Joseph's anti-clerical policy and his interference with ancient custom caused unrest in the hereditary lands of the empire. Meanwhile he adopted a succession of foreign policies all aimed at aggrandisement, and all equally calculated to offend his neigh bours—all taken up with zeal, and dropped in discouragement. He endeavoured to get rid of the Barrier Treaty, which debarred his Flemish subjects from the navigation of the Scheldt ; when he was opposed by France he turned to other schemes of alliance with Russia for the partition of Turkey and Venice. They also had to be given up in the face of the opposition of neighbours, and in particular of France. Then he resumed his attempts to obtain Bavaria—this time by exchanging it for Belgium—and only pro voked the formation of the Fiirstenbund organized by the king of Prussia. Finally he joined Russia in an attempt to pillage Tur key, beginning with an unsuccessful attempt to surprise Belgrade in time of peace. In the Turkish campaign of 1788 he accom panied his army, but showed no capacity for war. In November he returned to Vienna with ruined health, and during 1789 was a dying man. The concentration of his troops in the east gave the malcontents of Belgium an opportunity to revolt. In Hungary the nobles were all but in open rebellion, and in his other States there were peasant risings, and a revival of particularist senti ments. Joseph was left entirely alone. His minister Kaunitz refused to visit his sick-room, and did not see him for two years. His brother Leopold remained at Florence. At last Joseph, worn out and broken-hearted, recognized that his servants could not, or would not, carry out his plans. On Jan. 3o, 1790, he formally withdrew all his reforms, and he died on Feb. 20.
Joseph II. was twice married, first to Isabella (d. 1763), daugh ter of Philip, duke of Parma, to whom he was attached. After her death, a political marriage was arranged with Josepha (d. 1767), daughter of Charles Albert, elector of Bavaria (the em peror Charles VII.). It proved extremely unhappy. Joseph left
no children, and was succeeded by his brother Leopold II.
Many volumes of the emperor's correspondence have been published. Among them are Maria Theresia und Joseph II. Ihre Korrespondenz saint Briefen Josephs an seinen Bruder Leopold (1867-68) ; Joseph II. and Leopold von Toskana. Ihr Briefwechsel 1781-170 (1872) ; Joseph II. und Katharine von Russland. Ihr Briefwechsel (1869) ; and Maria Antoinette, Joseph II. and Leopold II. Ihr Briefwechsel (1866) ; all edit. by A. Ritter von Arneth. Other collections are: Joseph II., Leo pold II. and Kaunitz. Ihr Briefwechsel, edit. by A. Beer (1873) ; Corre spondances intimes de l'empereur Joseph II. avec son ami, le comte de Cobenzl et son premier ministre, le prince de Kaunitz, edit. by S. Brun ner (1871) ; Joseph 11. und Graf Ludwig Cobenzl. Ihr Briefwechsel, edit. by A. Beer and J. von Fiedler (i9oi) ; and the Geheime Korre spondenz Josephs II. mit seinem Minister in den Oesterreichischen Niederlanden Ferdinand Graf Trauttmannsdorft 1787-1789, edit. by H. Schlitter (1902). Among the lives of Joseph may be mentioned: A. J. Gross-Hoffinger, Geschichte Josephs II. ; A. Fournier, Joseph II. (1885) ; and J. Wendrinski, Kaiser Joseph II. 0880. There is a useful small volume on the emperor by J. Franck Bright (1897). Other books which may be consulted are: G. Wolf, Das Unterrichtswesen in Oesterreich unter Joseph II. (188o) , and Oesterreich and Preussen 1780-1790 0880, A. Wolf, and H. von Zwiedeneck-Sudenhorst, Oester reich unter Maria Theresia, Joseph II. and Leopold II. (1882-84) ; H. Schlitter, Die Regierung Josephs II. in den Oesterreichischen Nieder landen (5900) ; and Pius VI. and Joseph II. 1782-1784 (1894) ; 0. Lorenz, Joseph II. und die Belgische Revolution (1862) ; and L. Del place, Joseph II. et la revolution braboKonne (189o) ; P. P. Mitro fanov, Joseph II. seine politische und Kulturelle Tatigkeit (Wien, 191o) ; J. Walter, Kaiser Josef II. der Volksfreund auf dem Throne (Budweis, 1913).