Maximilian began his apprenticeship as a ruler at the age of eighteen and under adverse conditions. In 1477, the daughter and sole heir of Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, elected to marry Maximilian after her father died in battle. Mary of Burgundy's subjects had negotiated concessions that undermined her authority, and her most powerful neighbor, the king of France, had invaded her lands in Burgundy and the Low Countries with the intent of keeping them.

As Mary's consort, Maximilian focused on upholding his wife's rights and restoring the greatness of the Burgundian state. Born and raised in the German-speaking lands, however, he was unfamiliar with the languages (French and Flemish) and customs of Mary's people. Worse, perhaps, he had neither experience in governance nor independent wealth. An outsider, he struggled to find acceptance and mobilize support for his cause—especially after his wife, the main source of his political authority, died suddenly in 1482.

The political, military, and financial challenges of this formative period prompted Maximilian to develop ways of legitimizing his rule, a mission that would inform his actions for the rest of his life.

From its origins as a brutal reenactment of warfare, the tournament gradually developed into a variety of regulated mock combats in which contestants could measure and display their valor and skill in the use of various arms. Often performed in front of an audience and part of the customary celebrations of major events, these contests aided Maximilian in his campaign to be recognized as one of the greatest knights that ever lived.

Maximilian organized and participated in countless tournaments. He promoted unusual variants of the joust, which became fixtures at his court and contributed to his renown. Extraordinary forms of armor and mechanical devices were specially made to allow him to shine and prevail on momentous occasions.

To reinforce his claims to fame, Maximilian also commissioned chronicles of his knightly exploits. With the help of the printing press, then a relatively novel technology, he sought to make his heroic deeds known to a broad audience.

Maximilian ordered considerable quantities of armor to stock his arsenals, outfit troops, equip himself for battle and tournaments, and distribute as gifts to strengthen his bonds with a wide variety of individuals, including officials, courtiers, relatives, and monarchs and their ambassadors.

Unlike most rulers, Maximilian had access to some of the finest armorers in Europe. His lands offered suitable raw materials, nearby courts that supported their activity, and commercial and financial networks that advanced the trade. The craftsmen in the German-speaking lands, Italy, Burgundy, and the Low Countries who fulfilled commissions for him all worked in different styles. Thanks to their specialized knowledge of metallurgy, superior forging skills, and the outstanding quality of the metal they worked, these masters wrought armor that looked magnificent and offered remarkable protection in combat.

Maximilian promoted the excellence of these armorers' work by managing the supply of key metals, weighing in on techniques and design, and taking the most ingenious masters into his service. As a result, the armor he secured was unique and coveted. While some armorers had successful careers in Maximilian's service, others did not fare as well and went unpaid for their work.

In his desire to secure the goodwill, loyalty, and support of like-minded princes and other nobles, Maximilian cultivated the image of an exemplary knight. He was able to enhance this image by bestowing knighthoods on others and by becoming involved with two notable orders of knighthood.

The Burgundian Order of the Golden Fleece and the Austrian Order of Saint George were dissimilar in purpose and character, but each allowed Maximilian to boost his reputation as a leader and patron of knights. In 1479, immediately after he became duke of Burgundy, he joined and became the head—known as the sovereign (grand master)—of the Order of the Golden Fleece, which he successfully revitalized and permanently bound to his dynasty. In 1493, he became the chief protector and advocate of the Order of Saint George, which his late father had established to fight the Ottoman Turks. 

In late medieval Europe, a time-tested way of building power was to support the advancement of one's family. By grooming children appropriately and arranging suitable marriages for them, one could create the conditions for them to acquire wealth and influence; all their relatives would benefit from their rise.

Keenly interested in these possibilities, Maximilian personally saw to the well-being of his heirs. The marriages he arranged resulted in a considerable increase of the House of Habsburg's influence in the political affairs of Europe. His son became king of Castile, his eldest grandson became king of all Spain and the ruler of parts of Italy and Central America, and his youngest grandson became king of Bohemia and Hungary.

Maximilian commissioned lavish armor for his male heirs to promote their standing and uphold their political and dynastic claims. He also presented gifts of armor to the boys who were to marry his daughter and granddaughters, and to their parents. Armor played a fundamental role in the all-important matrimonial arrangements through which the emperor secured peace, alliances, and influence for himself and his heirs.

Maximilian began his rule under difficult circumstances, which he overcame through ambition, communication, and (in his contemporaries' eyes) heroism. By the time of his death he had succeeded in becoming Holy Roman Emperor, reuniting his family lands, and positioning his heirs to rule over vast territories throughout Europe and the Americas. He had also initiated countless artistic projects memorializing himself and his family (as seen in this gallery), many of which his descendants would see to completion. 

But Maximilian's legacy extends beyond the political gains of his family. In his quest to shape opinion, forge bonds, and close deals among Europe's most influential figures, he commissioned many stunning armors considered to be among the greatest masterpieces of his age. For each one, there was an agenda, an ambition beyond the protection it could offer in combat. Today, these works may be appreciated not only as artistic achievements, but also as tools of diplomacy that would shape Europe's political landscape for centuries and, eventually, cement Maximilian's reputation as the Last Knight.