Editing History of Austria (section)

==== Habsburg ascent and death of Ottokar (1273–1278) ====
Ottokar again contested the Imperial Throne in 1273, being almost alone in this position in the electoral college. This time he refused to accept the authority of the successful candidate, [[Rudolf I of Germany|Rudolf of Habsburg]] (Emperor 1273–1291). In November 1274 the [[Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)|Imperial Diet]] at [[Nuremberg]] ruled that all crown estates seized since the death of the Emperor Frederick II (1250) must be restored, and that King Ottokar II must answer to the Diet for not recognising the new emperor, Rudolf. Ottokar refused either to appear or to restore the duchies of [[Duchy of Austria|Austria]], [[Duchy of Styria|Styria]] and [[Duchy of Carinthia|Carinthia]] with the [[March of Carniola]], which he had claimed through his first wife, a [[House of Babenberg|Babenberg]] heiress, and which he had seized while disputing them with another Babenberg heir, Margrave [[Hermann VI, Margrave of Baden|Hermann VI of Baden]].

Rudolph refuted Ottokar's succession to the Babenberg patrimony, declaring that the provinces must revert to the Imperial crown due to the lack of male-line heirs (a position that however conflicted with the provisions of the Austrian ''[[Privilegium Minus]]''). King Ottokar was placed under the [[imperial ban]]; and in June 1276 war was declared against him, Rudolf laying siege to [[Vienna]]. Having persuaded Ottokar's former ally [[Henry XIII, Duke of Bavaria|Duke Henry XIII of Lower Bavaria]] to switch sides, Rudolph compelled the Bohemian king to cede the four provinces to the control of the imperial administration in November 1276.

Ottokar having relinquished his territories outside of the Czech lands, Rudolph re-invested him with the [[Kingdom of Bohemia]], betrothed his youngest daughter, [[Judith of Habsburg]], (to Ottokar's son [[Wenceslaus II of Bohemia|Wenceslaus II]]), and made a triumphal entry into Vienna. Ottokar, however, raised questions about the execution of the treaty, made an alliance with some [[Piast dynasty|Piast]] chiefs of [[Poland during the Piast dynasty|Poland]], and procured the support of several German princes, again including Henry XIII of Lower Bavaria. To meet this coalition, Rudolph formed an alliance with King [[Ladislaus IV of Hungary]] and gave additional privileges to the Vienna citizens.

On 26 August 1278, the rival armies met at the [[Battle on the Marchfeld]], northeast of Vienna, where Ottokar was defeated and killed. The [[Margraviate of Moravia]] was subdued and its government entrusted to Rudolph's representatives, leaving Ottokar's widow [[Kunigunda of Slavonia]], in control of only the province surrounding Prague, while the young Wenceslaus II was again betrothed to [[Judith of Habsburg|Judith]].

Rudolf was thus able to assume sole control over Austria, as Duke of Austria and Styria (1278–1282) which remained under [[Habsburg]] rule for over six centuries, until 1918.