The
five great stem duchies of old had by this time declined and
three new dynastic houses, the Luxembourg line in Bohemia,
the Wittelsbach line in Bavaria and the Habsburg line in Austria,
the vied for the German crown and dynastic power.
The period termed
the Great Interregnum finalized in 1273, when a new king-emperor,
Rudolf of Habsburg was elected. He defeated King Ottokar of
Bohemia in the Battle on the Marchfield and Austria and Syria
became part of the House of Hapsburg.
Upon
Rudolf's death, electors were on the lookout for a weak emperor.
They initially gave the crown to Adolf of Nassau, deposing
him when he began trying to build up too much power and then
Rudolf's son, Albert of Austria, who was later murdered. They
finally settled on Henry, Count of Luxembourg.
