Holy Roman Empire

2014-10-07T01:34:59Z

68.149.134.121: added dissolution info

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The '''Holy Roman Empire''', also known as the '''Roman Empire''' (before 1157) and the '''Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation''' (from 1512), was a [[Europe]]an superpower throughout the 2nd millennium CE that dominated the central European continent.

Its counterpart in the east was the [[Byzantine Empire]].

==History==
The spiritual successor to [[Charlemagne]]'s {{Wiki|Frankish Empire}}, itself a successor to the [[Roman Empire|Western Roman Empire]], the Holy Roman Empire's dominion extended from Denmark in the north, through [[Germany]], and into northern [[Italy]]. By 1459, the Empire encompassed numerous city states, such as [[Milan]] and [[Florence]], which allowed the [[Auditore International Bank]] to provide services throughout the Empire, and the Kingdom of Germania.<ref name="Renaissance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]</ref> Despite this dominion, the Empire's military presence in Italy was negligible.<ref name="AC2"> ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

During the reign of Emperor [[Maximilian I]], the Empire developed an antagonistic relationship with the [[Rodrigo Borgia|Borgia]] [[Papacy]], stemming from the Pope recruiting [[Switzerland|Swiss]] [[mercenaries]] who had defeated him in the {{Wiki|Swabian War}} into the [[Papal Guard]]. After the [[Italian Assassins]] kidnapped these mercenaries and delivered them to Maximilian in [[Vienna]], the shocked but grateful Emperor had them form the {{Wiki|Landsknechte}}, and later promised they would aid the Assassins should they ever request it.<ref name="PL">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]] - [[Contracts (Project Legacy)|Contracts]]''</ref>

The [[Renaissance]] partly began in the Holy Roman Empire after {{Wiki|Johannes Gutenberg}} invented the [[Printers|printing press]],<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''</ref> and under Maximilian, culture, science and reform blossomed with German, [[Netherlands|Dutch]] and Swiss intellectuals like [[Conradus Celtis]], [[Friedrich der Weise]], [[Martin Luther]], [[Desiderius Erasmus]] and [[Bombastus]], some of whom became members or allies of the Assassins (Erasmus in particular became leader of the [[Northern European Assassins]]).<ref name="PL"/><ref>[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Revelations'' novel]]</ref>

This scientific growth extended to the reign of [[Rudolf II]] during the late 16th/early 17th century, who invited the occultists [[John Dee]] and [[Edward Kelley]] to his court in [[Prague]]. However, encouraging such pursuits came with a price, as during Rudolf's reign the [[Golem]] was unleashed on the city, to which he was criticized for allowing too much intellectual freedom.<ref>''Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy'' - [[Divine Science: Chapter 3 - Elizabeth Jane Weston]]</ref>

By the 18th century, the Empire had fractured, becoming little more than a disparate collection of loosely-affiliated states: mercenaries from a number of German states, such as the [[Jägers]] fought on both sides of the [[American Revolutionary War]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''</ref>

It was finally dissolved in 1806 after Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Austerlitz.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Former empires]]

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Holy Roman Empire