Emperor Karl I of Austria reigned from 1916 to 1918 during the final years of World War I. He was the last emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and sought to negotiate peace to end the war. His efforts included attempts to broker a separate peace with Allied Powers, but these were largely unsuccessful. After the war, the empire collapsed, and Karl was forced to abdicate. He went into exile in Switzerland and later attempted to regain the throne in Hungary but was unsuccessful. He died in 1922 on the island of Madeira, Portugal, and was later beatified by the Catholic Church.