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How did Francesco IV establish the Austro-Este line in Modena?

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Francesco IV established the Austro-Este line in Modena through his parentage, which united the House of Este with the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. He was the son of Maria Beatrice d’Este—the only surviving daughter of the last Duke of Modena, Ercole III—and Archduke Ferdinand of Habsburg-Lorraine, who was a son of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.1

Following the Napoleonic Wars, Francesco IV returned to Modena in 1814 to reclaim the duchy, thereby founding the Austro-Este branch. This line continued until the reign of his son, Francesco V, which ended in 1859 when Modena revolted to join Sardinia-Piedmont and eventually the unified Kingdom of Italy.1