A Habsburg monarch, he ruled during a turbulent period marked by wars against the Ottoman Empire and France. His reign saw the Great Turkish War (1683–1699), culminating in the successful defense of Vienna and the eventual expulsion of the Ottomans from Hungary. Leopold also faced France’s expansionist ambitions under Louis XIV in conflicts like the Nine Years’ War and the War of the Spanish Succession. A devout Catholic, he supported the Counter-Reformation and centralized Habsburg rule. His policies strengthened Austria, setting the stage for future imperial dominance.