Why Did the Habsburg Empire Fall?
The end of one of Europe’s great dynasties
The Habsburg dynasty was one of the longest-ruling Royal dynasties in Europe, and for quite some time, the Habsburgs were probably the most important Royals in early modern Europe.
Thanks to clever marriages, conquest and quite a bit of luck, by the 16th century Habsburgs, ruled the Iberian Peninsula, the Burgundian Netherlands, northern Hungary, Bohemia, Austria, Naples, Sicily, Milan, the Philippines and much of southern and central America.
Yet just like any other great empire, eventually, the Habsburg Empire also reached the end of the road. To understand why the Habsburg Empire collapsed, first, we need to look at how the empire was created, and that’s where I will start this article.
How was the Habsburg Empire Created?
The Habsburgs initially were just one of the thousands of noble families owning lands in the Holy Roman Empire. At first, nothing made them stand out from the other nobles.
Their rise began in the late 13th century, when their patriarch, Rudolf, was elected King of Germany in 1273. Under his rule, the Habsburgs took control over the duchies of Austria and Styria, which became the core Habsburg lands for the next two centuries.
