Editing Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (section)

=== Napoleonic Wars ===
During the [[War of the Third Coalition]], the Austrian forces met a crushing defeat at [[Battle of Austerlitz|Austerlitz]], and Francis had to agree to the [[Treaty of Pressburg (1805)|Treaty of Pressburg]], which greatly weakened Austria and brought about the final collapse of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. In July 1806, under massive pressure from France, Bavaria and fifteen other German states ratified the statutes founding the [[Confederation of the Rhine]], with Napoleon designated Protector, and they announced to the [[Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)|Imperial Diet]] their intention to leave the Empire with immediate effect. Then, on 22 July, Napoleon issued an ultimatum to Francis demanding that he abdicate as Holy Roman Emperor by 10 August.{{Sfn|Whaley|2012|p=643}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gagliardo |first=John G. |title=Reich and Nation. The Holy Roman Empire as Idea and Reality, 1763–1806 |date=1980 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-2531-6773-6 |pages=279–280 |ol=4401178M}}</ref>

Five days later, Francis bowed to the inevitable and, without mentioning the ultimatum, affirmed that since the Peace of Pressburg he had tried his best to fulfil his duties as emperor but that circumstances had convinced him that he could no longer rule according to his oath of office, the formation of the Confederation of the Rhine making that impossible. He added that "we hereby decree that we regard the bond which until now tied us to the states of the Empire as dissolved"{{Sfn|Whaley|2012|p=643–644}} in effect dissolving the empire. At the same time he declared the complete and formal withdrawal of his hereditary lands from imperial jurisdiction.{{Sfn|Gagliardo|1980|p=281}} After that date, he continued to reign as Francis I, Emperor of Austria.

[[File:Francis I, Emperor of Austria - Dawe 1818-19.jpg|thumb|''[[Portrait of Francis I of Austria|Portrait of Francis I]]'', by [[Thomas Lawrence]], {{Circa|1818–19}}|260x260px]]

In 1809, Francis, deeming another war with France as inevitable and influenced by hawks in Vienna, [[War of the Fifth Coalition|attacked]] France again, hoping to take advantage of the [[Peninsular War]] embroiling Napoleon in [[Kingdom of Spain under Joseph Bonaparte|Spain]]. He was again defeated, and this time forced to ally himself with Napoleon, ceding territory to the Empire, joining the [[Continental System]], and wedding his daughter [[Marie Louise of Austria|Marie-Louise]] to the Emperor. The [[Napoleonic Wars]] drastically weakened Austria, making it entirely landlocked and threatened its preeminence among the states of Germany, a position that it would eventually cede to the [[Kingdom of Prussia]].

In 1813, for the fifth and final time, Austria turned against France and joined [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Great Britain]], [[Russian Empire|Russia]], Prussia and Sweden in their [[War of the Sixth Coalition|war against Napoleon]]. Austria played a major role in the final defeat of France—in recognition of this, Francis, represented by [[Clemens von Metternich]], presided over the [[Congress of Vienna]], helping to form the [[Concert of Europe]] and the [[Holy Alliance]], ushering in an era of conservatism in Europe. The [[German Confederation]], a loose association of Central European states was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to organize the surviving states of the Holy Roman Empire. The Congress was a personal triumph for Francis, who hosted the assorted dignitaries in comfort,{{Sfn|Wheatcroft|1996|p=249}} though Francis undermined his allies [[Alexander I of Russia|Tsar Alexander]] and [[Frederick William III of Prussia]] by negotiating a secret treaty with the restored French king [[Louis XVIII]].{{Sfn|Wheatcroft|1996|p=250}}