MAX'IMIL'IAN I. (1459-1519). Holy Ro man Emperor from 1493 to 1519. He was the son and successor of Frederick III., and was horn at Wiener-Neustadt, near Vienna, March 22, 1459. His first wife, whom lie married in 1477, was Mary of Burgundy, daughter and sole heiress of Charles the Bold (q.v.), Duke of Burgundy and sovereign of the Netherlands. Maximilian became at once involved in war with Louis Xl. of France, who laid claim to Burgundy and other parts of Mary's inheritance. Max imilian won the battle of Guinegate in 1479, but was finally compelled in 1482 to conclude the Treaty of Arras with Louis, who retained Bur gundy, Artois, and Franche-Comte. The bulk of the Netherlands, the most opulent realm in Eu rope, remained with the Hapsburgs. In 1486 Maximilian was elected King of the Romans. In 14SS the rose against Maximilian, who was for a time 'held a prisoner at Bruges. In 1490 he made a successful incursion into Hungary and soon after became master of the Austrian erownlands. He again took up arms against France, whose King, Charles VIII., had married Anne of Brittany, in order to acquire that duchy. after a matrimonial alliance had been concluded between that princess and Maximilian. By the Treaty of Senlis, in 1493, Maximilian recovered Artois and Franclie-C'innt6. In the same year he succeeded his father on the im perial throne of Germany. Soon afterwards. Mary of Burgundy having died in 1482, he mar ried Bianca, a daughter of the late Duke of Milan, G,ileazzo Sforza, and thus was involved subsequently in the Italian wars. He joined the League of Cambrai against Venice in 1508 and the Holy League against France in 1513, and after Francis I's victory at Melegnano (1515) was forced to cede Milan to the French. Nor was
Maximilian more successful against the Swiss, who in 1499 completely separated themselves from the German Empire. By the marriage of Philip, the son of Maximilian, with the Infanta Joan, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, the House of Hapsburg, in 1516, ascended the throne of Spain in the person of Charles I. (Maximil ian's successor in the Empire as Charles V.). The marriage of two of Maximilian's grandchil dren with the son and (laughter of Ladislas, King of Hungary and Bohemia, ultimately brought both these kingdoms to the Austrian monarchy. Maximilian died at Wels, in Upper Austria, January 12, 1519. As an administrator Max imilian sought to strengthen the organization of the Empire. The evil of private warfare was partially remedied by the declaration of a per petual peace for the Empire at Worms in 1495, and for the better maintenance of the peace a division of the Empire was made into circles. Reforms in the administration were introduced by the establishment of the Imperial Chamber and the Aulic Council (qq.v.). Maximilian was an ardent humanist and a zealous patron of art and learning. lie wrote various works on the art of war, hunting, gardening, etc., and sketched the Wcisskunig, an autobiographic poem. His frank and generous nature, his love for outdoor sports, and his many accomplishments gained him the title of 'Last of the Knights.' Consult: Heyek, Kaiser Maximilian I. (Bielefeld, 1S9S).