Holy Roman Empire - The strangest empire in history

On August 6, 1806, the Holy Roman Empire of Germany officially ended, when Emperor Franz II of the Habsburg family gave up the crown to become the founding Emperor of Germany. Austrian Empire.

It was the end of nearly 1,000 years of existence of a strange institution, which the French philosopher and thinker Voltaire succinctly described: 'The Holy Roman Empire was not divine, not Rome, but It's not exactly imperialism either'.

Reluctant inheritance

Voltaire is absolutely right. The Holy Roman Empire of the latter had nothing to do with the ancient Roman empire of Julio Caesar or Augustus, nor with the Western Roman empire or the Eastern Roman twin ( commonly known as Byzantine) – the empires descended from ancient Rome. It was precisely because of that confusion that in the fifteenth century the phrase 'of the German people' was added to the official title used by the Holy Roman Empire.

'Of the German people' , rather than the original Roman of the Latins, or the Byzantine brought more colors of Eastern Orthodoxy, but also quite different from the Western Roman Catholic Vatican . Even so, the concept of the noun-adjective 'Roman' (Roman) still highlights an element of heredity from the beginning - the same reason that the Holy Roman Empire of the German people (or The Holy Roman Empire for short) appears on the map of the former continent.

The last Emperor Franz II of the Holy Roman Empire, also the founding Emperor Franz I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

This lineage has its official beginning in 962, when Otto I the Great of the Liudolfinger family was crowned by the Pope, to replace their East Francia kingdom of Karolingen. However, if we consider its root cause, perhaps we have to go back to 800, when Charle the Great (Charlemagne) marched into Rome - Rome.

By that time, the Western Roman Empire had fallen for more than 300 years (476 AD), after the mighty and destructive attacks of the tribes of a race they called 'barbarians': the Germans . The Franks of Charlemagne - who gave France what it is now called Francia or France - were one of the most battle-hardened and brilliant at governing among the Germans.

Charlemagne arrived in Rome, having already covered all of modern Germany and France, before leading his army to the Lombardy region of Italy. Perhaps he did not have a clear idea of ​​the empire in his mind when he met with Pope Leo III - whom he intended to overthrow. But, as European chroniclers recount, the Pope behaved extremely skillfully. The leader of the West went out to Rome to receive Charlemagne. Then two days later, during a ceremony at the Basilica of San Pietro, while Charlemagne was praying, the Pope stepped back and placed the crown on the Frankish king's head, declaring: 'God crowned the king. Emperor! May the great Emperor who brought peace to the Romans live a hundred years, and win eternal victory."

The clergy also chanted in unison: 'May God bless the king - the Emperor of the Roman people - long life and victory!'. Then, Pope Leo III prostrated himself, following an ancient rite dating back to the Roman Emperor Diocletian.

In other words, to protect himself as well as Rome, Leo III 'on behalf of God' conferred the title of Roman Emperor on the 'barbarian' king. He has no other choice. And conversely, although at first surprised to the point of anger, Charlemagne quickly realized that this enthronement brought great benefits, for the empire called 'Karolingen Empire' that he under construction. It was the obvious benefit of governing, when the secular power supported and received backing from the theocracy – the essence of which led the Roman Emperor Constantine to recognize Christianity as the State religion.

Habsburg Castle in Switzerland.

Everything and nothing

However, Charlemagne died too soon to revive the Western Roman Empire in its own right (although his adoption of the title also meant openly opposing the Byzantine Byzantine Empire - who always considered themselves I'm the 'orthodox target stream') . After his death, his children could not follow in his father's footsteps, and the vast territory of the 'Karolingen empire' was quickly divided into small pieces.

Until Otto I of the Liudolfingers successfully deposed the Karolingen dynasty in favor of the papacy, the actual territory he ruled was only East Francia. After that, the chaos continued to rapidly increase. Just as the Capet in France had to gradually build up their kingship in the grip of powerful vassals, many later emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were actually enthroned by their powerful supporters. completely superior strength (assessment of the historians who compiled the book 'Western Civilization' ).

Understandably, the Holy Roman Empire was a loosely composed, multi-state supranational form, especially after the Crusades period – when France, England, and Spain gradually took shape. into centralized monarchies. The head of the Holy Empire is the Emperor, but this Emperor is elected by the Electors, not at first hereditary. Thus, the power of the Holy Empire was not in the hands of the Emperor, nor in the hands of an elector, much less the National Assembly. Each duchy or marquise, or earl-baron domain was actually self-governing, even in the service of the Emperor or against the Emperor. The Holy Roman Empire was not a federation, nor was it a confederation of many nations. It's simply a combination based on the 'ethnic German' element.is still quite vague, and is corrupted by the power from time to time of the great families.

Monument to Emperor Otto I.

The most famous family finally entered the political arena in 1440 - the Habsburg royal family. Thanks to political - military tools and even marriage, the Habsburg royal family became the true owner of Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Bohemia and Galia, and a number of small states in respectively. Italy, and also the family that ruled the Netherlands besides being Emperor of both Austria and the Holy Empire and Mexico. However, the Habsburg Empire could still only try to maintain alliances in its territories, but in no way create uniformity and cohesion as an imperial state form. authentic.

Until the fall of the Austro-Hungarian empire after World War I, this was still the biggest defect of the royal family that had held the crown of both the Holy Empire and Austria-Hungary. They proved quite inferior in power to the Bourbon royal family of France or even the pagan challengers - the Ottoman Muslim empire. In terms of raising the national flag to achieve unification, neither the Holy Empire nor Austria-Hungary could be compared with the ambition and steadfastness of the young Prussia later - born from a region where The influence of the Holy Empire had become too weak.

On that August 6, 1806, this odd empire and empire played its full historical role. Not the ending Charlemagne expected. And perhaps not what Otto I envisioned. But amazingly, it still lasted for a thousand years.

*Charlemagne is considered the 'father of the nation' of both France and Germany. In France, he is known as Charles I. In Germany, he is Karl I. He also tried to unite with the Byzantines through marriage, but was rebuffed. In 803, he sent the Franks to attack the seaports of Byzantium, forcing the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros I to make peace and accept his title.

*It's worth noting : Perhaps due to a millennial tradition of 'openness', the Habsburg ideology of governing as opposed to all forms of tyranny was strongly opposed by Adolf Hitler - an Austrian. When Hitler took power, the SS and Gestapo continuously terrorized the Habsburg sphere of influence. In contrast, the former Austro-Hungarian royal family also organized fierce protest movements.