FERDINAND I., Ger. pron. filedt2•niint (1793-1875). Emperor of Austria from 1835 to 1848. He was the eldest son of Francis I. by his marriage with Maria Theresa, of the House of .Naples, and was born in Vien na, April I!), 1793. While Crown Prince ho traveled through the Italian provinces of Aus tria, Switzerland, and part of France, and showed great interest in the various branches of in dustry. In 1830 he was crowned King of Hun gary. and in 1831 married knna, the daughter of Victor Emmanuel L, King of Sardinia. An unsuccessful attempt to assassinate him was made by a Captain Reinol in 1832. In 1835 he succeeded his father on the throne. It was expected that he would inaugurate a more liberal policy than that of his predecessors; but the absolutist principles triumphed, and Aletternich was allowed to carry on the Government. A Council of State was formed and reactionary measures continued. Industrial and commercial activity was encouraged, however, and the term of military service reduced from fourteen to eight years. In 1846 advantage was taken of
the insurrection in Galicia to annex Craeow to Austria. In March. 1848, Vienna became the scene of a revolutionary outbreak (see AUSTRIA HUNGARY ) , and the Emperor was forced to dis miss Metternich, who fled from Vienna, and to appoint a responsible ministry. Simultaneously a revolutionary movement at Pesth secured the appointment of a national Hungarian ministry. In Slay Ferdinand retired with his Court to Innsbruck, but was induced to return to the capital in August. when the turmoil had subsided. But the October insurrection in Vienna made him again leave the palace of ,Sch6nbrunn and retire to Ohniitz, where, on December 2, 1848, he abdicated in favor of his Francis Joseph. He afterwards resided at Prague, where he died June 29, 1875. Con suit Stiles, Austria in 181S- (New York, 1852).