The House of Habsburg

Habsburg Castle was built sometime in the 10th Century, and remained a rather unimportant entity for the next 200 years. This changed in the 12th Century when the Habsburgs began to rapidly gain lands in the Alps, making them one of the most powerful families there by 1218. During the rest of the 13th Century, they spread farther still, culminating in the inheritance of Austria and Styria in 1278. This collection of territories would expand farther still during the 14 Century, making the Habsburg one of the most influential families in the whole Holy Roman Empire. After a brief period of division, their influence would expand beyond the Imperial frontier into the Netherlands in 1477, Iberia in 1516, and Hungary-Bohemia in 1526. By now, the Habsburgs were an unparalleled European power, although the realm was split in 1556 into a Spanish and Austrian circle, after which a period of decline ensued. A revival for the Austrian branch began in 1683 when the Ottomans began to fall back away from Hungary during the