The Holy Roman Empire officially lasted from 962 to 1806. It was one of Europe’s largest medieval and early modern states, but its power base was unstable and continually shifting. The Holy Roman Empire was not a unitary state, but a confederation of small and medium-sized political entities.
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Definition
Timeline
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751 - 887Reign of the Carolingian Dynasty in Francia and the Holy Roman Empire.
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20 Jun 840Louis the Pious, King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, dies.
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843 - 855Reign of Lothar I as Holy Roman Emperor and King of Middle Francia (Lotharingia).
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855 - 875Reign of Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor.
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875 - 877Reign of Charles the Bald as Holy Roman Emperor and King of Italy.
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881 - 887Reign of Charles the Fat as Holy Roman Emperor.
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Nov 887The Carolingian Empire collapses after Charles the Fat is deposed by nobles from around the empire.
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919 - 1024Reign of the Ottonian Dynasty in the Holy Roman Empire.
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962 - 973Reign of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor.
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973 - 983Reign of Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor.
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996 - 1002Reign of Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor.
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1014 - 1024Reign of Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor.
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1024 - 1125Reign of the Salian Dynasty in the Holy Roman Empire.
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1027 - 1039Reign of Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor.
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1046 - 1056Reign of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor.
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1076 - 1122The Investiture Controversy between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy over the practice of lay investiture.
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1077 - 1088The Great Saxon Revolt against Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
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1084 - 1105Reign of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
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1111 - 1125Reign of Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor.
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1122The Concordat of Worms defines the secular and religious aspects of lay investiture, concluding the dispute of Investiture Controversy.
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1138 - 1254Reign of the Staufer (Hohenstaufen) Dynasty in the Holy Roman Empire.
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4 Mar 1152Frederick I, Barbarossa is elected King of Germany at Frankfurt am Main.
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27 Jul 1214The decisive Battle of Bouvines is fought in the Kingdom of France between French forces and the allied army under Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV during the Anglo-French War of 1213-1214, ending in a French victory and the collapse of the Angevin Empire.
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1 Aug 1291The Old Swiss Confederacy is established by oath within the Holy Roman Empire; the precursor of the modern-day state of Switzerland.
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1347 - 1437Reign of the Luxembourg Dynasty in the Holy Roman Empire.
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1438 - 1806Reign of the Habsburg Dynasty in the Holy Roman Empire.
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25 Sep 1555The Peace of Augsburg is signed between Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire and the Schmalkaldic League to end religious strife between Protestants and Catholics in the region by allowing rulers of states to choose whether to adhere to Lutheranism or Roman Catholicism. The treaty did not stipulate complete freedom of religion, however, and ultimately failed in its objective.
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6 Nov 1792The Battle of Jemappes is fought between the army of the new French Republic and the forces of the Holy Roman Empire during the War of the First Coalition, ending in a victory for the French and proving the abilities of the new French volunteer army under General Charles Francois Dumouriez.
