1. The Amazing Empire of the Habsburgs

2. Holy Roman Empire  In Germany, or the Holy Roman Empire, there were four kinds of states

3.  Princely estates: (duchies, margraviates, etc.) –Each a little hereditary dynastic monarchy in itself, Saxony, Brandenburg, Bavaria,

4.  Ecclesiastical states: bishoprics, abbacies –Each bishop or abbot conducted the government; (large portion of the empire consisted of these)

5. Imperial free cities: some 60 of theseImperial free cities: some 60 of these  They were not large but they dominated the commercial and financial life of the empire

6. Thousands of imperial knights, noblemen of minor consequenceThousands of imperial knights, noblemen of minor consequence They held a few manors, belonging to no state, only recognizing the supremacy of the emperor They held a few manors, belonging to no state, only recognizing the supremacy of the emperor

7. Fragmentation of the HRE  Since 1356, the election of the emperor was vested in 7 electors  These territorial rulers and cities resisted every effort at national consolidation and unity  Rulers continued to partition their kingdoms however small among their sons

8. The Seven Great Electors  Archbishop of Mainz  Archbishop of Trier  Archbishop of Cologne  Margrave of Brandenburg  Duke of Saxony  King of Bohemia

9.  By late 15th century, Germany was hopelessly divided into 300 autonomous entities  15th century: Imperial diet known as the Reichstag was created. (National assembly of the seven electors, the non-electoral princes, and representatives from the 65 imperial cities.)

10. The Habsburgs  1452: Electors chose the Archduke of Austria to be emperor  His family name was Habsburg  Habsburgs would use their resources and hereditary possessions in Austria by delicately balancing the numerous political factions within Germany  Between 1452-1806, managed to get themselves consistently reelected in every generation with just one exception

11. Maximilien I  Strategic use of royal marriages!  Maximilian married Mary, the heiress of the dukes of Burgundy, Netherlands  He married his son Phillip off to Joanna, daughter and heiress of Ferdinand & Isabella  Phillip and Joanna's son: Charles  Charles combined inheritance of his 4 grandparents:

12. The Legacy of Charles V Austria from Maximilian Charles V’s parents Were Philip of Austria And Joanna of Castile

13. Charles V  1519:Charles elected Holy Roman Emperor, symbolic head of Germany  Was known as Charles V in Germany and Charles I in Spain  Would be the most powerful ruler of his day

14. Turkish “menace” brings more power to Charles V  1453: Turks occupied Constantinople pushing through Hungary and menacing Europe  Parliaments of Hungary and adjoining Kingdom of Bohemia, looking for allies to face the Turkish peril elected Charles V's brother Ferdinand as their king

15.  Habsburgs were now entrenched in Central Europe, Spain, Spanish America, Mediterranean and Italy!  European powers now began to feel threatened by this "universal monarchy"  Fears of being suffocated or absorbed by the Habsburgs!