Editing History of Austria (section)

=== The establishment of the Habsburg dynasty: Duchy of Austria (1278–1453) ===
{{See also|Habsburg Monarchy}}
[[File:Rudolf von habsburg.png|thumb|200px|[[Rudolf I of Germany|Rudolf of Habsburg]], [[Speyer cathedral]] where he was buried.]]
Thus Austria and the Empire came under a single Habsburg crown, and after a few centuries (1438) would remain so almost continuously (see below) till 1806, when the empire was dissolved, obviating the frequent conflicts that had occurred previously.

==== Rudolph I and primogeniture (1278–1358) ====
[[Rudolf I of Germany|Rudolf I]] spent several years establishing his authority in Austria, finding some difficulty in establishing his family as successors to the rule of the province. At length the hostility of the princes was overcome and he was able to bequeath Austria to his two sons. In December 1282, at the Diet of [[Augsburg]], Rudolph invested the duchies of Austria and Styria on his sons, [[Albert I of Germany|Albert I]] (1282–1308) and [[Rudolph II, Duke of Austria|Rudolph II the Debonair]] (1282–1283) as co-rulers "jointly and severally", and so laid the foundation of the House of Habsburg. Rudolf continued his campaigns subduing and subjugating and adding to his domains, dying in 1291, but leaving dynastic instability in Austria, where frequently the Duchy of Austria was shared between family members. However Rudolf was unsuccessful in ensuring the succession to the imperial throne for the Dukes of Austria and Styria.

The conjoint dukedom lasted only a year until the [[Treaty of Rheinfelden]] in 1283 established the Habsburg [[order of succession]]. Establishing primogeniture, then eleven-year-old Duke Rudolph II had to waive all his rights to the thrones of Austria and Styria to the benefit of his elder brother Albert I. While Rudolph was supposed to be compensated, this did not happen, dying in 1290, and his son [[John Parricida|John]] subsequently murdered his uncle Albert I in 1308. For a brief period, Albert I also shared the duchies with [[Rudolf I of Bohemia|Rudolph III]] the Good (1298–1307), and finally achieved the imperial throne in 1298.

On Albert I's death, the duchy but not the empire passed to his son, [[Frederick the Fair]] (1308–1330), at least not until 1314 when he became co-ruler of the empire with [[Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Louis IV]]. Frederick also had to share the duchy with his brother [[Leopold I, Duke of Austria|Leopold I]] the Glorious (1308–1326). Yet another brother, [[Albert II, Duke of Austria|Albert II]] the Lame (1330–1358) succeeded Frederick.

The pattern of corule persisted, since Albert had to share the role with another younger brother [[Otto, Duke of Austria|Otto I]] the Merry (1330–1339), although he did attempt to unsuccessfully lay down the rules of succession in the "Albertinian House Rule". When Otto died in 1339, his two sons, Frederick II and Leopold II replaced him, making three simultaneous Dukes of Austria from 1339 to 1344 when both of them died in their teens without issue. Single rule in the Duchy of Austria finally returned when his son, Rudolph IV succeeded him in 1358.

In the 14th century the Habsburgs began to accumulate other provinces in the vicinity of the Duchy of Austria, which had remained a small territory along the Danube, and Styria, which they had acquired with Austria from Ottokar. In 1335 Albert II inherited the [[Duchy of Carinthia]] and the [[March of Carniola]] from the then rulers, the [[House of Gorizia]].

==== Rudolph IV and the ''Privilegium Maius'' (1358–1365) ====
[[Rudolf IV of Austria|Rudolf IV]] the Founder (1358–1365) was the first to claim the title of Archduke of Austria, through the [[Privilegium Maius]] of 1359, which was actually a [[forgery]] and not recognized outside of Austria till 1453. However it would have placed him on a level footing with the other [[Prince-electors]] of the Holy Roman Empire. Rudolph was one of the most active rulers of his time, initiating many measures and elevating the importance of the City of Vienna.

At that time Vienna was ecclesiastically subordinate to the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Passau|Diocese of Passau]], which Rudolph subverted by founding [[St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna|St Stephen's Cathedral]] and appointing the [[Provost (religion)|provost]] as the [[Archchancellor]] of Austria. He also founded the [[University of Vienna]]. He improved the economy and established a stable currency, the Vienna Penny. When he died in 1365 he was without issue and the succession passed to his brothers jointly under the Rudolfinian House Rules.

In 1363, the [[County of Tyrol]] was acquired by Rudolph IV from [[Margaret, Countess of Tyrol|Margaret of Tyrol]]. Thus Austria was now a complex country in the Eastern Alps, and these lands are often referred to as the Habsburg Hereditary Lands, as well as simply Austria, since the Habsburgs also began to accumulate lands far from their Hereditary Lands.{{Sfn|Kann|1980|loc=ch. 1}}

==== Albert III and Leopold III: A house divided (1365–1457) ====
{{See also|Albertinian Line|Leopoldian line}}

Almost the entire 15th Century was a confusion of estate and family disputes, which considerably weakened the political and economic importance of the Habsburg lands. It was not until 1453 in the reign of [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick V]] the Peaceful (1457–1493) that the country (at least the core territories) would be finally united again. Rudolph IV's brothers [[Albert III of Austria|Albert III]] the Pigtail and [[Leopold III of Austria (Habsburg)|Leopold III]] the Just quarreled ceaselessly and eventually agreed to split the realm in the [[Treaty of Neuberg]] in 1379, which was to result in further schisms later. Altogether this resulted in three separate jurisdictions.
* Lower Austrian Territories or ''Niederösterreich'' ([[Upper Austria|Upper]] and [[Lower Austria]])
** Albertinian Line&nbsp;– extinct 1457, passed to Leopoldians
* [[Inner Austria|Inner Austrian Territories]] or ''Innerösterreich'' ([[Duchy of Styria|Styria]], [[Duchy of Carinthia|Carinthia]], [[Duchy of Carniola|Carniola]], and the [[Austrian Littoral]] of [[March of Istria|Istria]] and [[Imperial Free City of Trieste|Trieste]])
** Leopoldian Line then Elder Ernestine Line 1406–1457, continuing as [[Archduchy of Austria]].
* [[Further Austria|Further Austrian Territories]] or ''Vorderösterreich'' ([[County of Tyrol|Tyrol]], [[Vorarlberg]] and the [[Duke of Swabia|Swabian]] and [[Alsace|Alsatian]] territories)
** Leopoldian Line then Junior Tyrolean Line 1406–1490, passed back to Leopoldians

===== Albertinian line (1379–1457) =====
In 1379 Albert III retained Austria proper, ruling till 1395. He was succeeded by his son [[Albert IV, Duke of Austria|Albert IV]] (1395–1404) and grandson [[Albert II of Germany|Albert V]] (1404–1439) who regained the imperial throne for the Habsburgs and through his territorial acquisitions was set to become one of the most powerful rulers in Europe had he not died when he did, leaving only a [[wikt:posthumous|posthumous]] heir, born four months later ([[Ladislaus the Posthumous]] 1440–1457). Instead it was Ladislaus' guardian and successor, the Leopoldian [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick V]] the Peaceful (1457–1493) who benefited. The Albertinian line having become extinct, the title now passed back to the Leopoldians. Frederick was so aware of the potential of being the young Ladislaus' guardian that he refused to let him rule independently upon reaching majority (12 in Austria at the time){{Sfn|Beller|2006|p=39}} and had to be forced to release him by the Austrian Estates (League of Mailberg 1452).

===== Leopoldian line (1379–1490) =====
Leopold III took the remaining territories, ruling till 1386. He was succeeded by two of his sons jointly, [[William, Duke of Austria|William the Courteous]] (1386–1406) and [[Leopold IV, Duke of Austria|Leopold IV the Fat]] (1386–1411). In 1402 yet another split in the Duchy occurred, since Leopold III had had four sons and neither Leopold IV or William had heirs. The remaining brothers then divided the territory.

[[Ernest of Austria (Habsburg)|Ernest the Iron]] (1402–1424) took Inner Austria, while [[Frederick IV, Duke of Austria|Frederick IV of the Empty Pockets]] (1402–1439) took Further Austria. Once William died in 1406, this took formal effect with two separate ducal lines, the ''Elder Ernestine Line'' and ''Junior Tyrolean Line'' respectively.

'''Ernestine line (Inner Austria 1406–1457)'''
[[File:Hans Burgkmair d. Ä. 005.jpg|thumb|left|[[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick V]] (1415–1493) by [[Hans Burgkmair]], {{Circa}} 1500 ([[Kunsthistorisches Museum]], [[Vienna]]). Duke 1424, King 1440, Emperor 1452, Archduke 1457.]]
The Ernestine line consisted of Ernest and a joint rule by two of his sons upon his death in 1424, [[Albert VI, Archduke of Austria|Albert VI]] the Prodigal (1457–1463) and [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick V]] the Peaceful (1457–1493). They too quarreled and in turn divided what had now become both Lower and Inner Austria upon the death of Ladislaus in 1457 and extinction of the Albertinians. Albert seized Upper Austria in 1458, ruling from [[Linz]], but in 1462 proceeded to besiege his elder brother in the [[Hofburg Palace]] in Vienna, seizing lower Austria too. However, since he died childless the following year (1463) his possessions automatically reverted to his brother, and Frederick now controlled all of the Albertinian and Ernestine possessions.

Frederick's political career had advanced in a major way, since he inherited the Duchy of Inner Austria in 1424. From being a Duke, he became [[King of the Romans|German King]] as Frederick IV in 1440 and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III (1452–1493).

'''Tyrolean line (Further Austria) 1406–1490'''

The Tyrolean line consisted of Frederick IV and his son, [[Sigismund, Archduke of Austria|Sigismund the Rich]] (1439–1490). Frederick moved his court to [[Innsbruck]] but lost some of his possessions to Switzerland. Sigismund who succeeded him sold some of his lands to [[Charles the Bold]] in 1469 and was elevated to Archduke by Emperor Frederick III in 1477. He died childless, but in 1490, he abdicated in the face of unpopularity and Further Austria reverted to the then Archduke, [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]] the Last Knight (1490–1493), Frederick V's son who now effectively controlled all the Habsburg territory for the first time since 1365.

==== Religious persecution ====
[[File:Steyrer Waldenserdenkmal.jpg|thumb|200px|1997 Monument to those burned by Petrus Zwicker in [[Steyr]] in 1397.]]
The inquisition was also active under the Habsburgs, particularly between 1311 and 1315 when inquisitions were held in [[Steyr]], [[Krems an der Donau|Krems]], [[St. Pölten]] and Vienna. The Inquisitor, [[Petrus Zwicker]], conducted severe persecutions in Steyr, [[Enns (city)|Enns]], [[Hartberg]], [[Sopron]] and Vienna between 1391 and 1402. In 1397 there were some 80–100 [[Waldensians]] burnt in Steyr alone, now remembered in a 1997 monument.

==== Duchy and Kingdom ====
During the Habsburg Duchy, there were 13 consecutive Dukes, of whom four were also crowned [[King of Germany]], [[Rudolf I of Germany|Rudolf I]], [[Albert I of Germany|Albert I]], [[Frederick the Fair]], and [[Albert II of Germany|Albert V]] (Albert II as King of Germany), although none were recognised as [[Holy Roman Emperors]] by the [[Pope]].

When Duke Albert V (1404–1439) was elected as emperor in 1438 (as Albert II), as the successor to his father-in-law, [[Emperor Sigismund|Sigismund von Luxemburg]] (1433–1437) the imperial crown returned once more to the Habsburgs. Although Albert himself only reigned for a year (1438–1439), from then on, every emperor was a Habsburg (with only one exception: [[Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles VII]] 1742–1745), and Austria's rulers were also the Holy Roman Emperors until its dissolution in 1806.