Francis II

Francis II's Russian and Austrian armies were decisively defeated by Napoleon at Austerlitz. The defeat forced Austria to sign the Treaty of Pressburg, ceding territory to France and Bavaria and ending the Third Coalition. It led directly to the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire.

Francis II, facing Napoleon's creation of the Confederation of the Rhine and the threat of French invasion, abdicated as Holy Roman Emperor and dissolved the empire. This ended the thousand-year-old institution, and Francis continued as Emperor of Austria (Francis I).

Francis II arranged the marriage of his daughter Marie Louise to Napoleon Bonaparte, sealing the Treaty of Sch

Francis II (as Emperor Francis I of Austria) hosted the Congress of Vienna, which redrew the map of Europe after Napoleon's defeat. Austria gained territory in Italy and Germany, and the congress established a conservative order that lasted until the revolutions of 1848.