Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi (Hungarian: II. Rákóczi Ferenc, Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈraːkoːt͡si ˈfɛrɛnt͡s]; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–1711 as the prince (Hungarian: fejedelem) of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was also Prince of Transylvania, an Imperial Prince, and a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Today he is considered a national hero in Hungary.
| Francis II Rákóczi | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Transylvania, Ruling Prince of Hungary in wartime | |
Francis II Rákóczi (painted by Ádám Mányoki) | |
| Prince of Transylvania | |
| Reign | 1704 – 1711 |
| Predecessor | Leopold I |
| Successor | Charles IV |
| Born | 27 March 1676 Borsi, Royal Hungary (now Borša, Slovakia) |
| Died | 8 April 1735 (aged 59) Tekirdağ, Ottoman Empire |
| Burial | 1906 |
| Spouse | Sarolta Amália (Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Wanfried) |
| Issue |
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| House | Rákóczi |
| Father | Francis I Rákóczi |
| Mother | Ilona Zrínyi |
| Signature | |
His name is historically also spelled Rákóczy, in Hungarian: II. Rákóczi Ferenc, in Slovak: František II. Rákoci, in German: Franz II. Rákóczi, in Croatian: Franjo II. Rákóczy (Rakoci, Rakoczy), in Romanian: Francisc Rákóczi al II-lea, in Serbian: Ференц II Ракоци.
Although the Hungarian parliament offered Rákóczi the royal crown, he refused it, choosing instead the temporary title of the "Ruling Prince of Hungary". Rákóczi intended to bear this military-sounding title only during the anti-Habsburg war of independence. By refusing the royal crown, he proclaimed to Hungary that it was not his personal ambition that drove the war of liberation against the Habsburg dynasty.