Ferdinand I of Austria
Ferdinand I was Emperor of Austria from March 1835 until his abdication in December 1848. He was also King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, King of Lombardy–Venetia and holder of other lesser titles. Due to his passive but well-intentioned character, he gained the sobriquet The Benign or The Benevolent.
Ferdinand succeeded his father Francis I upon his death on 2 March 1835. He was incapable of ruling the empire because of severe epilepsy, so his father, before he died, made a will promulgating that Ferdinand should consult his uncle Archduke Louis on all aspects of internal policy and urged him to be influenced by Prince Metternich, Austria's Foreign Minister.
Following the Revolutions of 1848, Ferdinand abdicated on 2 December 1848. He was succeeded by his nephew, Franz Joseph. Following his abdication, he lived in Hradčany Palace, Prague, until his death in 1875.
Ferdinand married Maria Anna of Savoy, the sixth child of Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia. They had no children.
Biography
Early life
Ferdinand was the eldest son of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily. Possibly as a result of his parents' genetic closeness, Ferdinand had hydrocephalus, neurological problems including epilepsy, and a speech impediment. He was educated by Baron Josef Kalasanz von Erberg, and his wife Countess Josephine von Attems.Reign
Although Ferdinand has been depicted as feeble-minded and incapable of ruling, he kept a coherent and legible diary and has even been said to have had a sharp wit. However, suffering as many as twenty seizures per day severely restricted his ability to rule with any effectiveness. Though he was not declared incapacitated, a Regent's Council steered the government.When Ferdinand married Princess Maria Anna of Savoy, the court physician considered it unlikely that he would be able to consummate the marriage. When he tried to consummate the marriage, he had five seizures. He is also remembered for his command to his cook: when told he could not have apricot dumplings because apricots were out of season, he said "I am the Emperor, and I want dumplings!".
1848 Revolution
As the revolutionaries of 1848 were marching on the palace, he is supposed to have asked Metternich for an explanation. When Metternich answered that they were starting a revolution, Ferdinand is supposed to have said "But are they allowed to do that?". He was convinced by Prince Felix of Schwarzenberg to abdicate in favour of his nephew, Franz Joseph, who would occupy the Austrian throne for the next 68 years.Ferdinand recorded the events in his diary:
In retirement (1848–1875)
Ferdinand was the last King of Bohemia to be crowned as such. Due to his sympathy with Bohemia he was given the Czech nickname "Ferdinand V, the Good". In Austria, Ferdinand was similarly nicknamed "Ferdinand der Gütige", but also ridiculed as "Gütinand der Fertige".Ferdinand was also the last ruler to be crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in his capacity as King of Lombardy-Venetia.
He is interred in tomb number 62 in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna.