Franz Joseph I Karl (1830–1916) of the Habsburg Dynasty was Emperor of Austria from 1848 until 1916 and King of Hungary from 1867 until 1916. His 68-year reign is the third-longest in the recorded history of Europe.His political thinking was as uncomplicated and simple as his private life. He was basically a benevolent despot, unable to grasp the meaning and purpose of modern ideologies and popular political institutions. At the same time he was devoted to duty, to honor, and to the welfare of his people. Above all, he believed in the calling and destiny of his beleaguered dynasty.His marriage with Elisabeth (‘Sissi’) was not happy. Sisi never really adapted herself to the court and always had disagreements with the Royal Family; their first daughter Sophie died as an infant; and their only son, Crown Prince Rudolf, died, allegedly by suicide in 1889. The Empress herself was stabbed to death by an Italian anarchist in 1898; Franz Joseph never fully recovered from the loss. His death at Schönbrunn on Nov. 21, 1916, signaled the passing of an age.