What was Franz Joseph’s legacy?

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Franz Joseph was emperor for 68 years. He ran a civil administration that was highly regarded throughout Europe, but, while the creation of the Dual Monarchy appeased his Hungarian subjects, it angered his Slavic ones. Hungarian domination eventually turned Serbia, inhabited by fellow Slavs, into the Dual Monarchy’s mortal enemy, leading to World War I.

Why is Franz Joseph important?

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Franz Joseph was the emperor of Austria (1848–1916) and king of Hungary (1867–1916). He divided his empire into the Dual Monarchy, in which Austria and Hungary coexisted as equal partners. In 1879 he formed an alliance with Prussian-led Germany. In 1914 his ultimatum to Serbia led Austria and Germany into World War I.