Joseph I
From 1689 Roman King as Joseph I; from 1705 Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and ruler of the Habsburg Monarchy until his death in 1711
Born in Vienna on 26 July 1678
Died in Vienna on 17 April 1711
Motto: ‘Amore et Timore – By love and fear’
The ‘young court’ around the ambitious Joseph pressed for political reforms even while Emperor Leopold I was still on the throne; Austria’s entry into the War of the Spanish Succession was one of the results of this influence. Upon becoming emperor, Joseph I attempted to push through further ambitious reforms, but his short reign was dominated by the war. His sudden death completely changed the war situation and led to the Habsburgs having to relinquish their claim to the Spanish throne.
