Maximilian I.

Maximilian I., German emperor, the son of Frederick III., was born at Vienna-Neustadt, 22d March 1459. In his nineteenth year he married Mary, the heiress of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, whereby he acquired Burgundy and Flanders. But this involved him in war with Louis XI. of France, the French kings having for many years had covetous longings towards Flanders. After the early death of his wife (1482) Maximilian was forced to give Artois and the duchy of Burgundy to Louis. Nevertheless he continued to war against his enemy, in spite of the disaffection of his Flemish subjects. In 1486 he was elected king of the Romans. In 1490 he drove out the Hungarians, who, under Matthias Corvinus had seized (1487) great part of the Austrian territories on the Danube; and at Villach in 1492 he routed the Turks, who had been raiding in Carinthia, Carniola, and Styria. Charles VIII. of France having rejected Maximilian's daughter for Anne of Brittany, whose great possessions the emperor hoped to secure by marrying Anne himself, war was only averted by Charles ceding to his exasperated rival the county of Artois and Franche-Comté. On the death of his father in 1493, Maximilian became emperor. He subsequently married Bianca Sforza, daughter of the Duke of Milan, and turned his ambition towards Italy. But his schemes failed: after various changes of fortune, and years of war, he was compelled (1515) to give up Milan to France and Verona to the Venetians. Nor was he more successful against the Swiss, who in 1499 completely separated themselves from the German empire. The hereditary dominions of his house, however, were increased during his reign by several peaceful additions, chief amongst these being Tyrol; and the marriage of his son Philip with the Infanta Joanna united the houses of Spain and Hapsburg; whilst the marriage in 1521 of his grandson Ferdinand with the daughter of Ladislaus of Hungary and Bohemia, brought both these kingdoms to Austria. Two years after his accession the new emperor put an end to the intestine feuds of his nobles by proclaiming at Worms the Eternal Peace. He also improved the administration of justice by establishing the Imperial Tribunal and the Imperial Aulic Council, and by admirable police regulations. The empire was divided into six (afterwards ten) circles, each ruled by a separate governor. Maximilian greatly encouraged the arts and learning, and especially favoured the universities of Vienna and Ingolstadt, and caused at least two works to be written under his own personal direction, Thueerdank in verse and Weisskunig in prose, of both of which he himself is the hero. He died at Wels, in Upper Austria, 12th January 1519. Besides being excellently schooled in mental and artistic accomplishments, Maxi- milian was well versed in all bodily exercises; and these advantages were further enhanced by a kingly presence, a chivalrous disposition, and a genial manner, so that he has been called 'the first knight of his age.' Like Henry VIII. of England, he loved to take part in the popular games of archery, &c. See Lives by Klüpfel (1864) and Ulmann (1884-91), and a history of his reign by Hegewisch (1782).