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Historical Figure

Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor

Also Known As Peter Leopold Josef Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard
Monarchs and Rulers

Leopold II was the penultimate Holy Roman Emperor, also King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia and Archduke of Austria from 1790 to 1792, and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790 as Leopold I. He was a son of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I, and the brother of Queen Marie Antoinette of France, Queen Maria Carolina, Duchess Maria Amalia of Parma and Emperor Joseph II. A moderate proponent of enlightened absolutism like his brother Joseph II, he protected the Academy of Georgofili and, unusually for his time, opposed the death penalty and torture, abolishing both in Tuscany on 30 November 1786, making it the first state in modern history to abolish the death penalty. Despite his brief reign he is highly regarded; the historian Paul W. Schroeder called him one of the most shrewd and sensible monarchs ever to wear a crown.

Facts
Birth Year
1747 1
Death Year
1792 1
Role
Holy Roman Emperor 1
Birth Date
1747-05-05 1
Death Date
1792-03-01 1
Birthplace
Vienna 1
Death Place
Vienna 1
Classification
Gender
Male 1
Role
Role (category)
Monarch / Royalty 1
FAQs

How did Leopold II handle the crises he inherited from his brother Joseph II?

He put down the Netherlands revolt, settled with Hungary, made the Convention of Reichenbach with Prussia and ended the Turkish war in 1791.

Leopold II became emperor in 1790 and worked to settle the unrest and the foreign threats that his brother had left behind. He put down the revolt in the Austrian Netherlands and came to terms with the Hungarian rebels. He negotiated the Convention of Reichenbach with Prussia in 1790, which kept Prussia from profiting from Austria's troubles by taking part of its territory. In 1791 he ended the war with the Ottoman Turks on favorable terms, regaining Belgrade and Walachia. At home he kept what was workable of Joseph's program but cancelled or ignored most reforms that drew vocal opposition.
Connections

In Era

The Early Modern Period, Eras
Source Wikipedia: Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
In the Other Atlases

Originated In

Austria

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Source Wikidata: Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
  • Lead paragraph, first sentence
    was the penultimate Holy Roman Emperor
  • Lead paragraph, birth date
    5 May 1747
  • Biography, birthplace
    Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, Holy Roman Empire
  • Lead paragraph, death date
    1 March 1792
  • Biography, death place
    Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, Holy Roman Empire
  • Lead paragraph, opening name list
    Leopold II (Peter Leopold Josef Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard;
  • Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor: Gender
    He was a son of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I, and the brother of Queen Marie Antoinette of France, Queen Maria Carolina, Duchess Maria Amalia of Parma, and Emperor Joseph II.
  • In Era: The Early Modern Period, lead paragraph, lifespan
    Leopold II (Peter Leopold Josef Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard; 5 May 1747 - 1 March 1792) was the penultimate Holy Roman Emperor, as well as King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, and Archduke of Austria from 1790 to 1792, and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790 as Leopold I.
View the Source
Wikidata: Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
Wikidata Q151321, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source

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