Austrian Empire

The Austrian Empire, officially the Empire of Austria, was a multinational European great power that existed from 1804 to 1867. Proclaimed by Francis II in 1804 from the Habsburg realms, it unified all Habsburg possessions under a central government. It was the third most populous and third-largest empire in Europe during its existence. The empire fought against Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars and was reaffirmed as a great power at the Congress of Vienna. After its defeat in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, the empire was dissolved and succeeded by Austria-Hungary through the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867.