Ernest, Duke of Austria

Ernest was born in 1377 into the House of Habsburg, at a time when the dynasty's territories were divided among competing lines. In 1406 he took control of the Inner Austrian duchies of Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola, carving out a realm in the southeast. Five years later, in 1411, he became head of the Leopoldian line, one of the family's two main branches. His nickname — the Iron-Willed — suggests the grip required to hold those lands together. He ruled until his death on 10 June 1424, leaving behind a consolidated block of territory that would anchor Habsburg power in the region for genera…