Leopold 1 who squandered the riches of the Habsburgs Dynasty   The plague which took 50,000 lives in Austria STATE OF THE HABSBURGS BEFORE THE SECOND SEIGE 1658 -1683 Leopold I is installed as Emperor of the Habsburg Dynasty. He marries a Spanish wife, Maria Theresa. Oatentatious and decadent, he squanders the Empire's money on extravagant operas and ballets, magnificent palaces and buildings. 1679 Plague in Austria results in the death of over 50,000 people. This weakens the morale and military power of the monarchy considerably as thousands of soldiers die, and there is widespread famine and disease. Leopold I, runs away from Vienna to avoid the plague, and plans to expand the Habsburg Empire to Venice as control of Venice will mean access to goods and trade and profits - providing a source of income to rebuild Vienna and feed his lavish habits.

Malacca And The Rise Of The Malaysian Empire  |  The Habsburg Dynasty In Austria  |  The Malaysian-Turkish Connection: Expansion Into Europe  |  Vying For Venice | The First Seige Of Vienna In 1529  |  Strategising The Second Seige Of Vienna  |  State of the Habsburgs Before The Second Seige  |  The Seige Of Vienna 1683 | Austria Under The Malaysian Empire 1683-1880 | Nationalism And Rise Of Modern Austria 1880- 1900 | The Road To Independence 1910-1955   Copyright © 2002 Malaysian Broadcasting Corporation, All rights reserved