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Franz Joseph IorFrancis Joseph I(German:Franz Joseph I.,Hungarian:I. Ferenc József,Croatian:Franjo Josip I,Czech:František Josef I,Slovene:Franc Jožef I.,Italian:Francesco Giuseppe; 18 August 1830– 21 November 1916) wasEmperor of AustriaandKing of Hungary,CroatiaandBohemiafrom 2 December 1848 until his death on 21 November 1916.[1]From 1 May 1850 to 24 August 1866 he was also President of theGerman Confederation. He was the longest-reigning Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, as well as the third longest-reigning monarch of any country in European history, afterLouis XIV of FranceandJohann II of Liechtenstein.[2]

In December 1848,Emperor Ferdinandabdicated the throne atOlomoucas part ofMinisterpräsidentFelix zu Schwarzenberg\'splan to end theRevolutions of 1848in Austria. This allowed Ferdinand\'s nephew Franz Joseph to accede to the throne. Largely considered to be areactionary, Franz Joseph spent his early reign resistingconstitutionalismin his domains. The Austrian Empire was forced to cede its influence overTuscanyand most of its claim toLombardy–Venetiato theKingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, following theSecond Italian War of Independencein 1859 and theThird Italian War of Independencein 1866. Although Franz Joseph ceded no territory to theKingdom of Prussiaafter the Austrian defeat in theAustro-Prussian War, thePeace of Prague(23 August 1866) settled theGerman questionin favour of Prussia, which prevented theunification of Germanyunder theHouse of Habsburg(Großdeutsche Lösung).[3]

Franz Joseph was troubled by nationalism during his entire reign. He concluded theAusgleichof 1867, which granted greater autonomy toHungary, hence transforming the Austrian Empire into the Austro-Hungarian Empire under hisdual monarchy. His domains were then ruled peacefully for the next 45 years, although Franz Joseph personally suffered the tragedies of the execution of his brother,Maximilianin 1867, the suicide of his only son and heir,Crown Prince Rudolfin 1889, and the assassination of his wife,Empress Elisabethin 1898.

After the Austro-Prussian War, Austria-Hungary turned its attention to theBalkans, which was a hotspot of international tension due to conflicting interests with theRussian Empire. TheBosnian crisiswas a result of Franz Joseph\'s annexation ofBosnia and Herzegovinain 1908, which had beenoccupied by his troopssince theCongress of Berlin(1878). On 28 June 1914, theassassinationof his nephewArchduke Franz FerdinandinSarajevoresulted in Austria-Hungary\'s declaration of war against theKingdom of Serbia, which was Russia\'s ally. This activated a system of alliances which resulted inWorld War I. Franz Joseph died on 21 November 1916, after ruling his domains for almost 68 years. He was succeeded by his grandnephewCharles.

His name in German wasFranz Joseph IandI. Ferenc Józsefin Hungarian. His names in other languages were:

CroatianandBosnian:Franjo Josip I.
• Czech:František Josef I.
• Italian:Francesco Giuseppe I.
• Polish:Franciszek Józef I.
• Ukrainian:Фра́нц Йо́сиф I,(Frantz Yosyf I)
• Romanian:Francisc Iosif(no number used)
• Slovene:Franc Jožef I.
• Slovak:František Jozef I.
• Serbian:Фрања Јосиф(no number used)

Franz Joseph was born in theSchönbrunn Palacein Vienna, the eldest son ofArchduke Franz Karl(the younger son ofHoly Roman Emperor Francis II), and his wifePrincess Sophie of Bavaria. Because his uncle, from 1835 the EmperorFerdinand, was weak-minded, and his father unambitious and retiring, the young Archduke \"Franzl\" was brought up by his mother as a future Emperor with emphasis on devotion, responsibility and diligence. Franzl came to idolise his grandfather,der Gute Kaiser Franz, who had died shortly before the former\'s fifth birthday, as the ideal monarch. At the age of thirteen, Franzl started a career as a colonel in the Austrian army. From that point onward, his fashion was dictated by army style and for the rest of his life he normally wore the uniform of a military officer.[4]

Franz Joseph was soon joined by three younger brothers: Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian (born 1832, the futureEmperor MaximilianofMexico);Archduke Karl Ludwig(born 1833, and the father ofArchduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria), andArchduke Ludwig Viktor(born 1842), and a sister,Maria Anna(born 1835), who died at the age of four.[5]

Following the resignation of the ChancellorPrince Metternichduring theRevolutions of 1848, the young Archduke, who it was widely expected would soon succeed his uncle on the throne, was appointed Governor ofBohemiaon 6 April, but never took up the post. Instead, Franz was sent to the front in Italy, joiningField Marshal Radetzkyon campaign on 29 April, receiving hisbaptism of fireon 5 May atSanta Lucia. By all accounts he handled his first military experience calmly and with dignity. Around the same time, the Imperial Family was fleeing revolutionary Vienna for the calmer setting ofInnsbruck, inTyrol. Soon, the Archduke was called back from Italy, joining the rest of his family at Innsbruck by mid-June. It was at Innsbruck at this time that Franz Joseph first met his cousin Elisabeth, his future bride, then a girl of ten, but apparently the meeting made little impact.[6]

Following victory over the Italians atCustozain late July, the court felt safe to return to Vienna, and Franz Joseph travelled with them. But within a few months Vienna again appeared unsafe, and in September the court left again, this time forOlomouc(Olmütz) inMoravia. By now,Prince Alfred IofWindisch-Grätz, the influential military commander in Bohemia, was determined to see the young Archduke soon put on the throne. It was thought that a new ruler would not be bound by the oaths to respect constitutional government to which Ferdinand had been forced to agree, and that it was necessary to find a young, energetic emperor to replace the kindly, but mentally unfit Ferdinand.[7]

By the abdication of his uncle Ferdinand and the renunciation of his father, the mild-mannered Franz Karl, Franz Joseph succeeded as Emperor of Austria at Olomouc on 2 December. At this time he first became known by his second as well as his first Christian name. The name \"Franz Joseph\" was chosen to bring back memories of the new Emperor\'s great-great uncle, EmperorJoseph II, remembered as a modernising reformer.[8]

Under the guidance of the new prime ministerPrince Schwarzenberg, the new emperor at first pursued a cautious course, granting a constitution in early 1849. At the same time, a military campaign was necessary against the Hungarians,who had rebelled against Habsburg central authorityin the name of their ancient liberties. Franz Joseph was also almost immediately faced with a renewal of the fighting in Italy, with KingCharles Albert of Sardiniataking advantage of setbacks in Hungary to resume the war in March 1849. However, the military tide began to swiftly turn in favor of Franz Joseph and the Austrian whitecoats[clarification needed]. Almost immediately, Charles Albert was decisively beaten by Radetzky atNovaraand forced to sue for peace, as well as renounce his throne. In Hungary, the situation was more severe and Austrian defeat seemed imminent. Sensing a need to secure his right to rule, he sought help from Russia, requesting the intervention ofTsar Nicholas I, in order \"to prevent the Hungarian insurrection developing into a European calamity\".[9]Russian troops entered Hungary in support of the Austrians and the revolution was crushed by late summer of 1849. With order now restored throughout his Empire, Franz Joseph felt free to renege on the constitutional concessions he had made, especially as the Austrian parliament meeting atKremsierhad behaved—in the young Emperor\'s eyes—abominably. The 1849 constitution was suspended, and a policy of absolutist centralism was established, guided by the Minister of the Interior,Alexander Bach.[10]

The next few years saw the seeming recovery of Austria\'s position on the international scene following the near disasters of 1848–1849. Under Schwarzenberg\'s guidance, Austria was able to stymiePrussianscheming to create a new German Federation under Prussian leadership, excluding Austria. After Schwarzenberg\'s premature death in 1852, he could not be replaced by statesmen of equal stature, and the Emperor himself effectively took over as prime minister.[10]

On 18 February 1853, Franz Joseph survived an assassination attempt by Hungarian nationalist János Libényi.[11]The emperor was taking a stroll with one of his officers, CountMaximilian Karl Lamoral O\'DonnellofTír Chonaill, on a citybastion, when Libényi approached him. He immediately struck the emperor from behind with a knife straight at the neck. Franz Joseph almost always wore a uniform, which had a high collar that almost completely enclosed the neck. The collars of uniforms at that time were made from very sturdy material, precisely to counter this kind of attack. Even though the Emperor was wounded and bleeding, the collar saved his life. Count O\'Donnell struck Libényi down with his sabre.[11]

O\'Donnell, hitherto only a Count by virtue of his Irish nobility (as a descendant of the Irish noble dynastyO\'Donnell of Tyrconnell[12]), was made a Count of theHabsburgEmpire (Reichsgraf), and conferred with the Commander\'s Cross of the Imperial Order of Leopold. His customary[clarification needed]O\'Donnell arms were augmented with the initials and escutcheon of the ducal House of Austria, along with the double-headedeagle of the Empire. These arms are emblazoned on the portico of No. 2 Mirabel Platz inSalzburg, where O\'Donnell later built his residence. Another witness who happened to be nearby, the butcher Joseph Ettenreich, quickly overwhelmed Libényi. For his deed he was later elevated to the nobility by the Emperor and became Joseph von Ettenreich. Libényi was subsequently put on trial and condemned to death for attemptedregicide. He was executed on the Simmeringer Heide.[citation needed]

After this unsuccessful attack, the Emperor\'s brotherFerdinand Maximilian Joseph, later Emperor ofMexico, called upon Europe\'s royal families for donations to construct a new church on the site of the attack. The church was to be avotive offeringfor the survival of the Emperor. It is located onRingstraßein the district ofAlsergrundclose to theUniversity of Vienna, and is known as theVotivkirche.[11]

The 1850s witnessed several failures of Austrian external policy: theCrimean Warand the dissolution of its alliance with Russia, and defeat in theSecond Italian War of Independence. The setbacks continued in the 1860s with defeat in theAustro-Prussian Warof 1866, which resulted in theAustro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867.[13]

Political difficulties in Austria mounted continuously through the late 19th century and into the 20th century. However, Franz Joseph remained immensely respected; the Emperor\'s patriarchal authority held the Empire together while the politicians squabbled among themselves.[14]

Following the accession of Franz Joseph to the throne in 1848, the political representatives of theKingdom of Bohemiahoped and insisted that account should be taken of their historical state rights in the upcoming constitution. The autonomous position ofBohemiawithin theHabsburg Monarchywas to be expressed by the coronation of the new ruler to the king of Bohemia in Prague (the last coronation took place in 1836). His new government installed the system ofneoabsolutismin Austrian internal affairs to make the Austrian Empire a unitary, centralized and bureaucratically administered state. When Franz Joseph returned to constitutional rule after the debacles in Italy atMagentaandSolferinoand summoned the diets of his lands, the question of his coronation as king of Bohemia returned to the agenda, as it had not since 1848. On 14 April 1861, Emperor Franz Joseph received a delegation from the Bohemian Diet with the words (in Czech):\"I will have myself crowned King of Bohemia in Prague, and I am convinced that a new, indissoluble bond of trust and loyalty between My throne and My Bohemian Kingdom will be strengthened by this holy rite.\"[15]

In contrast to his predecessor EmperorFerdinand(who spent the rest of his life after his abdication in 1848 in Bohemia and especially in Prague), Franz Joseph was never crowned king of Bohemia. In 1861, the negotiations failed because of unsolved constitutional problems, and in 1866, a visit of the monarch to Prague following thedefeat at Hradec Králové (Königgrätz)was also unsuccessful. In 1867, the Austro-Hungarian Compromise and the introduction of the dual monarchy left the Czechs and their aristocracy without the recognition of Bohemian state rights for which they had hoped. Instead of celebrating a coronation in Prague, they had to witness the coronation in Budapest (8 June 1867). In Bohemia, opposition to dualism took the form of street demonstrations, resolutions from district representations, and even open air mass protest meetings. The Czechs were disillusioned. According to the Czech newspaperNárodní listy, the Czechs were not yet been compensated for their wartime losses and sufferings during the Austro-Prussian War, and had just seen their historic state rights tossed aside and their land subsumed into \"other\" half of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, commonly called \"Cisleithania\".[15]

The Czech hopes revived again in 1870–1871. In an imperial rescript of 26 September 1870, Franz Joseph referred again to the prestige and glory of theBohemian Crownand to his intention to carry out a coronation. Under Minister-PresidentKarl Hohenwartin 1871, the government of Cisleithania negotiated a series of fundamental articles spelling out the relationship of the Bohemian Crown to the rest of the Habsburg Monarchy. On 12 September 1871, Franz Joseph announced:\"Having in mind the constitutional position of the Bohemian Crown and being conscious of the glory and power which that Crown has given us and our predecessors... we gladly recognize the rights of the kingdom and are prepared to renew that recognition through our coronation oath.\"[15]

For the planned coronation, the composerBedřich Smetanahad written the operaLibuše, but the ceremony did not take place. The creation of theGerman Empire, domestic opposition from German-speaking liberals (especiallyGerman-Bohemians) and from Hungarians doomed theFundamental Articles. Hohenwart resigned and nothing changed. Whenever Franz Joseph visited Bohemia, he was greeted as the uncrowned Bohemian king rather than as the emperor and the omnipresent decorations with depictions of theCrown of Saint Wenceslasreminded him of his unfulfilled promise of a coronation in Prague.[15]

Many Czech people were waiting for political changes in monarchy, includingTomáš Garrigue Masarykand others. Masaryk served in theReichsrat(Imperial Council) from 1891 to 1893 in theYoung Czech Partyand again from 1907 to 1914 in theRealist Party(which he had founded in 1900), but he did not campaign for the independence of Czechs and Slovaks from Austria-Hungary. In 1909 he helpedHinko Hinkovićin Vienna in the defense[clarification needed]during the fabricated trial against mostly prominent Croats and Serbs, members of the Serbo-Croatian Coalition (such asFrano SupiloandSvetozar Pribićević), and others, who were sentenced to more than 150 years and a number of death penalties. The Czech question would remain unresolved for the entirety of Franz Joseph\'s political career.

The main foreign policy goal of Franz Joseph had been theunification of Germanyunder theHouse of Habsburg.[16]This was justified on grounds of precedence; from 1452 to the end of theHoly Roman Empirein 1806, with only one period of interruption under theWittelsbachs, the Habsburgs had generally held the German crown.[17]However, Franz Joseph\'s desire to retain the non-German territories of the HabsburgAustrian Empirein the event of German unification proved problematic. There quickly developed two factions: one party of German intellectuals favouring aGreater Germany(Großdeutschland) under the House of Habsburg; the other favouring aLesser Germany(Kleindeutschland) . The Greater Germans favoured the inclusion of Austria in a new all-German state on the grounds that Austria had always been a part of Germanic empires, that it was the leading power of theGerman Confederation, and that it would be absurd to exclude eight millionAustrian Germansfrom an all-German nation state. The champions of a lesser Germany argued against the inclusion of Austria on the grounds that it was a multi-nation state, not a German one, and that its inclusion would bring millions of non-Germans into the German nation state.[18]If Greater Germany was to prevail, the crown would necessarily have to go to Franz Joseph, who had no desire to cede it in the first place to anyone else.[18]On the other hand, if the idea of a smaller Germany won out, the German crown could of course not possibly go theEmperor of Austria, but would naturally be offered to the head of the largest and most powerful German state outside of Austria—theKing of Prussia. The contest between the two ideas, quickly developed into a contest between Austria andPrussia. After Prussia decisively won theSeven Weeks War, this question was solved; Austria lost no territories as long as they remained out of German affairs.[18]

In 1873, two years after the unification of Germany, Franz Joseph entered into theLeague of Three Emperors(Dreikaiserbund) withKaiser Wilhelm I of GermanyandTsar Alexander II of Russia(who was succeeded byTsar Alexander IIIin 1881). The league had been designed by the German chancellorOtto von Bismarck, as an attempt to maintain the peace of Europe. It would last intermittently until 1887.

In 1903, Franz Joseph\'svetoofCardinal Rampolla\'s election to the papacy was transmitted to thePapal conclaveby CardinalJan Puzyna. It was the last use of such a veto, because the newPope Pius Xprohibited future uses and provided for excommunication for any attempt.[19][20]

The mid-1870s witnessed a series of violent rebellions against Ottoman rule in the Balkans, and equally violent and oppressive reprisals from the Turks. Tsar Alexander II of Russia, wanting to intervene against the Ottomans, sought and obtained an agreement with Austria-Hungary. In the Budapest Conventions of 1877, the two powers agreed that Russia would annexBessarabia, and Austria-Hungary would observe a benevolent neutrality toward Russia in the pending[clarification needed]war with the Turks. As compensation for this support, Russia agreed to Austria-Hungary\'s annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.[21]A scant 15 months later, the Russians imposed on the Ottomans the Treaty of San Stefano, which reneged on the Budapest accord and declared that Bosnia-Herzogovina would be jointly occupied by Russian and Austrian troops.[21]That treaty was overturned by the 1878Treaty of Berlin, which allowed sole Austrian occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, but did not specify a final disposition of the provinces.[clarification needed]That omission was addressed in the Three Emperors\' League agreement of 1881, when both Germany and Russia endorsed Austria\'s right to annex Bosnia-Herzegovina.[22]However, by 1897, under a new Tsar, the Russian Imperial government had again withdrawn its support for Austrian annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Russian foreign minister, Count Michael Muraviev, stated that an Austrian annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina would raise \"an extensive question requiring special scrutiny\".[23]

In 1908 the Russian foreign minister,Alexander Izvolskyagain, and for the third time, offered Russian support for the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary, in exchange for Austrian support for the opening of theBosporus Straitand theDardanellesto Russian warships. Austria\'s foreign minister,Alois von Aehrenthal, pursued this offer vigorously, resulting in thequid pro quounderstanding with Izvolsky, reached on 16 September 1908 at the Buchlau Conference. However, Izvolsky made this agreement with Aehrenthal, without the knowledge ofTsar Nicholas IIor his government in St. Petersburg, nor any of the other foreign powers including Britain, France and Serbia.

Based upon the assurances of the Buchlau Conference and the treaties that preceded it, Franz Joseph signed the proclamation announcing the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina into the Empire on 6 October 1908. However a diplomatic crisis erupted, as both the Serbs and—incomprehensibly—the Italians demanded compensation for the annexation, which the Austro-Hungarian government refused to entertain. The incident was not resolved until the revision of the Treaty of Berlin in April 1909, exacerbating tensions between Austria-Hungary and the Serbs.

On 28 June 1914 Franz Joseph\'s nephew and heirArchduke Franz Ferdinand, and hismorganaticwifeSophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, wereassassinatedbyGavrilo Princip, a Yugoslav nationalist of Serbian ethnicity,[24]during a visit to Sarajevo. When he heard the news of the assassination, Franz Joseph said that \"one has not to defy the Almighty. In this manner a superior power has restored that order which I unfortunately was unable to maintain.\"[25]

While the emperor was shaken, and interrupted his holiday to return to Vienna, he soon resumed his holiday at his imperial villa atBad Ischl. With the emperor five hours away from the capital, most of the decision-making during the \"July Crisis\" fell toCount Leopold Berchtold, the Austrian foreign minister;Count Franz ConradvonHötzendorf, the chief of staff for the Austro-Hungarian army, and the other ministers.[26]On 21 July, Franz Joseph was reportedly surprised by the severity of the ultimatum that was to be sent to the Serbs, and expressed his concerns that Russia would be unwilling to stand idly by; yet he nevertheless chose to not question Berchtold\'s judgement.[27]A week after the ultimatum, on 28 July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and two days later the Austro-Hungarians and the Russians went to war. Within weeks, the Germans, French and British entered the fray. Because of his age, Franz Joseph was unable to take an active part in the war in comparison to past conflicts.[28]

Franz Joseph died in theSchönbrunn Palaceon the evening of 21 November 1916, at the age of eighty-six. His death was a result of developingpneumoniaof the right lung several days after catching acoldwhile walking in Schönbrunn Park with theKing of Bavaria.[29]He was succeeded by his grandnephewCharles I, who reigned until the collapse of the Empire following its defeat in 1918.[30]

He is buried in theKaisergruftin Vienna, where flowers are still left by monarchists.

It was generally felt in the court that the Emperor should marry and produce heirs as soon as possible. Various potential brides were considered:Princess Elisabeth of Modena,Princess Anna of PrussiaandPrincess Sidonia of Saxony.[31]Although in public life Franz Joseph was the unquestioned director of affairs, in his private life his formidable mother still wielded crucial influence. Sophie wanted to strengthen the relationship between the Houses ofHabsburgandWittelsbach—descending from the latter house herself—and hoped to match Franz Joseph with her sisterLudovika\'seldest daughter,Helene(\"Néné\"), who was four years the Emperor\'s junior. However, Franz Joseph fell deeply in love with Néné\'s younger sisterElisabeth(\"Sisi\"), a girl of fifteen, and insisted on marrying her instead. Sophie acquiesced, despite her misgivings about Sisi\'s appropriateness as an imperial consort, and the young couple were married on 24 April 1854 inSt. Augustine\'s Church, Vienna.[32]

Their marriage would prove to be an unhappy one; Sisi never truly acclimatized to life at court and frequently had disagreements with the imperial family. Their first daughter Sophie died as an infant, and their only sonRudolfdied by suicide in 1889 in the infamousMayerling Incident.[19]

In 1885 Franz Joseph metKatharina Schratt, a leading actress of the Vienna stage, and she became his friend and confidante. This relationship lasted the rest of his life, and was—to a certain degree—tolerated by Sisi. Franz Joseph built Villa Schratt inBad Ischlfor her, and also provided her with a small palace in Vienna.[33]Though their relationship lasted for thirty-four years, it remained platonic.[34]

The Empress was an inveterate traveller, horsewoman, and fashionmavenwho was rarely seen in Vienna. She was stabbed to death byan Italian anarchistin 1898 while on a visit to Geneva; Franz Joseph never fully recovered from the loss. According to the future empressZita of Bourbon-Parmahe usually told his relatives: \"You\'ll never know how important she was to me\" or, according to some sources, \"You will never know how much I loved this woman.\"[35]

Archduke Franz Ferdinandbecameheir presumptive(Thronfolger) to the throne of Austria-Hungary in 1896, after the deaths of his cousin Rudolf and his father Karl Ludwig. The relationship between him and Franz Joseph had always been a fairly contentious one, which was further exacerbated when Franz Ferdinand announced his desire to marry Countess Sophie Chotek, a match that was out of the question in the mind of the emperor, as Sophie was merely of nobility as opposed to being of dynastic rank. Although the emperor was receiving letters from members of the imperial family throughout the fall and winter of 1899 importuning him to relent, Franz Joseph stood his ground.[36]He finally gave his consent in 1900; however, the marriage was to bemorganaticand any children of the marriage would be ineligible to succeed to the throne.[37]The couple were married on 1 July 1900 atReichstadt. The emperor did not attend the wedding, nor did any of the archdukes. After that, the two men disliked and distrusted each other.[33]

Following the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and Sophie in 1914, Franz Joseph\'s daughter, Marie Valerie, noted that her father expressed his greater confidence in the new heir presumptive: his grandnephew Archduke Charles. The emperor admitted to his daughter, regarding the assassination: \"For me, it is a relief from a great Elisabeth in Bavaria(24 December 1837– 10 September 1898; married on 24 April 1854 inSt. Augustine\'s Church, Vienna)SophieFriederike Dorothea Maria Josepha5 March 185529 May 1857Died in childhood.GiselaLouise Marie15 July 185627 July 1932Married, 1873 her second cousin,Prince Leopold of Bavaria; had issue.RudolfFrancis Charles Joseph21 August 185830 January 1889Married, 1881,Princess Stephanie of Belgium; had issue.
Died in theMayerling Incident.MarieValerieMathilde Amalie22 April 18686 September 1924Married, 1890 her second cousin,Archduke Franz Salvator, Prince of Tuscany; had issue.Ancestry[edit][show]Ancestors of Franz Joseph I of AustriaTitles, styles and honours[edit]This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.Please helpimprove this articlebyadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(December 2016)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)Monarchical styles of
Franz Joseph I of Austria-HungaryReference styleHisImperial and RoyalApostolic MajestySpoken styleYour Imperial and Royal Apostolic MajestyAlternative styleMy LordMonarchical styles of
Franz Joseph I of AustriaReference styleHis Imperial MajestySpoken styleYour Imperial MajestyAlternative styleMy LordMonarchical styles of
Ferenc József I of HungaryReference styleHis Apostolic MajestySpoken styleYour Apostolic MajestyAlternative styleMy LordImperial monogramTitles and styles[edit]

18 August 1830 – 2 December 1848:His Imperial and Royal HighnessArchduke and Prince Imperial Francis Joseph of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia
• 2 December 1848 – 21 November 1916:His Imperial and Royal Apostolic MajestyThe Emperor of Austria, Apostolic King of Hungary

His official grand title after theAusgleichof 1867 was: \"Francis Joseph the First, by the Grace of GodEmperor of Austria, Apostolic King ofHungary, King ofBohemia, King ofDalmatia,Croatia,Slavonia,Galicia and LodomeriaandIllyria; King ofJerusalemetc., Archduke ofAustria; Grand Duke ofTuscanyandCracow, Duke ofLorraine, ofSalzburg,Styria,Carinthia,Carniolaand ofBukovina; Grand Prince ofTransylvania; Margrave ofMoravia; Duke ofUpper and Lower Silesia, ofModena,Parma,PiacenzaandGuastalla, andZara(Zadar); Princely Count ofHabsburgandTyrol, ofKyburg,Gorizia and Gradisca; Prince ofTrent(Trento) andBrixen; Margrave ofUpperandLowerLusatiaand inIstria; Count etc.; Lord ofTrieste, ofCattaro(Kotor), and over theWindic march;Grand Voivodeof theVoivodship of Serbia.\"[39]

He was Grand Master of the following chivalric orders:
Order of the Golden Fleece(Orden vom Goldenen Vlies, ex officio as Emperor of Austria)
• Military Order of Maria Theresa(Militär Maria-Theresien-Orden, ex officio as Emperor of Austria)
• Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen(Königlich ungarischer St. Stephan-Orden, ex officio as Emperor of Austria)
• Order of Leopold(Leopold-Orden, ex officio as Emperor of Austria)
• Order of the Iron Crown(Orden der Eisernen Krone, ex officio as Emperor of Austria)
• Austrian War Medal
• Cross of Honour for 50 years of military service
• Military Cross for the 60th year of the reign

In addition, he founded theOrder of Franz Joseph(Franz Joseph-Orden) in 1849, and theOrder of Elizabeth(Elizabeth-Orden) in 1898.

Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of theMilitary William Order– 21 June 1849[40]
• Kingdom of Serbia:Order of Milosh the Great
• Kingdom of Italy: Knight of the Supreme Order of theOrder of the Most Holy Annunciation– 1869
• Kingdom of Italy: Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Saints Maurice and Lazarus– 1869
• Kingdom of Italy: Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the Crown of Italy– 1869
• United Kingdom: Knight of theOrder of the Garter– 1867 (Expelled in 1915)
• United Kingdom:Royal Victorian Chain– 1904 (Expelled in 1915)
• United Kingdom: Knight Grand Cross of theRoyal Victorian Order(Expelled in 1915)
• Kingdom of Bavaria: Knight Grand Cross of theMilitary Order of Max Joseph
• Prussia: Knight of theOrder of the Black Eagle
• Prussia: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle
• Prussia:Pour le Mérite(\"Blue Max\")
• Prussia: Knight Grand Cross of the RoyalHouse Order of Hohenzollern
• Kingdom of Montenegro: Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Prince Danilo I
• Grand Duchy of Hesse: Knight Grand Cross of theLudwig Order
• Norway: Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the Norwegian Lion
• Kingdom of Saxony: Knight Grand Cross of theMilitary Order of St. Henry
• Bulgaria: Knight of theOrder of Saints Cyril and Methodius
• Russia: Knight of theOrder of St. Andrew
• Russia: ImperialOrder of St. George, 4th class
• Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Bailiff of Honour and Devotion
• Holy See: Knight Grand Cross of the EquestrianOrder of the Holy Sepulchre
• Duchy of Parma: Senator Grand Cross with Necklace of theSacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George– 6 September 1849
• Kingdom of Hawaii: Knight Grand Cross of theRoyal Order of Kamehameha I– 1865
• Kingdom of Hawaii: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of theRoyal Order of Kalākaua– 1878

Colonel-in-chief,1st (The King\'s) Dragoon Guards,British Army, 25 March 1896 – 1914
• Colonel-in-chief, Kexholm Life Guards Grenadier Regiment, Russian Army, until 26 June 1914
• Colonel-in-chief, 12th Belgorod Lancer Regiment, Russian Army, until 26 June 1914
• Colonel-in-chief,16th (Schleswig-Holstein) Hussars, German Army
• Colonel-in-chief,122nd (Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria, King of Hungary (4th Württemberg) Fusiliers
• Field Marshal, British Army, 1 September 1903 – 1914

ThearchipelagoFranz Josef Landin the Russian high Arctic was named in his honour in 1873 by theAustro-Hungarian North Pole expeditionwhich first reported finding it. TheFranz Josef Glacierin New Zealand\'s South Island also bears his name.

Franz Joseph founded in 1872 theFranz Joseph University(Hungarian:Ferenc József Tudományegyetem, Romanian:Universitatea Francisc Iosif) in the city ofCluj-Napoca(at that time a part of Austria-Hungary under the name of Kolozsvár). The university was moved toSzegedafter Cluj became a part of Romania, becoming theUniversity of Szeged.

In certain areas, celebrations are still being held in remembrance of Franz Joseph\'s birthday. The Mitteleuropean People\'s Festival takes place every year around 18 August, and is a \"spontaneous, traditional and brotherly meeting among peoples of the Central-European Countries\".[41]The event includes ceremonies, meetings, music, songs, dances, wine and food tasting, and traditional costumes and folklore fromMitteleuropa.