Karel VI. Habsburg (1. 10. 1685 - 20. 10. 1740) - Holy Roman Emperor of the Habsburgs. Also, Czech, Hungarian and Spanish king (in Hungary and Spain, Charles III., In the Czech Republic as Charles II.)

Karel was born in Vienna, the younger son of Emperor Leopold I and his third wife Eleonora Magdalene House of Wittelsbach. Even as a child he was, like his brother Joseph, very linguistically and musically gifted. Leopold was convinced that after the death of the last Spanish Habsburg Charles II. sit on the throne of local was his younger son. Charles II. But as his successor designate Philip of Anjou, grandson of the French King Louis IV. With the passing of the Government of Spain and its extensive overseas colonies Bourbons, Habsburgs, however, strongly disagreed. And also joined the English, Dutch, and Portuguese, who along with other smaller states have entered into coalition. War of the Spanish Succession erupted fully and affected not only Europe but also distant American colonies. The head of coalition forces went Karel against France even as the King of Spain. The turning point in the conflict occurred in 1704 after the Battle of Blenheim, where the French with their Bavarian allies suffered a crushing defeat.

Shaken by the French army then pursued a military failure after another. Still, dual power continued, coalition forces are in fact on his side failed to drag most of the Spanish nobility, and without its support was not in power allies Spain completely dominate. In Madrid and reigned Bourbon Filip and Barcelona Habsburg Charles III.

Impasse resolved to death ruler of the Habsburg monarchy and Charles elder brother Joseph I. in 1711. pretender to the Spanish throne as the successor had to return to Vienna. Already on November 12 of the same year Charles was in Frankfurt crowned Holy Roman Empire under Emperor. Hungarian king became 22 May 1712 in Pressburg (now Bratislava), the Czech then to 5 September 1723.

The Habsburgs soon lost support Englishmen who feared that they would be in the case of Charles success in Spain, grew very strong. Therefore concluded with France peace that Charles went very reluctantly. The defeat of the Turks and acquire new possessions in the Balkans, the king leaned Hungarian nobility. Within the monarchy acted as a strict Catholic and other religions have tried to suppress. In 1713 issued the Pragmatic Sanction, which ordained indivisibility of the Habsburg dominions and the female line of succession if it is not available male follower.

Charles VI. died 20 October 1740 on the effects of colds in the hunt. He was buried in the Capuchin crypt in Vienna.