The Holy Roman Empire : A Very Short Introduction

Oxford Very Short Introductions

From its origins in AD 800 in Charlemagne's Frankish kingdom, the Holy Roman Empire stood for over a thousand years until its destruction by Napoleon. Encompassing a group of regions and free cities in central Europe which fell under the rule of an elected emperor, its growth and history were highly influenced by contemporary European developments. The sense of a common history over a thousand years and the legal traditions established by the empire have shaped German-speaking Europe ever since.

This Very Short Introduction analyses the empire's crucial impact and role in the history of European power and politics, and shows that there has never been a more durable political system in German history.