I. Kaiser Joseph Von Osterreich Paintings

Joseph II, born on March 13, 1741, in Vienna, was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790, as well as ruler of the Habsburg lands. He was the eldest son of Emperor Francis I and Maria Theresa of Austria, and his full name was Joseph Benedikt Anton Michael Adam. Despite your reference to 'Kaiser Joseph Von Österreich,' it is important to clarify that 'Kaiser' is a title meaning 'emperor,' and 'Von Österreich' would translate to 'of Austria,' which is not part of his official name but rather an indication of his realm.

Joseph II is renowned for his attempts at radical, yet enlightened reforms that aimed to modernize the empire's administration and society. He was an adherent of Enlightenment principles and sought to apply these ideas to governance. Among his reforms were the abolition of serfdom, the limitation of the power of the Roman Catholic Church by the Edict of Tolerance, and the modernization of the empire's bureaucratic systems. However, his policies often met with resistance from various segments of the population and the aristocracy who were reluctant to relinquish their traditional privileges.

Although Joseph was co-regent with his mother from 1765, his full power only came after her death in 1780. His reformist zeal was then unleashed, but many of his policies were short-lived as they were reversed after his death by his brother and successor, Leopold II. Joseph's foreign policy was marked by the War of the Bavarian Succession and the Russo-Turkish War, where Austria joined Russia in fighting the Ottoman Empire, resulting in some territorial gains at the Treaty of Sistova.

Joseph's personal life was marked by tragedy, including the death of his first wife, Isabella of Parma, and his second wife, Maria Josepha of Bavaria. He died without surviving children, having lost his only son in infancy, and his legacy was a mixed one, with many of his reforms failing to take permanent hold. Nonetheless, he is remembered as a symbol of enlightened absolutism and his reign represents a significant period of transition in the history of the Habsburg Empire. Joseph II died on February 20, 1790, and was succeeded by his brother Leopold II.