According to contemporary sources,Franz Joseph Iwas always a good and obedient man with a high sense of order. He had no problem adapting to prescribed manners and behavior. He was very popular in the army and enjoyed dressing in colorful military uniforms. The little Grand Duke studied French, Hungarian, Italian, and Czech with great enthusiasm. In his later years he continued to study Greek and Latin. However, he showed no interest in literature or theater.

Similarly, the visual arts bored Joseph. However, the archduke was very interested in military technology and most enjoyed marching. Later he developed a love of hunting. Joseph\’s education began at the age of six under the supervision of his mother, Archduchess Sophie. The educational system was very time-consuming, and Joseph spent much of his time in religious and language classes.

Accession of Franz Joseph I

In 1848, Franz Joseph was crowned emperor. Franz Joseph was only 18 years old, but already at this time he was very conservative. Despite his love of the military, he did not want to go to war. The first thing the young emperor had to deal with was the Hungarian Crisis , when an uprising broke out in Hungary. The uprising was immediately suppressed in blood and the leaders of the rebellion were executed; between 1848 and 1853 alone, he sentenced more to death than any other European ruler of the time; in 1889, the Hungarian nationalist János Libényi attacked Emperor Joseph and attempted to assassinate him by stabbing him in the neck. The assassination failed. Franz Joseph always believed that order and discipline were the best way to govern. He always dressed in his military uniform and engaged in the official business of the entire empire from morning to night. He seldom wore ordinary civilian clothes, and when he did, it was a very colorful combination. Despite being an emperor, he was shy when dealing with his people, giving the impression of being distant and unapproachable.