Leopold I, known in full as Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Franz Felician, and referred to as I. Lipót in Hungarian (9 June 1640 – 5 May 1705), held the titles of Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. He was the second son of Ferdinand III, the Holy Roman Emperor, and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. Leopold's path to succession began in 1654 following the passing of his elder brother Ferdinand IV. His election in 1658 marked the commencement of his rule over the Holy Roman Empire, which continued until his demise in 1705, establishing him as the second-longest reigning Habsburg emperor, with a reign spanning 46 years and 9 months. Beyond his political responsibilities, Leopold was also a composer and a notable patron of music. Leopold's reign is notable for his engagements with the Ottoman Empire during the Great Turkish War (1683–1699) and his rivalry with Louis XIV, his contemporary and a first cousin on the maternal side, as well as a fourth cousin on the paternal side. His military successes in the east against the Ottomans were largely attributed to the strategic prowess of Prince Eugene of Savoy, eventually leading to the recovery of much of the Kingdom of Hungary, which had fallen under Turkish control after the Battle of Mohács in 1526, as outlined in the Treaty of Karlowitz. Furthermore, Leopold engaged in three conflicts against France: the Franco-Dutch War, the Nine Years' War, and the War of the Spanish Succession. In the latter, Leopold sought to secure the entire Spanish inheritance for his younger son Charles, disregarding the will of the late Charles II. This decision triggered a war that spanned a decade, even extending nine years after Leopold's own passing in 1705. Although Austria achieved significant victories during the early stages of the conflict, such as at Schellenberg and Blenheim, the ultimate conclusion of the war, marked by the Treaty of Rastatt, did not leave Austria as triumphant as its prior conflict against the Ottomans.

Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor - Wikipedia