MAXIMILIAN II. (1527-76). Holy Ro man Emperor from 1564 to 1576. Be was the eldest son of the Emperor Ferdinand I., and was horn in Vienna, July 31, 1527. He was educated in Spain with his cousin, Philip II. In 154S he married his cousin Maria, daughter of Charles V. Notwithstanding the surround ings in which he had been educated, his attitude toward the Reformation was so liberal that he was even considered by those about him to be at heart a heretic. The Protestants of Germany expected much from his accession. even hoping that they might have a Protestant Emperor of the House of Hapsburg. These hope re mained unfulfilled. Lack of deeison, dynastic policy, his personal ambitions, all united to keep Maximilian in his allegiance to the Church. He was crowned King of Bohemia and elected King of the 1:01M111,: ill 1562, and was elected King of Hungary in 1563. In 1564 he succeeded his father on the Imperial throne of Germany, in Bohemia, and in the portion of Hungary not under the sway of the 'Parks or the Transylva , man primes. In 1566 Solyman the Alagniticent determined to make a fresh onslaught upon the power of Austria. His vast army was ar
rested by the heroic defenders of Sziget, and the great Sultan died in his camp before the strong hold fell. Maximilian displayed great inactivity in the face of the impending danger, and con cluded a disadvantageous treaty with Solyman's successor. The marriage of :\laximilian's daugh ter Anne with Philip 11., and the hope held out to him by the Pope that he might acquire the Polish Kingdom, acted to repress the Emperor's interest in the Protestant cause. Ile interceded with Philip in behalf of the Protestants of the Low Countries, but without much success. Un der Ins tolerant rule Germany enjoyed a period of comparative tranquillity, which was followed by one of religious strife under his successor, ludolph 11. Consult: Koch. (II:ellen zur 1;e sehiehte Ilaximilians II. (2 vols., Leipzig, 1857 W) llopfen, Kaiser Maximilian II. und der 0.,npromisskatholi;:ismus (Munich, 1895). Sec \ t'srmA-11 UNGA RY.