The Early Habsburgs (1273-1437)
After a great start in 1273 with the election of Rudolf of Habsburg as king of the romans way back in 1273, the great dynastic engine stalled. Family feuds that did not stop at murder, some seriously ill-judged bets, the Swiss and simple incompetence nearly wiped the family out.
All they had was some made up stories about privileges from Julius Caesar and Nero who all praised the Austrians above all others…
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.
The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.
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To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season.
So far I have:
Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy
Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen
The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356
The Reformation before the Reformation
The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.
#203: From Rudolf I to Albrecht the Wise 1273-1358
The Beginnings of the Habsburg Dynasty
The Habsburg dynasty, originating from Radobot’s castle in 11th-century Switzerland, rose from obscurity to European prominence when In 1273 Rudolf of Habsburg was elected King of the Romans.
#204: Rudolf the Founder and Forger
The Privilegium Maius
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. By creating myths of divine and heroic origins, Rudolf forged a sense of Habsburg exceptionalism.
#205: Sempach, the Death of a Duke and the Birth of a Nation
The beginnings of the Swiss Confederation
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 Unterwalden…
#206: Division, Destruction and Degradation
Albrecht III & IV, Wilhelm, Leopold IV, Ernst the Iron and Friedrich IV
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
#207: Of Land and Lip
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?