The March of Austria, also known as Marcha Orientalis, was first formed in 976 out of the lands that had once been the March of Pannonia in Carolingian times. The oldest attestation dates back to 996, where the written name "ostarrichi" occurs in a document transferring land in present-day Austria to a Bavarian monastery.
In 1278, Rudolf I, King of Germany, defeated Ottokar and took control of Austria. In 1282 he invested his sons with the Duchies of Austria and Styria, thereby securing it for the House of Habsburg.
Archdukes of Austria
House of Habsburg
The Privilegium Maius, fabricated by Rudolf in 1359, attempted to invest the Dukes of Austria with the special position of an "Archduke". This title was frequently used by Ernest the Iron and other Dukes but not recognized by other princes of the Holy Roman Empire until Frederick V became Emperor and confirmed the Privilegium in 1453. Rudolf was succeeded by his brothers that at first ruled jointly:
Divided rule
The territories were divided between the brothers and their descendants in the Treaty of Neuberg in 1379: The Albertinian Line received the Duchy of Austria, later called Lower Austria :
Reunited rule
The Austrian territories were reunited in 1493.
Divided again
In 1564 the Austrian territories were again divided among Emperor Ferdinand's sons: Lower and Upper Austria passed to Ferdinand's eldest son Maximilian:
Reunited and redivided, again
The Austrian territories were reunited again by inheritance in 1620 under Ferdinand III, Archduke of Inner Austria, but in 1623 five years into the Thirty Years' War he had so much to do with, Ferdinand divided them yet again, when he made his younger brother Leopold, who had been governor over Upper Austria, Archduke of those territories. Lower Austria and Inner Austria remained with the elder line :
House of Habsburg-Lorraine
The Austrian branch technically ended in 1780 with the death of Maria Theresa of Austria and was replaced by the Vaudemont branch of the House of Lorraine in the person of her son Joseph II. However, in practice, the new successor house styled itself as Habsburg-Lorraine. All Habsburgs living today are in the agnatic descendants of Maria Theresa and Francis Stephen.
Emperors of Austria
In 1804 Francis I adopted the new title Emperor of Austria, but kept the title of Archduke of Austria. In 1806 the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved.
In 1918, following the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the Republic of Austria was established, but ended with "Anschluß" into the Third Reich from 1938–1945. Following World War II, the current Republic of Austria was established in 1945, even though Austria remained under the control and protection of Allied and Soviet Forces between 1945–1955. The current head of state is the President of Austria; however, in practice, the Chancellor of Austria is more important. Every law still needs to be signed by the President however. Otto von Habsburg, son of Charles I, was the head of the Habsburg house from 1922, but never reigned. In 2007 he handed the headship to his oldest son Karl von Habsburg who was first in the line of succession. He is the current head of the imperial family.
