Francis Joseph, emperor of Austria, grandson of the preceding, eldest son of the archduke Francis Charles, and nephew of the emperor Ferdinand L, born Aug. 18, 1830. He was educated under the care of Count Bom-belles, and was early inspired with ambition by his mother, the archduchess Sophia (died May 28, 1872), daughter of the king of Bavaria and sister of the queens of Prussia and Saxony, who possessed more influence and enterprise than either the emperor or her husband, the heir presumptive to the throne. Like his uncle Ferdinand, Francis Joseph was taught to speak the various languages of his polyglot empire, and also became a skilful rider, and fond of military displays. Sent to Pesth in 18-47 to install his cousin Stephen as palatine of Hungary, he spoke Hungarian to the assembled nobles, and gained some popularity. The revolutions of 1848 brought the Austrian empire to the brink of dissolution. It seemed that the accession of a prince who had no unpopular record was a necessity, and the archduchess, who was the leading spirit of the counter-revolutionists, contrived that Francis Joseph, though only 18 years old, should be declared of age, Dec. 1, 1848; and on the following day his father resigned his right to the succession, and his uncle the emperor abdicated, in favor of the young prince.

For the political and military events of the reign of Francis Joseph down to the close of 1872, see Austria (vol. ii., pp. 146-153). In November, 18G9, Francis Joseph assisted at the formal inauguration of the Suez canal. On April 3, 1873, the emperor gave his sanction to a new electoral reform bill for Cisleithan Austria, of which the leading features are: The members of the lower house henceforth to be elected by all persons entitled to the suffrage; the number of members of the lower house to be increased to 120; each electoral district will elect one deputy; every one entitled to vote for a member of a provincial diet will also be entitled to vote for a member of the Reichsrath; the votes to be given in writing; an absolute majority will be necessary for the election of a candidate; those entitled to vote in any one province to be eligible in all the provinces; the period for which a member is elected is six years. Francis Joseph was married, April 24, 1854, to a daughter of Maximilian, duke of Bavaria. The heir apparent of the Austro-Hungarian crown is his son, the archduke Rudolph Francis Charles Joseph, born Aug. 21, 1858.