The Habsburg dynasty was one of the largest and most powerful dynasties in Europe during the Middle Ages and Modern times. As emperors, they were able to make elected office hereditary.
History of the Habsburg family
The Habsburg dynasty dates back to the distant 11th century, when a castle was built, which was named Habsburg, hence the name of the dynasty.
The coat of arms of the Habsburg family and the coat of arms of the Russian Empire are the same - a double-headed eagle, symbolizing the “Eastern Kingdom”. This became the reason for debate among many historians about which of the two states Western Europeans called eastern.
The founder of the dynasty is Count Rudolf of Habsburg, elected king of Germany in 1247. During his reign, he conquered Austrian lands from the Czech Republic, which formed the foundation of the ancestral family possessions over the next eight hundred years. With the death of Rudolf, the throne of the Holy Roman Empire belonged to other royal families until Albert II took it in 1438, securing permanent control of the HRE for his family.
The political activities of Frederick III and his son Maximilian I, as well as the great-grandson Charles V, raised the prestige of the title of Holy Roman Emperor and breathed new life into its very existence.
Rice. 1. Portrait of Charles V.
In 1477, Maximilian entered into a dynastic marriage with Mary of Burgundy, annexing the historical French province of Franche-Comté to the Habsburg possessions, and a few years later he annexed the Netherlands.
TOP 4 articleswho are reading along with this
The development of market relations made this country a real pearl in the crown of the Habsburgs, already bringing into the treasury of Charles V money twice as much as the income of Spain at that time. Maximilian arranged a marriage between his son Charles and the daughter of the Spanish king, which allowed his grandson to gain legal rights to the throne in the Czech Republic.
With the death of Maximilian, a real struggle for the throne unfolds between Charles V and Francis of France, which continued throughout his life. Karl, using bribes of electors and blackmail, nevertheless achieved the imperial throne for the Habsburgs. Thus, an empire of this kind included Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Southern Italy with Sicily and many overseas colonies. His main idea was the formation of a “worldwide Christian monarchy.”
Ferdinand I held elections for the Roman king in 1562. His son won them, which ensured the emperor’s popularity among the masses.
After the Thirty Years' War, the Habsburg Empire was on the verge of collapse. The current monarch, Leopold I, competed with Louis XIV for the right to supremacy in the European political arena. It is noteworthy that during these years the Turks besieged Vienna, and after that the war for the liberation of Hungary began. His policy as a whole was aimed at strengthening the created empire, which he managed to do.
Rice. 2. The Habsburg Empire at the peak of its power.
Rivalry with the Hohenzollerns
Such a strengthening of the Habsburgs could not clash with the interests of the principality in Northern Germany, where the Hohenzollern dynasty ruled. Their capital was the city of Brandenburg, but their land plots were scattered far across the geographical map, including even East Prussia. Having united Germany under his leadership, this could not help but pit two great families in war, which is what happened. The Austro-Prussian War of 1866 ended with the defeat of the Habsburgs and the formation of the North German Confederation. The Habsburgs forever lost their former influence in Central Europe.
Degeneration of the dynasty
Each emperor from the dynasty had many children. By concluding dynastic marriages with the rulers of other countries, it was impossible to avoid incest among relatives. Due to the fairly wide family tree, such connections could turn out to be closely related.
As modern research shows, already under Philip I a time bomb was planted. Children were increasingly born either weak or with various defects. A characteristic feature of the Habsburgs was the protruding lower lip, which can often be seen in artists’ paintings. Also, according to medieval documents, many Habsburg children did not live to see one year.
THE HABSBURGS. Part 1. Austrian branch of the Habsburgs
Emperors who made elective office hereditary.
The Habsburgs were a dynasty that ruled the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (until 1806), Spain (1516-1700), the Austrian Empire (formally from 1804), and Austria-Hungary (1867-1918).
The Habsburgs were one of the richest and most influential families in Europe. A distinctive feature of the Habsburgs' appearance was their prominent, slightly drooping lower lip.
Charles II of Habsburg
The family castle of an ancient family, built at the beginning of the 11th century, was called Habsburg (from Habichtsburg - Hawk's Nest). The dynasty received its name from him.
Castle Hawk's Nest, Switzerland
The Habsburg family castle - Schönbrunn - is located near Vienna. It is a modernized copy of Louis XIV's Versailles and is where much of the Habsburg family and political life took place.
Habsburg Summer Castle - Schönbrunn, Austria
And the main residence of the Habsburgs in Vienna was the Hofburg (Burg) palace complex.
Habsburg Winter Castle - Hofburg, Austria
In 1247, Count Rudolf of Habsburg was elected king of Germany, marking the beginning of a royal dynasty. Rudolf I annexed the lands of Bohemia and Austria to his possessions, which became the center of the dominion. The first emperor from the ruling Habsburg dynasty was Rudolf I (1218-1291), German king since 1273. During his reign in 1273-1291, he took Austria, Styria, Carinthia and Carniola from the Czech Republic, which became the main core of the Habsburg possessions.
Rudolf I of Habsburg (1273-1291)
Rudolf I was succeeded by his eldest son Albrecht I, who was elected king in 1298.
Albrecht I of Habsburg
Then, for almost a hundred years, representatives of other families occupied the German throne, until Albrecht II was elected king in 1438. Since then, representatives of the Habsburg dynasty have been constantly (with the exception of a single break in 1742-1745) elected kings of Germany and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. The only attempt in 1742 to elect another candidate, the Bavarian Wittelsbach, led to civil war.
Albrecht II of Habsburg
The Habsburgs received the imperial throne at a time when only a very strong dynasty could hold onto it. Through the efforts of the Habsburgs - Frederick III, his son Maximilian I and great-grandson Charles V - the highest prestige of the imperial title was restored, and the idea of empire itself received new content.
Frederick III of Habsburg
Maximilian I (emperor from 1493 to 1519) annexed the Netherlands to the Austrian possessions. In 1477, by marrying Mary of Burgundy, he added to the Habsburg domains Franche-Comté, a historical province in eastern France. He married his son Charles to the daughter of the Spanish king, and thanks to the successful marriage of his grandson, he received the rights to the Czech throne.
Emperor Maximilian I. Portrait by Albrecht Durer (1519)
Bernhard Striegel. Portrait of Emperor Maximilian I and his family
Bernaert van Orley. Young Charles V, son of Maximilian I. Louvre
Maximilian I. Portrait by Rubens, 1618
After the death of Maximilian I, three powerful kings claimed the imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire - Charles V of Spain himself, Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England. But Henry VIII quickly abandoned the crown, and Charles and Francis continued this struggle with each other almost all their lives.
In the struggle for power, Charles used the silver of his colonies in Mexico and Peru and money borrowed from the richest bankers of that time to bribe the electors, giving them Spanish mines in return. And the electors elected the heir of the Habsburgs to the imperial throne. Everyone hoped that he would be able to withstand the onslaught of the Turks and protect Europe from their invasion with the help of the fleet. The new emperor was forced to accept conditions according to which only Germans could hold public positions in the empire, the German language was to be used on an equal basis with Latin, and all meetings of government officials were to be held only with the participation of the electors.
Charles V of Habsburg
Titian, Portrait of Charles V with his dog, 1532-33. Oil on canvas, Prado Museum, Madrid
Titian, Portrait of Charles V in an Armchair, 1548
Titian, Emperor Charles V at the Battle of Mühlberg
So Charles V became the ruler of a huge empire, which included Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Southern Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Spain and the Spanish colonies in America - Mexico and Peru. The “world power” under his rule was so great that “the sun never set” on it.
Even his military victories did not bring the desired success to Charles V. He declared the goal of his policy to be the creation of a “worldwide Christian monarchy.” But internal strife between Catholics and Protestants destroyed the empire, the greatness and unity of which he dreamed of. During his reign, the Peasants' War of 1525 broke out in Germany, the Reformation took place, and the Comuneros uprising took place in Spain in 1520-1522.
The collapse of the political program forced the emperor to eventually sign the Religious Peace of Augsburg, and now each elector within his principality could adhere to the faith that he liked best - Catholic or Protestant, that is, the principle “whose power, whose faith” was proclaimed. In 1556, he sent a message to the electors renouncing the imperial crown, which he ceded to his brother Ferdinand I (1556-64), who had been elected king of Rome back in 1531. In the same year, Charles V abdicated the Spanish throne in favor of his son Philip II and retired to a monastery, where he died two years later.
Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg in a portrait by Boxberger
Philip II of Habsburg in ceremonial armor
Austrian branch of the Habsburgs
Castile in 1520-1522 against absolutism. At the Battle of Villalar (1521), the rebels were defeated and ceased resistance in 1522. Government repression continued until 1526. Ferdinand I managed to secure for the Habsburgs the right of ownership of the lands of the crown of St. Wenceslas and St. Stephen, which significantly increased the possessions and prestige of the Habsburgs. He was tolerant of both Catholics and Protestants, as a result of which the great empire actually disintegrated into separate states.
Already during his lifetime, Ferdinand I ensured continuity by holding the election of the Roman king in 1562, which was won by his son Maximilian II. He was an educated man with gallant manners and deep knowledge of modern culture and art.
Maximilian II of Habsburg
Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Portrait of Maximilian II with his family, c. 1563
Maximilian II evokes very contradictory assessments by historians: he is both a “mysterious emperor,” and a “tolerant emperor,” and “a representative of humanistic Christianity of the Erasmus tradition,” but recently he is most often called the “emperor of the religious world.” Maximilian II of Habsburg continued the policies of his father, who sought to find compromises with opposition-minded subjects of the empire. This position provided the emperor with extraordinary popularity in the empire, which contributed to the unhindered election of his son, Rudolf II, as the Roman king and then emperor.
Rudolf II of Habsburg
Rudolf II of Habsburg
Rudolf II was brought up at the Spanish court, had a deep mind, strong will and intuition, was far-sighted and prudent, but for all that he was timid and prone to depression. In 1578 and 1581 he suffered serious illnesses, after which he stopped appearing at hunts, tournaments and festivals. Over time, suspicion developed in him, and he began to fear witchcraft and poisoning, sometimes he thought about suicide, and in recent years he sought oblivion in drunkenness.
Historians believe that the cause of his mental illness was his bachelor life, but this is not entirely true: the emperor had a family, but not one consecrated by marriage. He had a long relationship with the daughter of the antiquarian Jacopo de la Strada, Maria, and they had six children.
The emperor's favorite son, Don Julius Caesar of Austria, was mentally ill, committed a brutal murder and died in custody.
Rudolf II of Habsburg was an extremely versatile person: he loved Latin poetry, history, devoted a lot of time to mathematics, physics, astronomy, and was interested in occult sciences (there is a legend that Rudolf had contacts with Rabbi Lev, who allegedly created the “Golem”, an artificial man) . During his reign, mineralogy, metallurgy, zoology, botany and geography received significant development.
Rudolf II was the largest collector in Europe. His passion was the works of Durer, Pieter Bruegel the Elder. He was also known as a watch collector. His encouragement of jewelry culminated in the creation of the magnificent Imperial Crown, the symbol of the Austrian Empire.
Personal crown of Rudolf II, later crown of the Austrian Empire
He proved himself to be a talented commander (in the war with the Turks), but was unable to take advantage of the fruits of this victory; the war became protracted. This sparked a rebellion in 1604, and in 1608 the emperor abdicated in favor of his brother Matthias. It must be said that Rudolf II resisted this turn of affairs for a long time and extended the transfer of powers to the heir for several years. This situation tired both the heir and the population. Therefore, everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Rudolf II died of dropsy on January 20, 1612.
Matthias Habsburg
Matthias received only the appearance of power and influence. The finances in the state were completely upset, the foreign policy situation was steadily leading to a big war, domestic politics threatened another uprising, and the victory of the irreconcilable Catholic party, at the origins of which Matthias stood, actually led to his overthrow.
This sad inheritance went to Ferdinand of Central Austria, who was elected Roman Emperor in 1619. He was a friendly and generous gentleman to his subjects and a very happy husband (in both of his marriages).
Ferdinand II of Habsburg
Ferdinand II loved music and adored hunting, but work came first for him. He was deeply religious. During his reign, he successfully overcame a number of difficult crises, he managed to unite the politically and religiously divided possessions of the Habsburgs and began a similar unification in the empire, which was to be completed by his son, Emperor Ferdinand III.
Ferdinand III of Habsburg
The most important political event of the reign of Ferdinand III is the Peace of Westphalia, with the conclusion of which the Thirty Years' War ended, which began as an uprising against Matthias, continued under Ferdinand II and was stopped by Ferdinand III. By the time peace was signed, 4/5 of all war resources were in the hands of the emperor’s opponents, and the last parts of the imperial army capable of maneuvering were defeated. In this situation, Ferdinand III proved himself to be a strong politician, capable of making decisions independently and consistently implementing them. Despite all the defeats, the emperor perceived the Peace of Westphalia as a success that prevented even more serious consequences. But the treaty, signed under pressure from the electors, which brought peace to the empire, simultaneously undermined the authority of the emperor.
The prestige of the emperor's power had to be restored by Leopold I, who was elected in 1658 and ruled for 47 years after that. He managed to successfully play the role of the emperor as a defender of law and law, restoring the authority of the emperor step by step. He worked long and hard, traveling outside the empire only when necessary, and made sure that strong personalities did not occupy a dominant position for a long time.
Leopold I of Habsburg
The alliance with the Netherlands concluded in 1673 allowed Leopold I to strengthen the foundations for Austria's future position as a great European power and achieve its recognition among the electors - subjects of the empire. Austria again became the center around which the empire was defined.
Under Leopold, Germany experienced a revival of Austrian and Habsburg hegemony in the empire, the birth of the "Viennese Imperial Baroque". The emperor himself was known as a composer.
Leopold I of Hasburg was succeeded by Emperor Joseph I of Habsburg. The beginning of his reign was brilliant, and a great future was predicted for the emperor, but his undertakings were not completed. Soon after his election, it became clear that he preferred hunting and amorous adventures to serious work. His affairs with court ladies and chambermaids caused a lot of trouble for his respectable parents. Even the attempt to marry Joseph was unsuccessful, because the wife could not find the strength to tie her irrepressible hubby.
Joseph I of Habsburg
Joseph died of smallpox in 1711, remaining in history as a symbol of hope that was not destined to come true.
Charles VI became the Roman emperor, who had previously tried his hand as King Charles III of Spain, but was not recognized by the Spaniards and was not supported by other rulers. He managed to maintain peace in the empire without losing the authority of the emperor.
Charles VI of Habsburg, last of the Habsburgs in the male line
However, he was unable to ensure the continuity of the dynasty, since there was no son among his children (he died in infancy). Therefore, Charles took care to regulate the order of inheritance. A document known as the Pragmatic Sanction was adopted, according to which, after the complete extinction of the ruling branch, the right of succession was first given to the daughters of his brother, and then to his sisters. This document contributed greatly to the rise of his daughter Maria Theresa, who ruled the empire first with her husband, Franz I, and then with her son, Joseph II.
Maria Theresa at age 11
But in history, not everything was so smooth: with the death of Charles VI, the male line of the Habsburgs was interrupted, and Charles VII from the Wittelsbach dynasty was elected emperor, which forced the Habsburgs to remember that the empire is an elective monarchy and its governance is not associated with a single dynasty.
Portrait of Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa made attempts to return the crown to her family, which she succeeded after the death of Charles VII - her husband, Franz I, became emperor. However, in fairness, it should be noted that Franz was not an independent politician, because all affairs in the empire were taken into his hands tireless wife. Maria Theresa and Franz were happily married (despite Franz's numerous infidelities, which his wife preferred not to notice), and God blessed them with numerous offspring: 16 children. Surprisingly, but true: the empress even gave birth as if casually: she worked with documents until the doctors sent her to the maternity room, and immediately after giving birth she continued to sign documents and only after that could she afford to rest. She entrusted the care of raising her children to trusted persons, strictly supervising them. Her interest in the destinies of her children truly manifested itself only when the time came to think about the arrangement of their marriages. And here Maria Theresa showed truly remarkable abilities. She arranged the weddings of her daughters: Maria Caroline married the King of Naples, Maria Amelia married the Infante of Parma, and Marie Antoinette, married to the Dauphin of France Louis (XVI), became the last queen of France.
Maria Theresa, who pushed her husband into the shadow of big politics, did the same with her son, which is why their relationship was always tense. As a result of these skirmishes, Joseph chose to travel.
Francis I Stephen, Francis I of Lorraine
During his trips he visited Switzerland, France, and Russia. Traveling not only expanded the circle of his personal acquaintances, but also increased his popularity among his subjects.
After the death of Maria Theresa in 1780, Joseph was finally able to carry out the reforms that he had thought about and prepared during his mother’s time. This program was born, carried out and died with him. Joseph was alien to dynastic thinking; he sought to expand the territory and pursue the Austrian great-power policy. This policy turned almost the entire empire against him. Nevertheless, Joseph still managed to achieve some results: in 10 years he changed the face of the empire so much that only his descendants were able to truly appreciate his work.
Joseph II, eldest son of Maria Theresa
It was clear to the new monarch, Leopold II, that the empire would only be saved by concessions and a slow return to the past, but while his goals were clear, he had no clarity in actually achieving them, and, as it turned out later, he also did not have time, because the emperor died 2 years after election.
Leopold II, third son of Franz I and Maria Theresa
Francis II reigned for over 40 years, under him the Austrian Empire was formed, under him the final collapse of the Roman Empire was recorded, under him Chancellor Metternich ruled, after whom an entire era was named. But the emperor himself, in historical light, appears as a shadow bending over state papers, a vague and amorphous shadow, incapable of independent body movements.
Franz II with the scepter and crown of the new Austrian Empire. Portrait by Friedrich von Amerling. 1832. Museum of Art History. Vein
At the beginning of his reign, Francis II was a very active politician: he carried out management reforms, mercilessly changed officials, experimented in politics, and his experiments simply took the breath away of many. It was later that he would become a conservative, suspicious and unsure of himself, unable to make global decisions...
Francis II assumed the title of Hereditary Emperor of Austria in 1804, which was associated with the proclamation of Napoleon as Hereditary Emperor of the French. And by 1806, circumstances were such that the Roman Empire had become a ghost. If in 1803 there were still some remnants of imperial consciousness, now they were not even remembered. Having soberly assessed the situation, Francis II decided to relinquish the crown of the Holy Roman Empire and from that moment devoted himself entirely to strengthening Austria.
In his memoirs, Metternich wrote about this turn of history: “Franz, deprived of the title and the rights that he had before 1806, but incomparably more powerful than then, was now the true emperor of Germany.”
Ferdinand I of Austria "The Good" modestly ranks between his predecessor and his successor Franz Joseph I.
Ferdinand I of Austria "The Good"
Ferdinand I was very popular among the people, as evidenced by numerous anecdotes. He was a supporter of innovations in many areas: from the construction of the railroad to the first long-distance telegraph line. By decision of the emperor, the Military Geographical Institute was created and the Austrian Academy of Sciences was founded.
The emperor was sick with epilepsy, and the disease left its mark on the attitude towards him. He was called “blessed”, “fool”, “stupid”, etc. Despite all these unflattering epithets, Ferdinand I showed various abilities: he knew five languages, played the piano, and was fond of botany. In the matter of government, he also achieved certain successes. Thus, during the revolution of 1848, it was he who realized that Metternich’s system, which had worked successfully for many years, had outlived its usefulness and required replacement. And Ferdinand Joseph had the firmness to refuse the services of the chancellor.
During the difficult days of 1848, the Emperor tried to resist circumstances and pressure from others, but he was eventually forced to abdicate, followed by Archduke Franz Karl. Franz Joseph, the son of Franz Karl, who ruled Austria (and then Austria-Hungary) for no less than 68 years, became emperor. The first years the emperor ruled under the influence, if not under the leadership, of his mother, Empress Sophia.
Franz Joseph in 1853. Portrait by Miklós Barabás
Franz Joseph I of Austria
For Franz Joseph I of Austria, the most important things in the world were: dynasty, army and religion. At first, the young emperor zealously took up the matter. Already in 1851, after the defeat of the revolution, the absolutist regime in Austria was restored.
In 1867, Franz Joseph transformed the Austrian Empire into the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, in other words, he made a constitutional compromise that retained for the emperor all the advantages of an absolute monarch, but at the same time left all the problems of the state system unresolved.
The policy of coexistence and cooperation between the peoples of Central Europe is the Habsburg tradition. It was a conglomerate of peoples, essentially equal, because everyone, be it a Hungarian or a Bohemian, a Czech or a Bosnian, could occupy any government post. They ruled in the name of the law and did not take into account the national origin of their subjects. For nationalists, Austria was a “prison of nations,” but, oddly enough, the people in this “prison” grew rich and prospered. Thus, the House of Habsburg really assessed the benefits of having a large Jewish community on the territory of Austria and invariably defended the Jews from the attacks of Christian communities - so much so that anti-Semites even nicknamed Franz Joseph the “Jewish Emperor.”
Franz Joseph loved his charming wife, but on occasion he could not resist the temptation to admire the beauty of other women, who usually reciprocated his feelings. He also could not resist gambling, often visiting the Monte Carlo casino. Like all Habsburgs, the emperor under no circumstances misses the hunt, which has a pacifying effect on him.
The Habsburg monarchy was swept away by the whirlwind of revolution in October 1918. The last representative of this dynasty, Charles I of Austria, was overthrown after being in power for only about two years, and all the Habsburgs were expelled from the country.
Charles I of Austria
The last representative of the Habsburg dynasty in Austria - Charles I of Austria and his wife
There was an ancient legend in the Habsburg family: the proud family would begin with Rudolf and end with Rudolf. The prediction almost came true, for the dynasty fell after the death of Crown Prince Rudolf, the only son of Franz Joseph I of Austria. And if the dynasty remained on the throne after his death for another 27 years, then for a prediction made many centuries ago, this is a minor error.
The Habsburgs are a dynasty whose representatives held the Spanish throne from 1516 to 1700. It is curious that it was during the reign of the Habsburgs that the coat of arms of Spain was approved: a black eagle (the symbol of the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire), around whose head a golden halo shines - a symbol of the sanctity of power. The bird holds a traditional Spanish shield with a semicircular pommel, on which there are red lions (a symbol of power) and Castilian castles (a symbol of state power). On either side of the shield there are two crowns - a memory of the unification of Castile and Aragon, which occurred as a result of the marriage of Isabella I with Ferdinand of Aragon. The coat of arms is topped with the country's motto: "Great and Free."
The history of the Spanish Habsburg line dates back to the moment when the famous royal couple - Isabella I and Ferdinand II of Aragon - became related to the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian Habsburg. This happened through the marriages of Infanta Juan (1479-1497) and Infanta Juana (1479-1555) with the children of the emperor in 1496. And although the Spanish crown still belonged to Isabella and Ferdinand, its future fate was predetermined: the infante did not live long and died during his honeymoon, leaving no offspring; the right of succession to the throne thus passed to Juana, the wife of the heir of Emperor Maximilian, Philip the Fair.
Unfortunately, the Spanish kings no longer had legitimate heirs (the illegitimate offspring of Ferdinand II of Aragon were not taken into account), since Infanta Isabella (Portuguese queen, 1470-1498) died in childbirth, and her tiny son Miguel died suddenly in 1500. More one daughter of the royal couple, Maria (1482-1517), became queen of Portugal by marrying the husband of her deceased sister. As for Catherine (1485-1536), she managed to be married to King Henry VIII of England and did not lay claim to the crown.
But the hopes placed on Juana were not justified: the young woman soon after her marriage showed signs of a serious mental disorder. It all started when the newlywed began to fall into severe melancholy, avoided communication with courtiers, and suffered from causeless attacks of furious jealousy. Juana always felt that her husband was neglecting her, and she did not want to meekly endure, like her mother, her husband’s love affairs.
At the same time, the infanta did not just get angry or show dissatisfaction, but fell into a wild rage. When the young couple arrived in Spain in 1502, Isabella I immediately drew attention to the clear signs of darkening of mind in her daughter. She, of course, wanted to find out what this condition could mean for Juana. After listening to the doctors' prognosis of the possible course of the disease, Isabella I made a will in which she appointed her daughter as her heir in Castile (in fact, the queen had no other choice!), but stipulated that King Ferdinand would have to rule on behalf of the Infanta. This condition came into force in the event that Juana was unable to bear the burden of government duties. It is curious that Isabella did not mention her son-in-law, Philip the Handsome, in her will.
But after the death of the queen (1504), when her half-crazed daughter, nicknamed Juana the Mad, ascended the throne, her husband, Philip the Handsome, announced that he would take over the regency. Ferdinand, defeated in palace intrigues, was forced to go to his native Aragon. The situation changed dramatically in 1506, when Isabella's son-in-law unexpectedly followed his mother-in-law into the next world.
Juana by that time could not really rule the country, so Cardinal Cisneros intervened in the affairs of Castile, where anarchy was gaining momentum, and asked Ferdinand of Aragon to return to power and restore order in the state. He had already managed to marry the niece of the King of France, Germaine de Foix, and was going to live out his life in peace at home. But the tragedy of the insane daughter forced the father to once again take on the burden of governing all of Spain. And how could Ferdinand have acted differently when he heard that Juana, not knowing what to do, was traveling around the country with her husband’s corpse?
Whether Juana was truly insane is still debated to this day. Some historians question the fact of the infanta's mental disorder, attributing her antics only to a passionate temperament. However, it is quite difficult to explain the fact that the Queen of Castile ordered the opening of her husband’s coffin several times by other reasons. Experts believe that in this case we need to talk about necrophilia and necromania. In addition, the unfortunate woman clearly suffered from agoraphobia (a disease of open space), avoided human society and often sat for long periods in her room, refusing to go out and let anyone in to her.
Apparently, Ferdinand did not doubt his daughter’s insanity. Although Juana was still considered queen and the question of her deposition was never raised, the disease progressed very quickly, so Ferdinand became regent of Castile. And in 1509, her father sent Juana to Tordesillas Castle - under constant supervision. There, in 1555, the mad queen, who spent half her life in prison, ended her tragic and sorrowful life.
1512 - thanks to the efforts of Ferdinand of Aragon, Navarre was annexed to Castile. When this man died in 1516, Juana, for obvious reasons, did not rule the state; fortunately there was no need to transfer power into the wrong hands: the Spanish crown crowned the grandson of Ferdinand, the first-born of the flawed infanta and Philip the Fair - Charles I of Ghent. It was in 1516 that the Habsburg dynasty officially took the throne of Spain.
Charles I (1500-1558; reigned 1516-1556), christened after Charlemagne, was born in Flanders and spoke Spanish with great difficulty. From birth, he was considered the future heir to a vast kingdom, parts of which were scattered throughout Europe. Although the son of Juana the Mad could hardly have counted on such brilliant prospects if not for the tragic events that took place in this family.
Quite quickly, Charles became the only contender for the Castilian crown. True, at one time he had competitors. Charles's grandfather, Ferdinand of Aragon, married a second time and seriously intended to raise not only his grandchildren, but also his children. But the son of Ferdinand of Aragon and Germaine de Foix, born on May 3, 1509, died almost immediately after birth, and they had no more children.
Karl's father died very early; the mother was unable to rule the country due to insanity, so the grandfather of the heir to the throne, Ferdinand of Aragon, transferred his grandson to be raised in the Netherlands. The boy was to be cared for by his aunt Maria, the wife of Manuel of Portugal.
Having ascended the throne at the age of 16, the young king immediately found himself ruler not only of Castile and Aragon, but also of the Netherlands, Franche-Comté and all the American colonies. True, Charles received the crown under special circumstances: his mother was still considered the queen, so an attempt at the Brussels court to proclaim the son of Juana the Mad as king of Castile and Aragon (March 14, 1516) caused a real riot. The meeting of the Castilian Cortes as early as 1518 did not forget to remind that a mother still has more rights to the throne than her son.
Karl, meanwhile, quickly received a “promotion.” 1519 - he lost another relative - his grandfather Maximilian, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and inherited this title as the eldest man in the family. Thus, King Charles I turned into Emperor Charles V, and Spain, Naples, Sicily, Austria, the Spanish colonies in the New World, as well as the Habsburg possessions in the Netherlands came under his rule.
As a result, Spain became a world power, and its king, accordingly, became the most powerful ruler in Europe. However, after his election as emperor, Charles faced another problem: the new title was higher than the previous one, and therefore was called first when listing titles. However, in Castile they continued to put Juana's name first. Then a compromise was invented for official documents: Charles, called the “King of Rome,” came first, and then the Queen of Castile. Only in 1521, after the suppression of the uprising of the Castilian cities, the name of the unfortunate madwoman completely disappeared from the documents, although for a long time the king ruled under the living mother-queen, whom no one declared deposed.
In the state itself, Karl could not boast of particular popularity and love of his subjects. The monarch appointed his supporters (Flemings and Burgundians) to key positions, and made the Archbishop of Toledo regent during his absence. All the time that Charles was on the throne, Spain was constantly involved in solving problems that had a very distant relation to its national interests, but were directly related to the strengthening of the Habsburg power in Europe.
It was for this reason that the wealth of Spain and its army were thrown into suppressing the Lutheran heresy in Germany, fighting the Turks in the Mediterranean and the French in the Rhineland and Italy. The Spanish monarch clearly had no luck with either the Germans or the Turks; The Spanish military operations against France, having begun triumphantly, ended in painful defeat. Things were successful only with church reforms. Through the efforts of Charles in 1545-1563, the Council of Triden was able to carry out a number of significant changes and additions to church regulations.
Despite the many difficulties that the Spanish monarch encountered at the beginning of his reign, he quickly figured out what was going on, and within a few years he had gained a reputation as a capable and wise king.
1556 - Charles abdicated the throne in favor of his son Philip. The Austrian possessions of the crown passed to the brother of the former ruler, Ferdinand, and Spain, the Netherlands, lands in Italy and America went to Philip II (ruled 1556-1598). Despite the fact that the new monarch was of German origin, he was born and raised in Spain, therefore he was a Spaniard to the core. It was this Habsburg who proclaimed Madrid the capital of Spain; He himself spent his entire life in the medieval castle of Escurial, where he said goodbye to his loved ones for the last time.
Philip II, of course, lacked the reckless courage that distinguished his father, but he was distinguished by prudence, prudence and incredible perseverance in achieving his goal. In addition, Philip II was in unshakable confidence that the Lord himself had entrusted him with the mission of establishing Catholicism in Europe, and therefore he tried his best to fulfill his destiny.
Despite his sincere desire to work for the good of the country, the new monarch was catastrophically unlucky. The series of failures lasted for many years. Too harsh policies in the Netherlands led to a revolution that began in 1566. As a result, Spain lost power over the northern part of the Netherlands.
The Spanish king tried to draw England into the Habsburg sphere of influence, but to no avail; Moreover, English sailors started a real pirate war with Spanish traders, and Queen Elizabeth clearly supported the rebel Dutch. This greatly irritated Philip II and prompted him to take up the creation of the famous Invincible Armada, whose task was to land troops in England.
Philip maintained correspondence with the Queen of Scotland, the Catholic Mary Stuart, promising her full support in the fight against her English relative, the Protestant Elizabeth I. And it is not known how the future fate of England might have developed if the formidable Spanish Armada had not been defeated in 1588 by British in several naval battles. After this, Philip's power forever lost its supremacy at sea.
The King of Spain actively intervened in the French religious wars, so that Henry IV, being a Huguenot, could not calmly sit on the French throne. But after he converted to Catholicism, Philip was forced to withdraw Spanish troops and recognize the new king of France.
The only thing that Habsburg could boast of was the annexation of Portugal to the Spanish possessions (1581). The monarch did not need any special valor for this, because he received the Portuguese crown by inheritance. After the death of King Sebastian, Philip II laid claim to the Portuguese throne; since he had good reasons to claim this crown, there were no people willing to argue with him. It is curious that the Spanish monarchs held Portugal for only 60 years. At the first opportunity, its inhabitants chose to leave the rule of the Habsburgs.
In addition to the annexation of Portugal, a major achievement of Philip II's policy was the brilliant naval victory over the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto (1571). It was this battle that undermined the naval power of the Ottoman dynasty; after it, the Turks were never able to restore their influence on the sea.
In Spain, Philip did not change the existing administrative system; he only strengthened it as best he could and centralized his power. However, the reluctance to carry out reforms led to the fact that many of the orders and instructions of Philip II himself were often not carried out, simply getting bogged down in the jungle of an extensive bureaucracy.
Philip's piety led to the unprecedented strengthening of such a terrible machine as the notorious Spanish Inquisition. Under this king, the Cortes were convened extremely rarely, and in the last decade of the reign of Philip II, the cornered Spaniards were generally forced to renounce most of their freedoms.
Philip II could not claim to be the guarantor of the rights and freedoms of his subjects, because he more than once retreated from his word and violated the laws and agreements he himself approved. So, in 1568, the monarch gave permission for the persecution of the so-called Moriscos - forcibly baptized Muslims. Naturally, they responded with rebellion. It was possible to suppress the Morisco protests only after three years and with great difficulty. As a result, the Moriscos, who previously controlled a significant part of the trade in the southern part of the country, were evicted to the barren interior regions of Spain.
Thus, Philip II brought Spain to a crisis. Although it was considered a great world power in 1598, it was in fact two steps away from disaster: the international ambitions and obligations of the House of Habsburg had almost completely exhausted the country's resources. The income of the kingdom and receipts from the colonies amounted to a huge amount and seemed incredible in the 16th century, but Charles V, despite this, managed to leave his successor no less incredible debts.
It got to the point that Philip II was forced twice during his reign - in 1557 and 1575 - to declare his country bankrupt! And because he did not want to reduce expenses and refused to reform the tax system, Philip’s economic policy caused enormous harm to Spain. The government in the last years of the life of the stubborn Philip barely made ends meet; Spain's short-sighted financial policy and negative trade balance (achieved through his own efforts) dealt a powerful blow to trade and industry.
Particularly harmful was the continuous influx of precious metals into the country from the New World. Such “wealth” led to the fact that in Spain it became especially profitable to sell goods, but buying, on the contrary, was unprofitable, because prices in the country were many times higher than in Europe. The 10% tax on trade turnover, which was one of the main sources of income for the Spanish treasury, helped to completely collapse the economy of the once powerful state.
Naturally, Philip III (reigned 1598-1621), who received the kingdom in such a deplorable state, could not improve the difficult situation in the Spanish economy. The next Habsburg, Philip IV (reigned 1621-1665), failed to improve the situation. Nevertheless, they both tried to the best of their ability to overcome the difficulties that they inherited from their predecessor.
Philip III, in particular, was able to make peace with England in 1604, and in 1609 he signed a truce with the Dutch for 12 years. Although both of Spain's main opponents were neutralized for a time, this did not greatly affect the state's economy, because the king was distinguished by exorbitant spending on lavish entertainment and on his many favorites.
In addition, in 1609-1614, the monarch completely expelled the descendants of the Moors - the Moriscos (Mudejars) from the country, thereby depriving Spain of more than a quarter of a million (!) of its most hardworking citizens. Many of the Moriscos were strong farmers, and their expulsion accelerated the onset of an agricultural crisis in the state.
Charles II - the last of the Habsburgs
In general, by the middle of the 17th century, Spain, again on the verge of state bankruptcy, had lost its former prestige and lost a considerable part of its possessions in Europe. The loss of the northern Netherlands had a particularly hard impact on the country's economy. And when in 1618 Emperor Ferdinand II did not get along with Czech Protestants and the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) broke out in Germany, in which many European states were involved, Spain took the side of the Austrian Habsburgs - thus Philip III hoped to regain the Netherlands.
And although the monarch’s aspirations were not destined to be justified (instead, the country acquired new huge debts, continuing to decline), his son and successor, Philip IV, adhered to the same policy. At first, the Spanish army achieved some success in the battles for unknown whose ideals; Philip IV owed this to the famous general Ambrogio Di Spinola, an excellent strategist and tactician. However, Spain's military happiness turned out to be very fragile. Since 1640, Spain suffered one defeat after another.
The situation was complicated by uprisings in Catalonia and Portugal: the huge gap between the wealth of the royal court and the poverty of the masses gave rise to many conflicts. One of them, the rebellion in Catalonia, gained such momentum that it required the concentration of all Spanish military forces. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the current situation, Portugal achieved the restoration of its own independence: in 1640, a group of conspirators seized power in Lisbon. The Spanish king did not have the slightest opportunity to cope with the rebels, so in 1668 Spain was forced to recognize the independence of Portugal.
Only in 1648, at the end of the Thirty Years' War, did the subjects of Philip IV receive greater respite; at that time, Spain continued to fight only with France. The end to this conflict was put in 1659, when both sides signed the Iberian Peace.
The last ruler of the Habsburg dynasty in Spain was the sickly, nervous and suspicious Charles II, who reigned from 1665-1700. His reign did not leave a noticeable mark on Spanish history. Because Charles II left no heirs and died childless, after his death the crown of Spain passed to the French Prince Philip, Duke of Anjou. The King of Spain himself appointed him as his successor, stipulating that henceforth the crowns of France and Spain would be separated forever. The Duke of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV and great-grandson of Philip III, became the first representative of the Spanish branch of the House of Bourbon. The Habsburg royal family in Spain thus ceased to exist.
M. Pankova
The Habsburg dynasty has been known since the 13th century, when its representatives ruled Austria. And from the middle of the 15th century until the beginning of the 19th century, they completely retained the title of Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, being the most powerful monarchs of the continent.
Habsburg history
The founder of the family lived in the 10th century. Almost no information has been preserved about him today. It is known that his descendant, Count Rudolf, acquired lands in Austria already in the middle of the 13th century. Actually, southern Swabia became their cradle, where the early representatives of the dynasty had a family castle. The name of the castle - Habischtsburg (from German - “hawk castle”) gave the name to the dynasty. In 1273, Rudolf was elected king of the Germans and emperor. He conquered Austria and Styria from the Bohemian king Přemysl Otakar, and his sons Rudolf and Albrecht became the first Habsburgs to rule in Austria. In 1298, Albrecht inherited the title of Emperor and German King from his father. And subsequently his son was elected to this throne. At the same time, throughout the 14th century, the title of Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Germans was still elective between German princes, and it did not always go to representatives of the dynasty. Only in 1438, when Albrecht II became emperor, did the Habsburgs finally appropriate this title to themselves. There was only one exception later, when the Elector of Bavaria achieved royal rank by force in the middle of the 18th century.
Rise of the Dynasty
From this period, the Habsburg dynasty gained increasing power, reaching brilliant heights. Their successes were laid down by the successful policies of I, who ruled at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries. Actually, his main successes were successful marriages: his own, which brought him the Netherlands, and his son Philip, as a result of which the Habsburg dynasty took possession of Spain. About the grandson of Maximilian, they said that the Sun never sets on his domain - his power was so widespread. He owned Germany, the Netherlands, parts of Spain and Italy, as well as some possessions in the New World. The Habsburg dynasty was at the height of its power.
However, even during the life of this monarch, the gigantic state was divided into parts. And after his death it completely disintegrated, after which the representatives of the dynasty divided their possessions among themselves. Ferdinand I got Austria and Germany, Philip II got Spain and Italy. Subsequently, the Habsburgs, whose dynasty was divided into two branches, were no longer a single whole. In some periods, relatives even openly opposed each other. As was the case, for example, during
Europe. The victory of the reformers in it greatly damaged the power of both branches. Thus, the Holy Emperor never again had his former influence, which was associated with his rise in Europe. And the Spanish Habsburgs completely lost their throne, losing it to the Bourbons.
In the middle of the 18th century, the Austrian rulers Joseph II and Leopold II for some time managed to once again raise the prestige and power of the dynasty. This second heyday, when the Habsburgs once again became influential in Europe, lasted about a century. However, after the revolution of 1848, the dynasty loses its monopoly on power even in its own empire. Austria turns into a dual monarchy - Austria-Hungary. The further - already irreversible - process of collapse was delayed only thanks to the charisma and wisdom of the reign of Franz Joseph, who became the last real ruler of the state. The Habsburg dynasty (photo on the right), after the defeat in the First World War, was expelled from the country in its entirety, and a number of national independent states arose from the ruins of the empire in 1919.
This story, which no one, even if they wanted to, can call fictional, belongs to the category "TOP SECRET"(in Russian "top secret").
The mosaic structure of this story connects facts that were previously in no way connected by historians, and therefore it is shocking for modern people REVELATION.
Thanks to this mosaic painting, we learn, firstly, the true role of the Catholic Church in the fate of the peoples of Europe. Secondly, only now is it finally becoming clear what role they played in the fate of the peoples of Europe Jews in general and Sephardi Jews in particular, the ancestral home of which is Spain. Much will become clear from what is happening in the world today.
In order for the puzzles of this historical mosaic to form correctly in the reader’s mind and for an effect to arise, which is commonly called “EPILIGATION,” I arranged the found factual material in a strictly defined way, connecting it with logical connections. Perhaps, thanks to this, after reading this story, someone will write me a letter of gratitude with the words: "Thank you! I have seen the light!".
I really hope so. For this reason, in fact, I worked, trying to find historical truth both for myself and for all other people.
Puzzle 1. "Judaism Day": Vatican officials call Jews "big brothers."
Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and head of the Commission for Dialogue with the Jewish People, named Jews in an interview with the French-language Catholic publication Kipa/Apic "elder Christian brothers", and also reminded that . Priest Norbert Hofmann called for celebrations throughout the world "Judaism Day". In his opinion, this day is needed to “emphasize the Jewish roots of Christianity and promote Christian-Jewish dialogue.” Some countries, including Italy, Austria, the Netherlands and Poland, already have a similar day. It is held annually January 17. .
Of the entire volume of words in the first puzzle, it is important for the reader to remember only this: "There is a strong connection between Catholics and Jews" .
Regarding the statement that "Jews are the elder brothers of Christians" , later you will realize that this is a lie. That is, according to the Bible, yes, Jews are the most ancient people on earth, but these are just words and nothing more! Today, this lie is being exposed by the Jews themselves, or rather by Jewish genetic scientists who claim that "all modern Ashkenazi Jews come from a group of people numbering approximately 350 people, who lived 600-800 years ago. These are the results of a study by an international group of geneticists led by Columbia University professor Shai Carmi..." Information from the Jewish site: http://www.jewish.ru/
For reference: Ashkenazim(Hebrew: אשכנזים) is a subethnic group of Jews that formed in Central Europe. The use of this name for this cultural community is recorded in sources dating back to the 14th century. Historically, the everyday language of the vast majority of Ashkenazim was Yiddish. At the end of the 20th century, Ashkenazim constitute the majority (about 80 % ) Jews of the world, their share among US Jews is even higher. However, in Israel they make up only about half of the Jewish population. Traditionally opposed Sephardim- a subethnic group of Jews that took shape in medieval Spain. Sephardim (Hebrew: סְפָרַדִּים “sfaradim”, from the toponym Sfarad (סְפָרַד), identified with Spain) are a subethnic group of Jews formed on the Iberian Peninsula from the migration flows of Jews within the Roman Empire, and then within the Caliphate. Historically, the everyday language of Sephardic Jews was Ladino (Judezmo, Sephardic language). In total, there are approximately 1.5 - 2 million Sephardim on the planet, approximately- 12 million. (Wikipedia).
Puzzle 2. The Spanish Inquisition as the punishing sword of God
Let's move mentally back to the Middle Ages and remember that there once existed "Holy Roman Empire"(the time of its existence was 962 - 1806).
We are now most interested in the period when the powerful Charles V (1500-1558) from the family was the king of the Holy Roman Empire Habsburgs.
Reference: Habsburgs(German: Habsburger) - one of the most powerful royal dynasties in Europe during the Middle Ages and Modern times. Representatives of the dynasty are known as the rulers of Austria (from 1282), which later transformed into the multinational Austro-Hungarian Empire (until 1918), which was one of the leading European powers, as well as the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, whose throne the Habsburgs occupied from 1438 to 1806 (with a short break in 1742-1745). The founder of the Habsburg dynasty was Guntram the Rich (c. 930-990), whose possessions were located in the northern Switzerland and Alsace.
Charles V of Habsburg.
Let me ask a question in this regard: who inflicted the most monstrous tortures and executions on the “heretics”, who invented various tools and devices for them?
Here is shown one of thousands of ways for inquisitors to obtain confession from a “heretic.” The accused was undressed and “seated” as shown in the figure on a special device - a wooden or iron pyramid with a point. Using a rope, the inquisitor could regulate the pressure of the tip and lower the victim slowly or jerkily. If the rope was completely released, the victim was impaled on the tip with all his weight.
Answer to the question: “Who arranged the most monstrous tortures and executions for the “heretics”, who invented various tools and devices for them?, I personally saw in the statement of the Catholic Cardinal Kurt Koch: "There is a strong connection between Catholics and Jews" . And parallels between this medieval history and Russian history of the twentieth century unexpectedly arose by themselves, as did new questions: "who created the punishing sword of the revolution in Russia - the Cheka? Who initially carried out the work in it medieval inquisitors?
There are no options here - all the same Jews, Sephardim, and Ashkenazim!
How successful was this"punishing sword" Holy Roman Empire, which was aimed at suppression of any dissent in society, statistics from that time show.
According to available historical chronicles, only from 1481 to 1498 there were burned alive about 8,800 people and 90,000 people were subject to confiscation of property and ecclesiastical punishments.
Further, the number of those repressed by the Spanish Inquisition and burned alive began to grow in arithmetic progression. The reason for this was the fact that the priests of the Roman Catholic Church, in addition to the fight against the so-called “Protestants”, also announced "witch hunt".
All those people whom we call today psychics, Catholic priests were outlawed. They came up with the labels “witch” and “sorcerer” for them and declared that their total destruction was a godly deed. A real hunt was declared for these people with a rare gift, like Christ, about whom the Gospels tell, on the territory of the Holy Roman Empire. After their identification and arrest, a terrible church trial and no less terrible death awaited these unfortunates.
Reference: in 1484, the 213th Pope Innocent VIII (1432-1492) issued the bull “Summis desiderantes affectibus” (“With all the strength of the soul”), directed against witches and sorcerers. The “Great Hunt” for them began in the middle of the 16th century and lasted approximately 200 years. During this period there are about 100 thousand processes and 50 thousand victims. Most of the victims were in the states of Germany, Switzerland, France and Scotland; to a lesser extent, the witch hunt affected England, Italy and Spain. There were only a few witch trials in America, the most famous example being the Salem events of 1692-1693. Trials of witches and sorcerers were especially widespread in areas where protest movements arose. Lutheran and Calvinist states had their own laws on witchcraft, even more severe than Catholic ones (for example, the review of judicial cases was abolished). Thus, in the Saxon city of Quedlinburg with a population of 12 thousand people, 133 “witches” were burned in just one day in 1589. In Silesia, one of the executioners constructed a furnace in which in 1651 he burned 42 people, including two-year-old children. The witch hunts were no less brutal in Germany, especially in Trier, Bamberg, Mainz and Würzburg. About a thousand people were executed in Cologne between 1627 and 1639. A priest from Alfter, in a letter to Count Werner von Salm, described the situation in Bonn at the beginning of the 17th century: “It seems that half the city is involved: professors, students, pastors, canons, vicars and monks have already been arrested and burned... The chancellor with his wife and the wife of his personal The secretary has already been captured and executed. On the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, a pupil of the prince-bishop, a nineteen-year-old girl known for her piety and piety, was executed... Three-four-year-old children were declared lovers of the Devil. Students and boys of noble birth aged 9-14 were burned. In conclusion, I will say that things are in such a terrible state that no one knows who to talk to and cooperate with.” The persecution of witches in Germany reached its climax during the Thirty Years' War of 1618–1648, when the warring parties accused each other of witchcraft.
Bonfires with living people burned then all over Europe, and this monstrous practice continued until the beginning of the 19th century!
The last victim, according to historians, was burned by the inquisitors in the Habsburg family nest - in Switzerland.
Habsburg Castle, Switzerland, 16th century drawing.
Reference: The last person executed in Europe for witchcraft is Anna Geldi, executed in Switzerland in 1782 (under torture she confessed to witchcraft, but she was officially sentenced to death for poisoning). Sporadic accusations of witchcraft were encountered in the judicial practice of the German states and Great Britain until the end of the first quarter of the 19th century, although witchcraft as such no longer served as a basis for criminal liability. .
The result of the mass psychosis that was generated by the Spanish Inquisition and the Roman Catholic Church is simply terrible. According to historians, the executioners, who proclaimed themselves “regents of God on earth” (try to comprehend these blasphemous words!), during the period from 1481 to 1782, executed about 300 thousand women alone (and according to the most conservative estimates)!!! (This damning figure is given in the world's best-selling printed English encyclopedia, World Book).
A drawing from the book “The Hammer of the Witches” by Jacob Sprenger clearly shows how this happened in Europe for three hundred years.
Think about it! Consider what MONSTERS Europe has been in for centuries!
After this information, I would like to ask the reader another rhetorical question: and now Europe is in the power of the best rulers?
Puzzle 4. The Habsburgs sell Count Dracula's castle
The media recently reported that the Habsburg family is still alive:
"Representatives of the Habsburg family decided to sell Bran Castle in the central part of Romania. It is believed that it was there that the hospodar (prince) of Wallachia lived Vlad Tepes (years of life 1431 — 1476, who became the prototype of the “vampire Dracula”. (Translated from Romanian "Dracula" means— "son of the dragon")The parties have not yet commented on what price possible deal, Interfax reports. The legendary castle was built in the 14th century. Bran Castle, which is valued at $25 million, was later owned by Queen Maria of Romania and her daughter Princess Ileana (who married Archduke Anton in 1931). Habsburg-Tuscan.— A.B.), and in 1948 it was confiscated by the country's communist government.Eight years ago, Vlad III's castle was returned to its rightful heirs— Habsburgs, and now the authorities of the city of Brasov are considering the possibility of purchasing it. Source: www.pravda.ru
Dracula's Castle. Romania.
Do you want to know what he became famous for? Vlad III?
Look at this medieval engraving. It is called "Tsar Vlad III's feast at the place of execution"
.
Vlad III went down in history as a tyrant who was characterized by incredible cruelty. His cruelty kept his entire country in terrible fear. Vlad III could order a person to be subjected to terrible torture for any reason and even without reason.
One of Vlad III's particularly strange habits was that he liked to have breakfast at the site of an execution or at the site of a recent battle. The count ordered a table and food to be brought to him, sat down and ate among dead or dying people. It is this scene that is reflected in the medieval engraving presented above. Vlad III's favorite torture was impaling people, but quartering and burning alive were also practiced. There is a known case when Vlad ordered an entire family to be burned alive in their own home. Source: www.pravda.ru
Puzzle 5. World War I - the Habsburg War.
We all know that the First World War of 1914-1918, which claimed the lives of about 10 million people and maimed more than 50 million people in the twentieth century, began with a provocation in the Serbian city of Sarajevo. On June 28, 1914, a Jewish student of Serbian origin, Gabriel (Gavrila) Princip, shot and killed the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph von. Habsburg Archduke d'Esteserbsky and his wife Duchess Sophia of Hohenberg.
Franz Ferdinand von Habsburg(1863-1914) and his wife Sophia Hohenberg (1868-1914)..
Don't you think the combination is strange: a Jew killed one of the Habsburgs?!
Moreover one, throughout history!
What's wrong here? Why only this representative of the clan Habsburgs suffered such a fate?
I found the answer to this question in the encyclopedic reference: "In 1899, Franz Ferdinand - the heir of Emperor Franz Joseph - shocked the Austrian court, announcing its intention marry 30-year-old Countess Chotek. Despite the energetic opposition from Emperor Franz Joseph himself and the Pope(whose position was shared by the German Kaiser and the Russian Tsar) Franz Ferdinand on July 1, 1900 in Reichstadt married with your chosen one. None of the Habsburgs attended the ceremony". .
Both of them (Ferdinand and Sophia) were shot by Gabriel (Gavrila) Princip, ridding the Habsburg family of an obstinate relative and his wife, who did not belong to the court.
It is reasonable to ask now the following question: What goals were pursued by the First World War, in which the Russian Empire was drawn?
The war distracted the minds and forces of millions of people who, as part of their duty, were supposed to defend the Fatherland. The war also devastated the treasury of the Russian Empire, worsened the lives of ordinary people, and this could not but affect the mentality that reigned in Russian society.
When the chaos in the minds of people approached a critical point, revolutionaries arrived in Russia from Switzerland, from the Habsburg citadel, in the so-called “sealed carriage” (there were several of them), who were assigned the task of blowing up Russian society from the inside and carrying out a coup d’etat.
Here is a list of people traveling in the same carriage with V.I. Ulyanov-Lenin.
The list is quoted preserving the style of the St. Petersburg newspaper "Common Cause" (October 14, 1917).
The editor, revolutionary Burtsev, clarifies that this is only the first train, followed by two more with hundreds of passengers.
1. Ulyanov, Vladimir Ilyich (Lenin).
2. Suliashvili, David Sokratovich.
3. Ulyanova, Nadezhda Konstantinovna.
4. Armand, Inessa Fedorovna.
5. Safarov, Georgy Ivanovich.
6. Mortochkina, Valentina Sergeevna (wife of G.I. Safarov).
7. Kharitonov, Moisey Motkovich.
8. Konstantinovich, Anna Evgenievna (sister-in-law of Inessa Armand).
9. Usievich, Grigory Alexandrovich.
10. Kon, Elena Feliksovna (wife of G.A. Usievich).
11. Ravich, Sarra Naumovna.
12. Tskhakaya, Mikhail Grigorievich.
13. Skovno, Abram Anchilovich.
14. Radomyslsky, Ovsey Gershen Aronovich (Zinoviev, Grigory Evseevich).
15. Radomyslskaya Zlata Ionovna.
16. Radomyslsky, Stefan Ovseevich (son of Zinoviev).
17. Rivkin, Zalman Berk Oserovich.
18. Slyusareva, Nadezhda Mikhailovna.
19. Goberman, Mikhail Vulfovich.
20. Abramovich, Maya Zelikovna (Abramovich, Shaya Zelikovich).
21. Linde, Johann Arnold Ioganovich.
22. Sokolnikov (Diamond), Grigory Yakovlevich.
23. Miringof, Ilya Davidovich.
24. Miringof, Maria Efimovna.
25. Rozneblyum, David Mordukhovich.
26. Payneson, Semyon Gershovich.
27. Grebelskaya, Fanya.
28. Pogovskaya, Bunya Khemovna (with her son Reuben)
29. Eisenbund, Meer Kivov.
.
And again an interesting combination: Switzerland, the Habsburgs and the carriage of Jews, who proceeded to Russia, to St. Petersburg, to start a revolution in it, while the soldiers and officers of the Russian Army fought and died on the fronts of the First World War.
Puzzle 6. Concentration camp Thalerhof and the crucifixion of Galician Russians (Rusyns) according to the laws of the Holy Roman Empire.
The First World War began on July 28, 1914, and already on September 4, at the direction of the authorities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (at the direction of the Habsburgs), a concentration camp was created for Russians (Rusyns) brought from Galicia. It was one of the first concentration camps in world history of the 20th century and the first in Europe. The official name of the concentration camp is "Talergof". It was built in a sandy valley at the foot of the Alps, near Graz, the main city of the province of Styria.
This rare photograph shows that people were originally held behind barbed wire in a field in the open air.
Until the winter of 1915, there were no barracks in Talergof. People lay on the ground in the open air in the rain and frost. According to US Congressman D. M. McCormick, prisoners were beaten and tortured. The camp was closed only in May 1917 by order of the last Emperor of Austria-Hungary, Charles I (also a Habsburg).
And this photograph shows that for the Habsburgs the traditions of the Holy Roman Empire remained unshakable even in the twentieth century.
According to the Gospels, it was on the same three T-shaped pillars that Christ the Savior was crucified along with two thieves.
Photo from 1914. Crucifixion of the Rusyns!
Puzzle 7. Under whose flag is Kyiv waging war against “Protestants” in the southeast of Ukraine?
This is a flag Ukraine.
This is a flag Lower Austria.
This is a flag Kingdoms of Dalmatia.
All three flags are the same!!!
You don't understand why?
Now you will understand!
About Austria, which was formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire andwas under control for a long time Habsburgs, you already know.
What do we know about the Kingdom of Dalmatia?
Reading the encyclopedia: Kingdom of Dalmatia- a vassal kingdom that existed from 1815 to 1918 under the rule of Habsburg Monarchy. It was formed from territories that the Habsburgs conquered from the French Empire in 1815. The Kingdom of Dalmatia remained a separate administrative unit of Austria-Hungary until 1918, after which many of the kingdom's territories (with the exception of Zadar and Lastovo) became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia). .
It is reasonable to wonder: if two countries - Lower Austria and the Kingdom of Dalmatia - have a blue and yellow flag because they were under the control and management of the Habsburgs, is it by chance that today's Ukraine has exactly the same flag of the Habsburgs? Isn't the war unleashed by the puppet Kiev government a continuation of the aggressive policy of the Habsburgs?
And the external resemblance of the current president of Ukraine Petra Poroshenko with one of Habsburgs it's downright surprising.
Petro Poroshenko, the current president of Ukraine.
Charles VI, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1711 to 1740.
Maybe they are relatives? Petro Poroshenko’s facial features are very similar to Charles VI, and his bloodthirstiness is similar to Vlad III (Dracula).
How, however, everything is twisted in our history...
Draculas, vampires, villains... and everywhere like devils - Jews, Jews, Jews...
I hope that now the reader understands what terrible evil has been trying to absorb and destroy Russian Civilization for many centuries?!
When the majority of people understand this and see the light, then we will be able to defeat, together, all the Draculas along with their six-devils.
And only after this the long-awaited peace will come on earth!