Upon his death in 1790, he was succeeded by his brother Leopold II, who in 1791 invited Europe's powers to help the French royal family stifle the ideals of the revolution without military intervention.

The coalition initially recorded some success but soon began to withdraw, especially in Italy, where the Austrians were repeatedly defeated by the Corsican general Napoleon Bonaparte.

Francis II was also forced to dissolve the Holy Roman Empire, but he had already proclaimed himself Emperor of Austria, in order to retain his imperial status.

In the years that followed, Francis II pursued a centralization policy on the advice of Chancellor Metternich; but precisely because of it, and emerging ideals of independence, the Revolutions of 1848 broke out, which wracked all of Europe.

This led to the expulsion of Metternich from the Imperial Chancellery and the rise of Franz Joseph, replacing Ferdinand I, who was forced to abdicate in favour of the 18-year-old man.

At the beginning of his reign (1848–1916), Austria was the dominant power in Central Europe, whilst Vienna emerged as one of the greatest metropolitan cities on the continent.

The House of Habsburg-Lorraine refused to swear its allegiance to the new Republic of Austria, therefore family members were forced into exile and their property was confiscated.

In 1961, Otto von Habsburg, the late head of the house and formerly a member of the European Parliament, relinquished the monarchy and the succession rights of his descendants in exchange for an end to exile.