Joachim Whaley

The first volume of Joachim Whaley's encyclopedic history of the Holy Roman Empire in early modern Europe covers its history from the start of the 16th century to the end of the Thirty Years' War. It's main theme is the impact of the Protestant Reformation upon the empire, which polarized it and ultimately led to one of the most destructive wars in European history. Yet Whaley shows that the polarization which caused so much conflict was only one dimension of what was a complex interaction. Just as the Reformation spread and developed under the protection of the legal protections provided by the complex institutions of the empire, the empire in turn was shaped by the political and legal struggles spawned by the Reformation, which encouraged the maintenance of the diverse political institutions in the face of efforts by the reigning Habsburg emperors to centralize power in their hands. Whaley's patient and thorough explanation of this intricate dynamic makes for a book that is indispensable reading for anyone interested in early modern Germany, or how the Reformation expanded and survived.… (lisätietoja)

Voltaire's description of the Holy Roman Empire as "neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire" is often cited to underline its worthlessness. German historians traditionally despised it because it had allegedly impeded German unification. Since 1945 scholars have been more positive but the empire's history and significance is still largely misunderstood.

In this Very Short Introduction Joachim Whaley outlines the fascinating thousand-year history of the Holy Roman Empire. Founded in 800 on the basis of Charlemagne's Frankish kingdom, its imperial title went to the German monarchy which became established in the ninth and ten centuries. They claimed Charlemagne's legacy, including his role as protector of the papacy and guardian of the Church. Around 1500 the title Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation was adopted. An elective monarchy, the empire gradually developed from a feudal monarchy into a legal system that pacified the territories and cities of German-speaking Europe. By 1519 it had a supreme court and a regional enforcement system ended feuding. Throughout its lifetime, the empire's growth and history was shaped by the major developments in Europe, from the Reformation, to the Thirty Years War, to the French revolutionary wars, which led to Napoleon destroying the empire in 1806. The sense of a common history over a thousand years and the legal traditions established by the empire have shaped the history of German-speaking Europe ever since. Joachim Whaley analyzes 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.… (lisätietoja)