Holy Roman Empire (East Francia / Germany) AD 800 - 1806 The European political organisation which would become the late medieval 'first'German empire was created in part through a single act in AD 800. The powerful Frankish king, Charlemagne, had already conquered much of the German-speaking lands during and after his eventual defeat of the mighty Saxons. He was crowned 'Holy Roman Emperor' by Pope Leo III (often abbreviated to 'HRE'), partially in a papal attempt to be able to claim sovereign rights over the new emperor and his territories. In part, too, it was to convey upon Charlemagne, and the vast territory he had conquered, the historical legacy of the Roman empire, thereby legitimising this new empire. Division followed in the ninth century, as the empire split into the [Western Franks](FranceFranks.htm#Western Franks) (France), Eastern Franks (Germany), and Middle Franks (Italy). The eastern half remained known as East Francia even as late as 1493, when Maximilian I made the formal claim that it was now Germania. However, the accession of Saxony's kings from AD 962 made the east a formidable political organisation in its own right. Several centuries of eastwards expansion and consolidation would follow, although the 'Holy Roman' empire never achieved the same level of political unification as did medieval France. A prolonged attempt at centralising authority started under the aforementioned Maximilian I who governed until 1519. That was wrecked by the Reformation and the resultant warfare which culminated in the period known as the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) and the Treaty of Westphalia at its end. This formalised the relationship between emperor and vassals, who thereby achieved all but complete sovereignty themselves. As a result, the empire remained politically divided between around three hundred and sixty distinct entities which different wildly in size, rank, and power. Some rulers were kings and princes, other were counts, clerics, or secular rulers. The concept of a nation state or kingdom of Germany remained abstract during the Renaissance. Germany was simply a region, a large part of Central Europe in which most, but not all, people spoke various dialects of the German language. By the early modern period, under the Habsburgs, the position of emperor was an elected position. That shift began in 1356, when the pragmatic Emperor Charles IV issued the Golden Bull. This created a system by which future emperors would be chosen by their most powerful subjects: electors. Seven great rulers who were scattered across the empire (four princes and three archbishops) had the right to vote on imperial succession. From 1438, the rich and powerful princely Austrian family of [Habsburg](GermanyAustria.htm#Habsburg Margraves) was able to secure the title and convert it into one which was all but hereditary by virtue of the fact that they were consistently able offer the largest bribes to the electors. The Habsburgs were also favoured by the electors because their kingdoms bordered the growing Ottoman empire, which meant they played a vital role in holding back the advance. Habsburg rule continued until Napoleon Bonaparte terminated the institution in 1806.  (Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by William Willems, from Noble Strategies in an Early Modern Small State: The Mahuet of Lorraine, Charles T Lipp, from The History of the Franks, Volume II, Gregory of Tours (O M Dalton, Trans, 1967), from From Roman Provinces to Medieval Kingdoms, Thomas F X Noble, from Popular Revolt, Dynastic Politics, and Aristocratic Factionalism in the Early Middle Ages: The Saxon Stellinga Reconsidered, Eric J Goldberg (Speculum, Vol 70, No 3, Jul 1995), from The Annals of Fulda (Timothy Reuter (Trans), Manchester Medieval Series, Ninth-Century Histories, Volume II, 1992), and from External Links: the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, and from Encyclopaedia.com, and Cranach Digital Archive (in German and English), and Special Collections (University of Arizona), and The Holy Roman Empire (Heraldica), and The Holy Roman Empire, Christopher Brooks (Portland Community College via LibreTexts Humanities).)  KING LIST INDEX  Frankish Emperors (AD 800 - 888) What became the first German empire was created by the Western Frankish domination of most of Central Europe under Charlemagne.  Kings of Germany (AD 840 - 911) Frankish Carolingian rule was relatively brief in Central Europe before a High-German-speaking Teutonic ruling class became established.  Germanic Emperors (AD 888 - 962) Emperor Charles III was deposed by the Germans at the Diet of Tribur (November 887), and the Frankish empire was officially divided between east and west.  Saxon Emperors (AD 962 - 1024) With the accession of the Saxon king of Germany, Otto I, the power of the Germanic Roman empire was confirmed, subsuming previous names and ruling structures.  Franconian Emperors (AD 1024 - 1138) Following the end of the Ottonian line of Saxon emperors, Franconia became the territorial heartland of succeeding emperors, many of whom were based there.  Hohenstaufen Emperors (AD 1138 - 1260) The Hohenstaufens gained power in the duchy of Swabia through marriage into the Franconian dynasty, swiftly becoming one of the most powerful German families.  Non-Dynastic Emperors (AD 1273 - 1437) An interregnum followed the Hohenstaufens in which no sole emperor was recognised and with German lands beginning a period of internal political collapse.  Habsburg Emperors (AD 1438 - 1806) Through marriage to the daughter of the last of the Luxemburger emperors, the empire fell forever into the hands of the Habsburgs of Austria. |