Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was established when Charlemagne's claim to the Roman Empire was granted to the Kingdom of Germany. Either coronation can be considered the beginning of the empire.
Contents
Composition
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Electors
The succession of emperors was determined by three spiritual electors and some number of secular electors.
The spiritual electors held ceremonial chancellorships:
archbishop of Mainz as archchancellor of Germany
archbishop of Cologne as archchancellor of Italy
archbishop of Trier as archchancellor of Burgundy
The secular electors held ceremonial high offices (reichserzamt) modeled on a privy council: arch-cupbearer, arch-steward, arch-marshal, arch-chamberlain, arch-treasurer, and arch-bannerbearer. The assignment of these offices shifted between the electors over time.
elector Palatine (from 1356)
duke of Bavaria (from 1623)
duke of Hanover (from 1692)
Emperors
From the conquest under Otto I until the death of Charles V, the kingdoms of Germany and Italy were held as an elective union. Being elective, the seat passed between several dynastic houses.
From the creation by Pope John XII until the death of Charles V (a trend!), these kings had to be crowned emperor by the pope. As a result, there are significant gaps between the technical reigns of emperors. There was also an interregnum after Frederick II died in 1250; while Rudolf I inherited the kingdom, he was never crowned emperor.
Following Charles V, the emperors were self-declared, and so there no longer were gaps between the last emperor's death and the next emperor's coronation.
Note that while Maria Theresa is generally referred to as empress, she formally was empress consort through her husband Francis I. In her own right, she was archduchess of Austria.
Emperors |
House |
Crowned In |
Reign |
Otto I |
936 |
962 - 973 |
|
Otto II |
Ottonian |
961 |
967 - 983 |
Otto III |
Ottonian |
983 |
996 - 1002 |
Henry II |
Ottonian |
1002 |
1014 - 1024 |
TODO: Salic kings |
... |
... |
|
TODO: Lothair II |
Supplinburg |
... |
... |
Hohenstaufen |
1152 |
1155 - 1190 |
|
Henry VI |
Hohenstaufen |
1169 |
1191 - 1197 |
Otto IV |
Welf |
1198 |
1209 - 1215 |
Hohenstaufen |
1212 |
1220 - 1250 |
|
Henry VII |
Luxembourg |
1308 |
1312 - 1313 |
Louis IV |
Wittelsbach |
1314 |
1328 - 1347 |
Charles IV |
Luxembourg |
1346 |
1355 - 1378 |
Luxembourg |
1411 |
1433 - 1437 |
|
Frederick III |
1440 |
1452 - 1493 |
|
Maximilian I |
Habsburg |
1486 |
1508 - 1519 |
Habsburg |
1519 |
1519 - 1556 |
|
Habsburg |
1556 |
1556 - 1564 |
|
Maximilian II |
Habsburg |
1562 |
1564 - 1576 |
Rudolf II |
Habsburg |
1575 |
1576 - 1612 |
Matthias |
Habsburg |
1612 |
1612 - 1619 |
Habsburg |
1619 |
1619 - 1637 |
|
Habsburg |
1636 |
1637 - 1657 |
|
Habsburg |
1658 |
1658 - 1705 |
|
Habsburg |
1690 |
1705 - 1711 |
|
Habsburg |
1711 |
1711 - 1740 |
|
Wittelsbach |
1742 |
1742 - 1745 |
|
Lorraine |
1745 |
1745 - 1765 |
|
Habsburg-Lorraine |
1764 |
1765 - 1790 |
|
Habsburg-Lorraine |
1790 |
1790 - 1792 |
|
Habsburg-Lorraine |
1792 |
1792 - 1806 |
History
The empire is considered to have begun when Otto I, duke of Saxony, was elected king of Germany. Through conquest he then claimed the title of king of Italy in 961. Pope John XII crowned him emperor of the Romans in 962.
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The empire was ended through the Napoleonic Wars.
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