The Fall and Rise of the House of Habsburg (1308-1519)

How the Habsburgs forged their unique character

Overview

‘Let others wage war: thou, happy Austria, marry’. Is that really it? Did this family acquire an empire where the sun never sets through just luck and longevity?

If indeed that is all it was, it was an extraordinarily successful strategy. here is a probably incomplete list of modern countries that at one point or another had been ruled by members of the House of Habsburg:

In alphabetical order: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czechia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, The Holy Roman Empire, Honduras, Hungary, Large parts of Italy, Poland and Ukraine, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Technically I could have added England on the list, though 4 years is a bit too short a time period to count.

Do we really believe all that could be gained by marrying the right girl or boy and then surviving for long enough to scoop up what better men and women had been fighting over? Plus, acquiring an empire is one thing, holding on to it is the really difficult bit. The British empire lasted roughly 200 years, the Julio-Claudians controlled the Roman Empire for a bit over 100 years, same as the Tudors, Napoleon managed just 16. The Habsburgs, depending where one puts the starting point, kept a seat at the top table for at least 400 years.

And whilst they had their fair share of exceptional rulers, Rudolf I, Maximilian, Charles V and Maria Theresia, the majority of the Habsburgs who sat on European thrones ranged from mediocre to outright inept. So, there must be something about this family that set them apart.

I have a strong suspicion that the answer to this question lies in the 200 year long period between the murder of king Albrecht I in 1308 and the election of Emperor Charles V in 1519, the time we want to cover in this season….

Episodes

Trailer

A brief opener to let you know what to expect.

#203 – From Rudolf I to Albrecht the Wise 1273-1358

The Habsburg dynasty, originating from Radobot’s castle in 11th-century Switzerland, rose from obscurity to European prominence. In 1273 Rudolf of Habsburg was elected King of the Romans. Far from the later myth of a poor, humble count, Rudolf was wealthy, shrewd, and ruthless. He expanded his family’s holdings through inheritance, war, and diplomacy, eventually securing Austria and Styria after defeating Ottokar II of Bohemia—an acquisition that became the dynasty’s heartland.

Rudolf’s hopes to found a hereditary imperial dynasty failed, and his son Albrecht I was murdered in 1308. For decades, the Habsburgs teetered on decline. Friedrich “the Handsome” briefly contended for the throne but left little mark. His brother Albrecht II “the Wise” revived the family, gaining Carinthia and Carniola in 1335 and shifting focus to Austria. Near extinction due to lack of heirs, the dynasty was saved when Albrecht’s wife Joan miraculously bore sons, including Rudolf IV, who would secure the Habsburg future.

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#204 – Rudolf the Founder and Forger

Rudolf IV of Habsburg (1339–1365), son of Albrecht “the Wise,” reigned as Duke of Austria for just seven years but left a lasting mark. Born when the dynasty seemed close to extinction, Rudolf secured Austria’s survival and prestige. Politically, he sought to elevate Vienna by founding the University of Vienna (1365) and beginning construction of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Though he fulfilled his father’s ambition to gain the Tyrol, the family fell behind their rivals, namely the Luxemburgs.

Rudolf’s most audacious act was the Privilegium Maius, a set of forged charters claiming ancient Roman emperors had granted Austria near-sovereign status, primogeniture, and the unique title of Archduke. Though denounced by Petrarch as absurd, the documents shaped Habsburg identity for centuries and underpinned later power.

By creating myths of divine and heroic origins, Rudolf forged a sense of Habsburg exceptionalism. Though dying young without heirs, he truly was “the Founder.”

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#205 – Sempach, the Death of a Duke and the Birth of a Nation

On July 9th, 1386 in a field near the Sempach lake., the armies of archduke Leopold of Austria line up against the forces of the city of Lucerne and the men of Uri, Schwyz and Nidwalden

Much of what hads been told about this batte, the backstory of the Swiss Confederation and the objectives of the Habsburgs have been drenched in myth. Myths that are in the main debunked. That being said, the story is still dramatic and hugely important.

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#206 – Division, Destruction and Degradation

Having sons was crucial in the late Middle Ages, but having too many sons was a problem too – driving the Habsburg to division, destruction and Degradation

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#207 – Of Land and Lip or How the Habsburgs got their Chin

Where does the Habsburg Jaw come from? Was it Cymburgis of Masovia, and if not, what has that to do with the humiliation of Friedrich of Tirol in 1415?

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#208 – Boy Meets Princess, Boy Becomes King

In just one year 1438 Albrecht II. rises from mid-ranking duke to king of Hungary, king of Bohemia and king of the Romans. Was it just because he married the right girl (always recommended), or was his overnight success decades in the making?

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#209 – The First Habsburg Emperor

Friedrich III was the first Habsburg Emperor, but also the most derided – was he really of “a completely dull sense of manhood and honour?”

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#210 – Ladislaus Postumus, Lord of All, Ruler of No One

Ladislaus Postumus, king of Hungary, king of Bohemia and archduke of Austria was the lord of many lands, but ruled none of them, until he tried and died

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#211 Hitting Rock Bottom

It is November 1462 and the emperor Friedrich III and his young family are huddling together in the cellars of the Hofburg. The citizens of Vienna are shooting cannonballs into the 13th century castle, the walls are crumbling and any moment now the angry crowds may break in. Outside, supporting the insurrection stood his own brother calling on him to give up….

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

# 212 The Library of the Raven King

Today we talk a lot about Matthias Corvinus, the legendary Renaissance king of Hungary whose library outshone that of the Medici in Florence and whose standing army was one of the greatest – and most expensive – military forces in 15th century Europe.

Why are we talking about a Hungarian ruler in a series about the Habsburgs? Trust me, there is a good reason beyond it being a fascinating life story.

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#213 Duping a Grand Duke and the Awakening of Friedrich III

In the 1460s the emperor Friedrich III does something unexpected – he does something, an engagement to the daughter of Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy that will change European history.

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#214 A Trial, a Siege and more than Neuss

The siege of Neuss and the trial of Peter von Hagenbach changed the way the Holy Roman Empire worked – and internatioonal law

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#215 The Bold in the Cold, the End of Charles of Burgundy

In just three years, between 1473 and 1477, Charles the Bold fritters away the mythical wealth of the Burgundian Dukes…

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#216 The Youth of Emperor Maximilian I

The Delights and Horrors of the Childhood of the Last Knight

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#217 When Mary Met Maxi, The Burgundian Marriage

“Let others wage war; you, happy Austria, marry”, that is what we are told. The reality was very different – invasion, rebellion, execution…

For episode webpage and transcript, click here

#218 Of Hedgehogs and Herons, the War that Made the Habsburgs

By 1477 the rules of war that had been enshrined in the laws of chivalry are gone. The contest between the French and the Habsburgs over the inheritance of the Grand Dukes of the West gives us a foretaste of the things to come.

For episode webpage and transcript, click here