‘The Empress’ True Story: The Tragic Life of Emperor Franz Joseph and His Real Ending

Netflix’s series The Empress is a gripping historical drama surrounding the true story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and her relationship and life with Emperor Franz Joseph. The Empress, which has received positive reviews for its first and second seasons, deals with the politics and troubles of mid-1800s Austria. Though there are some dramatic embellishments added to keep audiences entertained, much of what occurs in The Empress seasons 1 and 2 is straight from history books.

While season 1 focused more on the relationship dynamics between Elisabeth and Franz as she adjusted to life in Vienna, season 2 gets more into the political problems brewing in Europe, especially in the Italian states and with Napoleon III. The ending of The Empress season 2 shows Franz Joseph going to the frontlines to fight against Napoleon III, leaving his fate in The Empress season 3 unclear. However, because Emperor Franz Joseph was a real historical figure, potential future episodes of The Empress seem likely to follow his real-life story.

Did Franz Joseph Really Go To The Frontlines Of Battle Against Napoleon?

Franz Joseph Really Fought Against Napoleon III In The Second Italian War Of Independence

The season finale of The Empress shows Franz going to war with Napoleon III, and he decides to go to the frontlines to show that he is with his troops and to boost morale. While Elisabeth is devastated by this decision, she ultimately understands his choice, though she is worried about his survival. In real life, Franz Joseph really did go into battle against Napoleon III during the Second Italian War of Independence. As shown in the Netflix series, Austria goes to war with Sardinia and, because of a secret alliance between France and Sardinia, France then goes to war against Austria.

It is unclear if Franz Joseph’s motives for joining the war himself are the same as those presented in The Empress , but there is at least some level of historical accuracy in the portrayal.

Franz Joseph fought against Napoleon III and his armies, but Austria lost the war. In particular, Franz Joseph commanded and lost the Battle of Solferino which essentially brought an end to the war. The Second Italian War of Independence was important in the unification of Italy as it resulted in Austria giving up Lombardy to Sardinia, a fear that was growing throughout The Empress season 2. It is unclear if Franz Joseph’s motives for joining the war himself are the same as those presented in The Empress, but there is at least some level of historical accuracy in the portrayal.

Franz Joseph Died In 1916 After Complications From Pneumonia

Franz Joseph Was Not Killed In The War

Though The Empress season 2’s ending creates a cliffhanger by leaving Franz Joseph’s fate unknown, history shows that, despite Austria’s loss, he returned home safely. Not only did Franz Joseph survive the war with Napoleon III, he actually ended up outliving most of the people in his family, and died in 1916 from pneumonia at the age of 86. Though it is unclear how much time future seasons of The Empress might be able to cover, there are plenty of dramatic events involving Franz Joseph and Elisabeth during the decline of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that the show could include.

If The Empress has a season 3, it could explore Franz Joseph’s military command more deeply, as well as how that impacted his reign when he returned to Vienna. It is certainly a complicated and dramatic period in history that lends itself well to adaptation, and The Empress has done a great job of portraying the complexities of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth in its first two seasons.