The Habsburgs came to dominate European affairs for nearly four centuries, with the family name eventually becoming synonymous with that of the Holy Roman Empire. This exalted status wasn’t always the case, however, as the family started with a small holding along the Rhine. The familial name definitively came into use in the early 11th century as a castle appellation, and was first applied to the dynasty itself in 1108. From there, descendants would accumulate further holdings and gain more powerful standing and importance in the area that corresponds to modern day Austria. By the mid-15th century, the family achieved the pinnacle position in Europe, with Frederick III becoming the first Habsburg to be elected as Holy Roman Emperor. Until the Napoleonic Wars caused the empire’s dissolution in 1806, the Habsburg’s power continued to grow throughout Europe.
The major catalyst for this expansion occurred with Frederick himself, as he oversaw the marriage of his son, the future emperor Maximilian, to Mary ‘the Rich,’ the daughter of the important and influential Duke of Burgundy. This alliance brought together the Austrian realms of the Habsburgs and the Burgundian holdings corresponding to parts of modern day France and Belgium. In turn, Philip (their son) would marry Johanna of Castile (daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella), creating a link to the future Spanish throne. During the early 16th century, Charles—the son of Philip and Johanna—served as king in Spain as well as emperor to a realm now seeking New World possessions. North and South America were being explored and colonized as were parts of the Far East.. At this point, it could be said that the Habsburgs had built an empire upon which the sun never set. Descendants would continue occupying this most important position in European affairs, with borders always in flux due to omnipresent wars and succession disputes. Only the chaos unleashed by Napoleon and his own desire for conquest would bring about the empire’s demise. Following Napoleon’s final defeat and definitive exile, the Habsburgs would attempt to rebuild their power in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but it would be a shadow of its former glory, falling a century later following World War I.
