lire
for the cost of the war with Austria. Plebiscites were held in various
territories to determine which State they would join.
10/7/1859, The Treaty of Villafranca was signed between
France and Austria.
24/6/1859, At the Battle of Solferino, Lombardy, Italy, the
French under Napoleon III defeated the Austrians.
4/6/1859, The Battle of Magenta. France defeated Austrian
forces and captured Milan.
30/5/1859, Battle of Palestro; Austria defeated by Piedmont.
20/5/1859, Italian Wars of independence, Austria defeated by
Piedmont.
See Italy for War of Italian Independence against Austria
3/5/1859. France declared war on Austria.
5/1/1858, Joseph Radedtsky, Austrian Field-Marshal and
national hero, died in Milan aged 91.
2/12/1854, Austria formed a strategic alliance with Britain
and France.
24/4/1854, Elizabeth married Archduke Ferdinand, Emperor of
Austria.
14/3/1853, Julius Haynau, Austrian general, died (born
1786).
24/6/1852, Viktor Adler, Austrian politician (died
12/11/1918) was born.
25/3/1849, Agenor Goluchowski, Austrian statesman, was
born.
13/3/1848, Prince Metternich of Austria resigned and went
to London.
2/12/1848, Emperor Ferdinand
I of Austria abdicated in favour of his nephew, Francis Joseph.
30/4/1847, Charles, Archduke of Austria, died (born
5/9/1771).
6/11/1846, Following uprisings in March 1846, the small
republic of Cracow was annexed to Austrian-controlled
Galicia, losing its independence.
24/12/1837, Elizabeth, consort of Emperor Franz Joseph of
Austria, was born.
2/3/1835, Francis II, last Holy
Roman Emperor, died. He was
succeeded, as Emperor of Austria only, by his 4-year-old son, Ferdinand I.
18/10/1634, Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg, Austrian statesman
(born 1568) died at Laibach.
18/8/1830, Birth of Franz-Joseph I,
Emperor of Austria who invaded Serbia, ultimately starting World War One.
3/8/1817, Friedrich Albert, Austrian Field Marshal, was
born in Vienna (died 18/2/1895).
10/7/1819, Alfred Arneth, Austrian historian, was born in
Vienna (died 1897).
15/3/1811, The Austrian state was bankrupt, due to inflation
caused by soaring military expenditure.
20/2/1810, Andreas Hofer, Austrian patriot, died (born
22/11/1767).
14/10/1809. Austria signed
the Peace of Schonbrunn, ceding its Illyrian provinces to France. Austria
lost Galicia, Salzburg, and Istria.
8/10/1809, Metternich was appointed Austrian Foreign Minister.
13/1/1809, Friedrich Beust, Austrian statesman, was born
Dresden (died near Vienna 24/10/1886).
26/12/1805, Austria
abandoned the Third Coalition by signing the Peace of Pressburg with France.
Austria was forced to surrender Venetia to the Kingdom of Italy, newly
founded by Napoleon. Austria also
surrendered Tyrol to Bavaria and its remaining Swabian lands to Wurttemberg and
Baden.
See France-Germany for more events of
Napoleonic Wars
20/10/1805, The outnumbered French army of Napoleon defeated an Austrian army at Ulm. Napoleon had already realised he cold not gain
control of the English Channel, or overcome British naval supremacy, so before
the Battle of Trafalgar he had directed his forces eastwards, against Austria.
Austria had to submit to the Treaty of
Pressburg, by which Venetia was ceded to the French Kingdom of Italy and
the States of the Lower Rhine were forced into the Confederation of the Rhine,
a French dependency. The Electors of Bavaria and Wurttemberg became Kings
independent of Austria, and Austria had to pay Napoleon a war contribution of
40 million francs.
14/7/1804, Ludwig Benedek, Austrian General, was born in
Odenburg, Hungary (died in Graz 27/4/1881).
29/11/1780, Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria, died in
Vienna.
19/4/1793, Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria, was born
(died 29/6/1875).
13/5/1779, At the Peace
of Teschen, Austria made peace with Frederick of Prussia. Austria received a small part of Bavaria, the
Innvertiel, and renounced all claims to
the Bavarian inheritance.
5/9/1771, Charles, Archduke of Austria, was born (died
30/4/1847).
6/5/1769, Ferdinand III, Archduke of Austria, was born
(died 6/1824).
22/11/1767, Andreas Hofer, Austrian patriot, was born
(died 20/2/1810).
2/11/1766, Joseph Radetsky, Austrian Field Marshal, was
born in Trebnitz, near Tabor.
5/2/1766, Leopold Daun, Austrian Field Marshal, died (born
24/9/1705).
15/2/1763, Austria, seeing hope for a decisive victory over
Prussia recede with peace between Russia and Prussia, made peace with Prussia
at Hubertusberg this day. Frederick
evacuated Saxony but retained Silesia. Austria
had failed to destroy Prussia before Prussian power was consolidated.
10/2/1763, The end
of the Seven Years War. France ceded Canada
to Britain at the Treaty of Paris. See 26/7/1758 and
13/9/1759. The same treaty gave Florida to Britain in exchange for Britain
returning Cuba,
which it had invaded on 12/8/1762, to Spain; Spain also regained Louisiana and the
Philippines. Britain gained all of America east of the Mississippi. Britain also gained
Minorca, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Tobago, St Vincent, Grenada, Dominica, and
Senegal, as well as becoming pre-eminent in India; Britain therefore became
the world’s major colonising power. Frederick of Prussia retained Silesia,
which set Prussia on the road to also becoming a major European power.
29/10/1762, The
Austrians were defeated at the Battle of Freiburg. The
war was making Austria bankrupt and Austria was questioning whether the war was
worth it for the recovery of one province.
Austria and Prussia agreed on an armistice on 24/11/1762 for the winter of 1762/3.
See also France-Germany for Seven Years War
9/10/1762, The
Austrians under Daun
were defeated by Prussia at Schweidnitz.
16/8/1762, The Austrians
under Daun
were defeated by Prussia at Reichenbach.
21/7/1762, The
Austrians under Daun
were defeated by Prussia at Burkersdorf.
16/12/1761 The
Russians under Pyotr
Aleksandrovitch Rumyantsev captured the Prussian port and fort of
Kolberg. It had been a bad year for Frederick of Prussia, with French forces
making progress eastwards in south western Germany, and the Austrians under Laudon
capturing Schweidnitz on 1/10/1761, ensuring they could over-winter in Silesia.
Frederick
had failed to prevent the Russian Army, 50,000 strong, joining up with the
72,000-strong Austrian Army on 23/8/1761. Frederick’s
biggest concern was that since the change of monarch and the resignation of Pitt in Britain, he could no longer
rely on British support. Without a major change of fortune, Prussia faced
certain defeat in 1762.
3/11/1760 Frederick of
Prussia won the Battle of Torgau against the Austrians but failed to
follow up this success and achieve his objective of capturing Dresden.
26/7/1760, The
Austrians under Laudon
captured Glatz from Prussia.
23/6/1760, The
Austrians under Laudon
defeated the Prussians at Landshut.
14/9/1759, The
Austrians under Daun
took Dresden from the Prussians.
12/8/1759, Frederick,
who had been unable to prevent the Austrians under Daun and the Russians under Saltykov
joining forces, was heavily defeated by them at Kunersdorf. Frederick
lost 18,000 men in six hours. The Russians did not capitalise on this victory,
but Daun
then marched on Dresden.
21/11/1758, Austrian
forces under Daun surrounded a Prussian force under General Finck at Maxen,
forcing its surrender.
14/10/1758, The
Austrians under Daun
launched an unexpected counter-attack against the Prussians at Hochkirk;
Prussian losses were 9,500 against 7,500 for the Austrians. Daun
began an advance on Dresden, but fell back to Pirna when he heard of Frederick’s
march on Lusatia. However the Austrian victory at Hochkirk raised French
morale; they had been inclined to abandon the war against Prussia.
25/8/1758, Frederick of
Prussia moved around Fermor’s east flank and his 36,000 men
attacked the Russians at Zorndorf (Sarbinowo). Prussian losses were 13,500,
against Russian casualties of 42,000 (21,000 killed). Frederick now left Christoph von
Dohna to pursue the defeated Russians; Frederick moved south to assist
his brother, Prince
Henry, against the Austrians under Daun at Dresden.
16/4/1758, Frederick of
Prussia defeated the Austrians at Schweidnitz, Silesia.
5/12/1757, Frederick of
Prussia, now confronted by an Austrian army which had invaded
Silesia and seized Breslau, defeated them this day at Leuthen and recovered Breslau, capital of Silesia. Frederick’s
43,000 men attacked the 72,000 Austrians under Charles of Lorraine with a
sudden cavalry charge followed by a heavy artillery bombardment. Frederick’s
losses amounted to 6,000, against 22,000 lost by Charles, including 12,000 taken
prisoner. Meanwhile the Swedes, who had invaded Prussian Pomerania in September
1757 (without Russian approval), were also forced back into Swedish Pomerania,
where they held against the Prussians at Stralsund. With the Russians under Apraksin
also having retreated (see 30/8/1757), the was began to turn in Prussia’s
favour.
22/11/1757, In Silesia,
Austria took Breslau (Wroclaw) from Prussia.
11/11/1757, In
Silesia, Austria took Schweidnitz (Swidnica) from Prussia.
7/9/1757, Prussian
forces under Fredrick
Francis of Brunswick-Bevern were defeated at Moys (Zgorzelec) in
Silesia by the Austrians.
26/6/1757, Maximillian
Browne, Austrian Field-Marshal, died (born 23/10/1705).
18/6/1757, Frederick,
ruler of Prussia, sought to turn back an advancing Austrian army,
50,000 strong under von Daun, but was heavily defeated at Kolin
this day. Frederick had to give up Bohemia
and raise the siege of Prague.
6/5/1757, The
Battle of Prague. Frederick’s Prussian Army of 64,000 routed an
Austrian Army of 66,000 under Browne and Prince Charles of Lorraine. This
defeat came before the Austrians could be reinforced by more troops under Leopold Joseph,
Graf von Daun. 14,000 Austrians were killed, 16,000 escaped to join von Daun,
and the rest fled into Prague itself where they were besieged by Frederick.
1/5/1757, Austria
and France signed the Second Treaty of Versailles, allying themselves for an
offensive against Prussia. Under this Treaty, Austria would regain Silesia
(from Prussia) but would cede the Austrian Netherlands (to be divided between King Louis XV
of France and his Spanish Bourbon cousin Philip Duke of Parma). Philip’s
Italian possessions would revert to Austrian rule. France would garrison
105,000 of its troops in Prussia, in addition to supplying 30,000 men to the
Austrian Army (increased from an earlier figure of 24,000). France would
provide an annual subsidy to Austria of 12,000,000 livres. Meanwhile on
11/1/1757 France had concluded a secret treaty with Russia whereby France
agreed to help Russia in the event of any attack on Russia by Turkey
(contravening a long-standing detente between France and Turkey). In return for
this Russia would supply 80,000 men against Prussia. All parties swore not to
make separate peaces with Prussia, which was to be partitioned between the
Allies.
1/10/1756, The
Battle of Lobositz (midway between Dresden and Prague). The Prussians defeated the Austrians. Russia
would have marched to help Austria against Prussia, but this would entail
Russian troops crossing Poland. Although France would nominally have welcomed
this, as it would relieve the French from helping Austria, and Poland was
allied to France, in secret the French would not welcome any Russian influence
upon Poland.
1748, Comclusion of the
War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48). On the sudden death of Emperor
Charles VI, Bavaria, Saxony and Spain, backed by France, refused to recognise
the Pragmatic Sanction and invaded Bohemia and Upper Austria. Prussia put in a
claim, and then invaded Silesia (Second Silesian War ended 1745). Bavaria
withdrew its claim, and under the 1748
Treaty of Aachen the Hapsburgs retained all their dominions, excepting Silesia.
25/12/1745, The
Peace of Dresden concluded the Second Silesian War. Frederick
of Prussia retained Silesia, and recognised Francis as ruler
of Austria.
15/12/1745, Frederick invaded Bohemia, and
occupied most of Saxony. On this day his
chief general, Leopold of
Anhalt-Dessau, defeated the Austrians and Saxons at Kesselsdorf,
near Dresden.
4/6/1745, The Austrians
attacked Silesia, allied with troops from Saxony, but were defeated by Prussia at Hohenfriedburg.
28/7/1742, Maria Theresa of Austria made peace with
Prussia; ceding control of all of Silesia to Prussia.
11/6/1742, The Peace of Breslau concluded the First
Silesian War. Austria ceded most of
Silesia along with Glatz to Prussia, retaining only the principalities of
Troppau and Teschen. In return Frederick
promised his neutrality.
17/5/1742, The Prussian cavalry defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Chotusitz.
10/4/1741, The German Emperor crossed the Silesian frontier,
advanced as far as Breslau, and this day defeated an Austrian Army near Mollwitz. This was during the War of the Austrian
Succession.
8/2/1741. Neisse and Brieg still held out but the Prussians
stormed and occupied Glogau on 9/3/1741. At the Battle of Mollwitz, 10/4/1741,
the Prussians narrowly won the day. Europe realised that Prussia was now a
major military power and France sent an envoy, Marshal Belleisle, to negotiate
an alliance with Frederick. The
‘Silesian adventure’ now became the War of the Austrian Succession.
France supported the Elector of Bavaria. Sweden was supposed to stop Russia
attacking Prussia but on 3/9/1742 the Swedes were heavily defeated by the
Russians at Wilmanstrand, and Sweden capitulated in 1742 at Helsingfors, the
Swedish capital. At the Peace of Dresden, 25/12/1745 Frederick recognised the Elector of
Bavaria as ruler of Austria in return for his acquiring Silesia. The
war of the Austrian Succession ended on 18/10/1748 with the Peace of Aachen
(Aix la Chapelle).
16/12/1740. Without a declaration of war. Frederick II of
Prussia invaded Silesia, an Austrian province. He occupied Silesia quite
easily, besieging the few towns of Glogau, Breig, and Neisse still held by the Austrians. In February 1741 Austria prepared to reconquer Silesia.
See also events in Germany
20/10/1740, Emperor Charles VI died unexpectedly. Maria Theresa, aged 23, became
ruler of Austria. Frederick II of Prussia, taking advantage of
Austria having a young female ruler, prepared to invade the wealthy Austrian
provoince of Silesia. Meanwhile Bavaria and Saxony also had claims on
Austrian lands (their claims supported by France), and Spain wanted the Italian
provinces of Austria. Hungary supported Austria.
13/5/1717, Maria Theresa,
Empress of Austria, was born in Vienna.
Accession of Maria Theresa, aged 23.
Austria
defeats Ottoman Turkey, saves Vienna, annexes Hungary
22/8/1717. Austrian forces took Belgrade from the Ottoman Turks.
30/4/1711, The Peace of Szatmar effected a
reconciliation between the absolutist Hapsburg Austrian monarchy and the
Hungarians.
1691, Austria took Transylvania from the Ottomans,
6/7/1686. The Austrians
took Buda from the Ottoman Turks and annexed Hungary.
11/9/1683. The conquering
armies of Islam under Vizier Kara Mustafa were defeated at the gates
of Vienna. The Turks had been besieging Vienna since July 1683. Relief
came under Poland’s King John III and Charles, Duke of Normandy. The
Ottoman Sultan ordered Mustafa to commit suicide.
23/10/1705, Maximillian
Browne, Austrian Field-Marshal, was born (died 26/6/1757).
17/9/1679, Don John
the Younger of Austria died (born 1629).
22/7/1634, Johann Aldringer, Austrian
military commander, died at the defence of Landshut against the Swedes on the
Danube.
11/11/1606, The Treaty
of Zsitvatorok ended the Long War between the Hapsburgs and the Ottoman
Empire.
1/10/1578, Don John of Austria died (born 24/2/1545).
24/2/1545, Don John of Austria was born (died 1/10/1578).
29/8/1526, The Battle
of Mohacs. The Turkish army under Suleiman I
defeated the Hungarians under King Loius II,
who was killed whilst retreating. Suleiman
took Buda, whilst Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and John Zapolya, Prince of
Transylvania, disputed over the succession. As a result of this dispute, Dubrovnik achieved independence,
although it recognised Turkish overlordship. The Hapsburgs now ruled Bohemia and
Hungary.
1/11/1339, Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, was born.
25/8/1278, Ottokar II, King of Bohemia, was killed in the
Battle of Durnkrut. Ottokar II had previously lost a battle with Rudolf I of
Hapsburg (Habichtsburg, or Hawk’s castle, a town now in Switzerland)
in 1276; refusing to accept this defeat, he prepared to attack again. However Rudolf
launched a pre-emptive strike, with 2,000 horsemen, and the support of Ladislav of
Hungary. This battle paved
the way for the rise of the Hapsburg Dynasty.
1155, The Margravate of Austria was made a Duchy after 180 years of
rule by the Babenberg family.
976,
The start of modern-day Austria, as a
Margravate on the Danube granted by Holy Roman Emperor Otto II to the
Franconian Count Leopold
(Luipold); Leopold’s
Babenberg family ruled the
Margravate until 1246.