Leopold III, Duke of Austria Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Leopold III the Just
Duke of Austria
Leopold III of Austria by Anton Boys, c. 1580
Duke	1365–1386
Predecessor	Rudolf IV
Successor	William
Born	(1351-11-01)1 November 1351 Vienna, Duchy of Austria
Died	9 July 1386(1386-07-09) (aged 34) Sempach, Swiss Confederacy
Burial	Saint Paul in Lavanttal Abbey
Spouse	Viridis Visconti
Issue	William the Courteous Leopold IV the Fat Ernest the Iron Frederick IV of the Empty Pockets
House	House of Habsburg
Father	Albert II of Austria
Mother	Joanna of Pfirt
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Leopold III (born November 1, 1351 – died July 9, 1386) was a powerful ruler from the House of Habsburg. He was known as the Just. From 1365, he was a Duke of Austria. He also became the founder of a special branch of his family, the Leopoldian line. From 1379 until his death, he ruled over many areas. These included Carinthia, Styria, Carniola, Tyrol, and Further Austria.

Biography
Family and children
Male-line family tree
See also

Biography

Leopold was born in Vienna. He was a younger son of Duke Albert II of Austria. His grandfather was King Albert I of Germany. His older brothers were Dukes Rudolf IV and Albert III. His mother, Joanna of Pfirt, was 51 when he was born. She passed away soon after.

When his father Albert II died, his oldest brother Rudolf IV took control. Rudolf was also known as "the Founder." Even though their father had planned for them to rule together, Rudolf made his own family rules in 1364. These rules said that the Austrian lands belonged to all brothers. But the oldest brother would have extra rights.

After Rudolf died in 1365, Albert III and Leopold took over. Their older brother Friedrich had died earlier. Albert, being the oldest, had more power. While Albert ruled, Leopold became a general. He led Habsburg armies in battles.

In 1368, Leopold stopped an attack by Bavarians in Tirol. This brought all of Tirol under Habsburg control by 1370. In 1372, Leopold had disagreements with his brother Albert. They argued about power, respect, and money. On July 25, 1373, they signed a peace treaty. This treaty gave Leopold control over Tirol, Further Austria, and Carniola. But they would split the income from these lands.

In 1375, their relative Enguerrand VII de Coucy led an army of hired soldiers. This army attacked Habsburg lands in Alsace and Switzerland. This was part of a conflict called the Gugler War of 1375. Leopold could not defeat his cousin. He had to retreat to Breisach. Then, a group of Swiss cities attacked and drove the army out. This ended the war.

By 1375, Leopold had gained control of more lands. These included parts of Windic March, White Carniola, Friuli, and Istria. He also gained the city of Feldkirch. On August 6, 1376, he was allowed to make agreements with other rulers. In 1377, Albert traveled to Prussia for about five months. Leopold was left in charge of all Habsburg lands. During this time, Leopold signed a peace treaty with Heinrich von Schaunberg. Heinrich was one of his brother's rivals.

On July 7, 1379, Leopold and Albert III signed the Treaty of Neuberg. This made Leopold the sole ruler of many important areas. These included Styria (which then included Wiener Neustadt), Carinthia, Carniola, Tyrol, and parts of Swabia. In 1382, he gained the city of Trieste. This was part of his payment for defeating Venice.

Leopold greatly helped trade grow in the Tyrolean lands. He encouraged cities like Meran to develop. He gained control of Basel in 1376. Ten years later, he also bought Laufenburg from his Habsburg relatives. However, his efforts to expand his power in Switzerland failed. He was killed in the Battle of Sempach.

Leopold was first buried in Königsfelden Monastery. Later, his remains were moved to St. Blaise Abbey in 1770. Finally, they were moved to Saint Paul's Abbey in Carinthia.

Family and children

Leopold married Viridis Visconti on February 23, 1365. She was the daughter of Bernabò Visconti, who was the Lord of Milan. They had four sons and three daughters. Their children included: