House of Habsburg

The Habsburgs were the engine driving the imperialist ambitions of much of Western Europe in the early modern era. From its humble roots in the southern reaches of the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburgs would reach its breakthrough with the ascent of Charles V to the thrones of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. Channeling his vast of wealth and political connections accrued from the Duchy of Burgundy, Charles set the precedent of a universal monarchy, wherein a multinational congress would serve a rigid central authority figure. Despite only partially realizing his lofty dreams in his lifetime, Charles V left a permanent imprint on the Habsburg dynasty during the centuries following his death. Under the reign of his successor Philip II, Spain quickly carved a vast dominion throughout most of Central and South America. Further to the east, the kingdoms of Bohemia and Hungary fell under the rule of Charles's brother, Ferdinand I. Through this solid coalition, the Habsburg Crown Lands stood as a bulwark against the aggressive expansionist campaigns of the Ottoman Empire, climaxing at the second Siege of Vienna in 1683. In 1713, Charles VI of the Holy Roman Empire issued the Pragmatic Sanction, an edict that reaffirmed the Habsburg territories as an indivisible monarchy. The Habsburg royal family would continue to dominate European politics until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 20th century.

From the game's History encyclopedia, AoE3: DE 100.19.18309.