Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
| Joseph II | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Portrait by Anton von Maron in circa 1775. | ||
| Reign | 18 August 1765 – 20 February 1790 | |
| Coronation | 3 April 1764 (Frankfurt) | |
| Predecessor | Francis I | |
| Successor | Leopold II | |
| Born | 13 March 1741 Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria | |
| Died | 20 February 1790 (aged 48) Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria | |
| Spouses | Princess Isabella of Parma (m 1760) Maria Josepha of Bavaria (m 1765 | |
| Issue | Archduchess Maria Theresa Archduchess Maria Christina | |
| House | Habsburg-Lorraine | |
| Father | Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor | |
| Mother | Maria Theresa | |
| Burial | Imperial Crypt | |
| Signature | 
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| Religion | Roman Catholic | |
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Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; ; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor Francis I, and the brother of Marie Antoinette, Maria Carolina of Austria and Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma. He was thus the first ruler in the Austrian dominions of the union of the Houses of Habsburg and Lorraine.
Joseph was a proponent of enlightened absolutism; however, his commitment to secularizing, liberalising and modernising reforms resulted in significant opposition, which resulted in failure to fully implement his programs. Meanwhile, despite making some territorial gains, his reckless foreign policy badly isolated Austria. He has been ranked with Catherine the Great of Russia and Frederick the Great of Prussia as one of the three great Enlightenment monarchs. He was a supporter of the arts, and most importantly of composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. He died with no surviving children and was succeeded by his younger brother Leopold II.
Titles and styles[edit]
- 13 March 1741 – 4 April 1764 His Royal Highness Airchduke Joseph of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, Prince of Tuscany.
- 4 April 1764 – 18 August 1765 His Majesty The King of the Romans.
- 18 August 1765 – 20 February 1790 His Imperial Majesty The Holy Roman Emperor.
Template:Monarchs of Bohemia Template:Hungarian kings Template:German monarchs Template:Croatian kings Template:Monarchs of Luxembourg Template:Rulers of Austria
- 1741 births
- 1790 deaths
- 18th-century Holy Roman Emperors
- 18th-century archdukes of Austria
- Austrian Roman Catholics
- Burials at the Imperial Crypt
- House of Habsburg-Lorraine (Austria)
- 18th-century Roman Catholics
- Authoritarianism
- People of the War of the Bavarian Succession
- Grand Masters of the Order of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Austria)
- Knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Austria)
- Recipients of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary
- Sons of emperors
- Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor