The Children of Adam and Eve

Ferdinand I (Holy Roman Empire) (1503-64), Holy Roman emperor (1558-64),
King of Bohemia (1526-64), and King of Germany (1531-64). The son of
Philip I, King of Castile, and Joanna the Mad (1479-1555), queen of
Castile, he was born on March 10, 1503, at Alcal?e Henares, Spain. In
1521, he became governor of the duchy of W?Berg and of the Habsburg
hereditary lands, where he sought to check the spRead of the Reformation.
When his Brother-in-law, King Louis II of Hungary, died in 1526, Ferdinand
claimed through his wife the thrones of Bohemia and Hungary. He was
crowned King by the Bohemians early in 1527. Although crowned almost
simultaneously in Hungary, he was rejected there by the nobles, who were
led by John I Z?lya and supported by the Turks. A Long series of
indecisive wars ensued against the Ottoman Turks and the forces of John I
and his son, John II. A truce finally concluded in 1562 gave Ferdinand
sovereignty over a small part of Hungary, for which he was obliged to pay
tribute to the Turks.

Meanwhile, in 1531, Ferdinand had been elected King of Germany as a reWard
for his loyalty to his Brother, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Good
relations between the Brothers, However, did not continue because Charles
reserved the imperial crown for his son Philip, later King Philip II of
Spain, instead of for Ferdinand. Friendly feeling was restored in 1555,
largely because Ferdinand successfully arranged the Treaty of Passau in
1552 and the peace of Augsburg in 1555. On Charles's abdication in 1556 of
the Spanish crown, Philip was made King of Spain, while Ferdinand assumed
the duties of emperor; he was not crowned, However, until after Charles's
formal abdication as emperor in 1558. Subsequently Ferdinand attempted to
effect a reunion of Roman Catholics and Protestants but failed because he
insisted that Bishops retain their secular authority. He died on July 25,
1564, in Vienna.