The Holy Roman Empire: The Early Middle Ages

The Holy Roman Empire was a diverse complex of territories that lasted for over a thousand years, located in Europe that was created during the Early Middle Ages, which proceeded until its disintegration in 1806. Today Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and parts of France, Italy, and Poland where the European states that made of Holy Roman Empire’s loose confederation. French writer, historian, and philosopher Voltaire statement on the Holy Roman Empire, “the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire” was a conventional way to describe this institution and its was a failure since the beginning.

Charlemagne conceived around the year 742, “he began

as Frankish King, then became the first Holy Roman Emperor. He was a man of influence and power, who pulled a continent from chaos, and resurrected the concept of a king's divine right to rule” (Whittemore, 2003). As a ruler, Charlemagne was enthusiastic to convert people Christianity. He was loyal to the Pope, he believed the Papacy, or authority of the Pope. Pope Leo III made a deal between Charlemagne in which Pope Leo III would permit Charlemagne the authority while Charlemagne continue to recognize the Church's dominance secular power. This establishment between Roman Catholic Church and Charlemagne reflect on the Holy in the Holy Roman Empire, because the church still wanted to be in charge. On December 25, 800 CE Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. When Charlemagne passed away the Holy Roman Empire collapsed. Emperors and the popes generally did not see eye to eye anymore. Emperors did not respect the Pope therefore the empire was no longer holy, because it was completely catholic.
Apparently the Holy Roman Empire was a recreation of the Roman Empire. However the Holy Roman Empire was not located in Roman, but mainly located in German. The Kingdom of German was the largest territory in the Holy Roman Empire. They chose Roman in the title to allow Charlemagne maximum prestige among his feudal subjects (Green, 2014).
The word empire was used clearly because the Holy Roman Empire wanted to be an empire. The Holy Roman Empire was to a greater degree a loose confederation of states whose rulers could not really control the territorial forces. An empire is normally a group of nations that are govern by the same emperor. Even though the Holy Roman Empire consisted of several territories, it lacked the significant of unifying. The empire was not united, chiefly each state was independent and was governed by their own ruler. The Holy Roman Empire was not genuinely an empire since it was excessively assorted and spread out. The emperors did not have the ability to enforce their authority throughout the whole entire Holy Roman Empire.
In 1452 CE Frederick III was elected for Holy Roman Emperor, contributing to the Habsburg family's royal dynasty, which lasted for 350 years.

The Habsburgs originated from a long line of German kings. The Habsburgs family married their way into power using inbreeding, which also to retain all their inherits inside the family. “And one the tactics used by the Hapsburgs was the promote dynastic marriages between Hapsburg cousins, thus keeping inheritances within the family and out of the hands of the church. This Hapsburg inbreeding worked politically but over the centuries it brought out recessive family genes for mental illness and, most famously, these oversized lower jaws, that became Europe's most recognizable profile. In short: inbreeding, great way to keep money in the family, maybe not the best way to keep A++ kings in the family” (Green, 2014). They were able to ruled over Austria, the Netherlands, Milan, Sicily, and Spain along with the Holy Roman Empire. This established their power above the papacy. The papacy responded to this situation in 1356 by creating the Holy Roman Emperor an elected position. In order to become emperor, candidates must have advocate from at least 4 of 7 electors. The electors were normally three archbishops and four secular rulers. “The emperor had a broad range of powers, but they were limited in application. He could approve or veto laws, propose and enforce laws, appoint officials, represent the empire internationally, and serve as the

empire's ultimate judge, but he could not introduce taxes, declare war, make peace, form alliances, or act as a judge on his own” (Troolin, 2003). Unsurprising the papacy’s decision did not discontinue Habsburg family's dynasty, rather require them to bribe with their family fortunes to win the position as emperor. Charles V paid his way into emperor, causing him to begin as emperor in debt.
Both of Charles’ parents derive from determined dynasties.

His mother Joanna, her parent was Ferdinand and Isabella. Joanna rule Spain and parts of Italy, including Naples and Sicily, and Americas. Charles’ father Philip I was the Duke of Burgundy and rule the German grounds. Charles inherited his family land making him leader of Spain and Germany, just Charles was neither Spanish nor German Charles was French. Governing over such larges number was not suited for Charles, especially since German peasants were rebelled against the empire during that time, “By the time Charles bought his throne in 1521, German merchants had come to think of themselves as being guaranteed the rights to speak in a parliament, to have a say in their taxes, and even to form their own militias” (Green, 2014). Rebelling Germans was not the only problem Charles encounter, Protestantism also made life difficult for Charles. Particularly when Martin Luther a German theologian and his followers stated they will obey their own religion instead of obeying to the emperor's command. Even though Charles V made some poor decision, he made some effort to make the Holy Roman Empire

remarkable.
Although the Holy Roman Empire was a failure but you can still learn from this experience. “Charles’ motto was Plus Ultra, and that means further beyond, but it could also mean limitless” (Green, 2014). Charles did not realize his boundary, attempting to govern the entire Holy Roman Empire was too much to administer. Charles tired to combine Atlantic and central Europe together and develop new policies in the Americas while still protecting old policies in the old Europe. The truth behind the Holy Roman Empire is that it was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire. Eventually it was no longer completely catholic, the Holy Roman Empire was German never Roman, and it was not really an empire because it was wide too spread out for an emperor to govern.