FERDINAND I. (1793-1875), emperor of Austria, eldest son of Francis I. and of Maria Theresa of Naples, was born at Vienna on April In his boyhood he suffered from epilep tic fits, but as his health improved he was not excluded from the succession. In 183o his father caused him to be crowned king of Hungary. In 1831 he was married to Anna, daughter of Victor Emmanuel I. of Sardinia. The marriage was barren. When Fran cis I. died on the and of March 1835, Ferdinand was recognized as his successor, but his incapacity was so notorious that the con duct of affairs was entrusted to a council of state, consisting of Prince Metternich (q.v.) with other ministers, and two archdukes, Louis and Francis Charles. They composed the Staatscon f erenz, the ill-constructed and informal regency which led the Austrian dominions to the revolutionary outbreaks of 1846-49. (See Aus TRIA-HUNGARY.) The emperor, who was subject to fits of actual insanity, and in his lucid intervals was weak and confused in mind, was a political nullity. His popular name of Der Giitige (the kindly man) expressed as much derision as affection. Ferdi nand had artistic and musical taste. In the presence of the revolu tionary troubles, which began with agrarian riots in Galicia in 1846, and then spread over the whole empire, he was helpless. He was compelled to escape from the disorders of Vienna to Inns bruck on May 17, 1848. He came back on the invitation of the diet on Aug. 12, but soon had to escape once more from the mob of students and workmen who were in possession of the city. On Dec. 2 he abdicated at Olmutz in favour of his nephew, Francis Joseph. He lived under the supervision of doctors and guardians at Prague till his death on June 29, 1875.
See Krones von Marchland, Grundriss der oesterreichischen Ge schichte (Vienna, 1882), which gives an ample bibliography.