Mighty Monarchs XIV (Holy Roman Empire) Quiz

Answer: Otto I

Otto I, the Great (r. 936-973 AD) ascended the throne with only the traditional title of 'King of the Romans.' A man could not legally call himself emperor until he was crowned by the pope in Rome. Until the official coronation he would use the title of 'King of the Romans.' He was finally crowned by Pope John XII on February 2, 962 AD.

Answer: Henry IV

Henry IV(1056-1106 AD) had earlier invested his own candidate as the new archbishop of Milan (1075 AD) asserting his authority over the church within the Empire. This angered Gregory VII who claimed that the Papacy held supreme authority in ecclesiastical matters over all of Christendom.

The struggle became known as the 'Investiture Controversy' and it outlasted both Henry IV and Gregory VII. The Concordat of Worms (Sep 23, 1122 AD) between Emperor Henry V and Pope Calixtus II ended the struggle.

The emperor renounced the imperial right to investiture and the pope acknowledged the imperial right to demand service from the ecclesiastic fiefs within the Empire.

Answer: Frederick I

Frederick I, Barbarrossa (r. 1152-1190 AD) was one of the leading figures of his age. He was often at odds with the Papacy and the Lombard League as he tried to assert his imperial authority over northern Italy (traditionally a part of the Empire) and Papal elections.

He was one of the major leaders of the Third Crusade but he never reached the Holy Land. On June 10, 1190 AD he drowned while attempting to cross the Kalydadnus (Calycadnus) River (in Cilicia/modern day Turkey).

Answer: Frederick II

"Read more about Frederick II at your local library!" Truly an interesting monarch. Interesting note: On Nov 9, 1225 AD Frederick married Isabella (Yolanda) II, daughter of John I, King of Jerusalem. Due to the nature of the succession in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Frederick legally became the new king.

Then their first child was born (Conrad/Apr 25, 1228 AD) and he technically became the new king, but his father continued to call himself king until the boy came of age. See Mighty Monarchs IX (Kingdom of Jerusalem) for more information.

Answer: Rudolf, Landgrave of Alsace

Rudolf I (1273-1291 AD). The initial cause of the 'Great Interregnum' was the death of emperor Conrad IV (r. 1250-1254 AD/last of the Hohenstaufen emperor's). The German nobles overlooked his two year old heir, Conradin, and sought to find a weak candidate who would retain their privileges within the Empire.

The pope also wished for a weak candidate who would owe his crown to the Papacy. Richard, Earl of Cornwall, was the brother of Henry III, King of England. He was also brother-in-law of the late Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick II (father of Conrad IV). Alfonso X, King of Castile, was the great-grandson of the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick I. Ottokar II, King of Bohemia, was one of the Imperial electors but as a foreigner (non-German) the other (German) electors refused to consider him for the throne.

More importantly he was far too powerful and ambitious. Rudolf was well respected but not to powerful. He was the first member of the Hapsburg dynasty to hold the imperial crown.

Answer: Sigismund

Sigismund (r. 1410-1437 AD) convened the Seventeenth Ecumenical Council (in Constance) to settle various issues. The most important was to finally put an end to the so-called 'Great Schism' within western Christendom (1378-1415 AD/two legitimate popes reigned in Rome and Avignon - dividing the loyalties of Europe).

The other important issue was the trial of John Hus. He preached that the Church of Rome should shed the temporal trappings and return to the simple spiritual ways of Christ. Sigismund ordered Hus to appear and defend himself (with a promise of safe-conduct). Throughout the trial Hus repeatedly refused to recant and was finally executed for heresy. Before becoming emperor Sigismund was already king of Hungary (r. 1387-1437 AD) and he eventually became the king of Bohemia (r. 1419-1437 AD).

As the king of Hungary he founded the Order of the Dragon (1387 AD) which eventually included as a member Vlad II, Prince of Wallachia. Vlad became known as Vlad Dracul (the Dragon.

His son, Vlad III Tepes, was the famous Vlad Dracula (son of the Dragon).

Answer: King of Portugal

Charles V was many things. Grandson of the famous Spanish monarchs Ferdinand V and Isabella I and grandson of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian I (r. 1493-1519 AD). Before he succeeded his grandfather as emperor he had already become the King of Spain (as Charles I/r. 1516-1556 AD).

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies came with his Spanish inheritance as did the recently discovered New World. When Maximillian died Charles also inherited the Archduchy of Austria (he turned over the duchy to his younger brother Ferdinand in 1522 AD). Charles abdicated in 1556 AD leaving the imperial title to his brother Ferdinand (Ferdinand I/r. 1556-1564 AD).

He left the Kingdom of Spain and the Two Sicilies to his eldest son Philip. This division of power led to two distinct branches of the Hapsburg family - a Spanish and an Austrian.

Answer: True

When Sigismund died in 1437 AD he left the Imperial title to his son-in-law Albert V, Duke of Austria. As Albert II his most enduring contribution to the Empire was the unbroken line of Hapsburg emperors. Besides the brief reign of Charles VII, a member of the Hapsburg family held the Imperial title til the Empire's dissolution on August 6, 1806 AD. See Mighty Monarchs VI (Austria) for more information on the Hapsburg Dynasty.

Answer: Francis I

When her father died Maria Theresa inherited all of his titles except the Imperial title (tradition held that a woman could not inherit the title). Charles VI was the last in the male line of the Hapsburg Dynasty and Maria wished to confer the title on her husband, Francis of Lorraine (they had married in 1736 AD).

This was opposed by many in Europe and the continent entered into the War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748 AD). Francis I (r. 1745-1765 AD) was succeeded as emperor by their eldest son Joseph II (r. 1765-1790 AD). Joseph was in turn succeeded by his younger brother and then his grandson (Leopold II r. 1790-1792 AD and Francis II r. 1795-1806 AD).

Answer: True

The term "Holy Roman Empire" is somewhat confusing. The start of the institution is regarded by many as the coronation of Charles I, the Great (Charlemagne), as 'Emperor of the West,' on Dec 25, 800 AD (viewed by many as a revival of the old Roman imperial title which ended in 476 AD).

Others contend that the Empire started with the coronation of Otto I, the Great, on Feb 2, 962 AD. The emperors were often simply called the 'German Emperor' or 'Emperor of the German Nation/Empire.' Author's note: I tend to regard Charles I as the first Holy Roman Emperor.