The Holy Roman Empire 1495-1806 (Studies of the German Historical Institute, London) - Hardcover

9780199602971: The Holy Roman Empire 1495-1806 (Studies of the German Historical Institute, London)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0199602972 ISBN 13: 9780199602971

Publisher: OUP/German Historical Institute London, 2011

Over the last forty years or so, research on the history of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (1495-1806) has been transformed almost beyond recognition. Once derided as a political non-entity, a chaotic assemblage of countless principalities and statelets that lacked coercive power and was stifled by encrusted structures and procedures, the Reich has been fully rehabilitated by more recent historiography. It is now being hailed by some as a model of peaceful conflict resolution in the centre of Europe which, in the long run, was able to defuse the religious tensions created by the confessional divide of the sixteenth century and to protect its smaller members against the voracious appetite of more powerful neighbours. Some historians even draw lessons from the history of the Holy Roman Empire for our present. The multi-layered, federal structure of the old Empire and its system of collective decision-making have been held up as a model for a peace-loving, multi-ethnic Europe, a European Union avant la lettre. Other historians have described the Reich as the first German nation-state, a political configuration based not on power and expansion, but on rights and liberties, the rule of law and a structural lack of capacity for aggression.

This volume takes stock of this research, particularly in the critical areas of the Empire's constitutional, religious and social history. A notable feature is the presentation of several decades of research in concise, accessible essays by continental scholars, much of it appearing in English for the first time.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

From the Back Cover:

The Holy Roman Empire covered much of Europe and lasted for over a millennium, but has long been regarded as ineffective and largely irrelevant to broader historical issues.
Drawing on a wealth of research, Peter Wilson offers an alternative interpretation of the Empire's last three centuries.

The Holy Roman Empire 1495-1806, second edition:

� explains key stages in the Empire's development within the context of wider European history
� provides a comprehensive guide to its institutions and the central debates
� incorporates the latest scholarship and has been fully revised and updated throughout, offering more in depth treatment of major issues
� features a new chapter on whether the Empire can be considered the first German nation state.

Clear and concise, this established book is an ideal introduction for anyone who is studying the structure and significance of the Holy Roman Empire and its impact on early modern Europe.

About the Author:

R. J. W. Evans is Regius Professor of History at the University of Oxford. Michael Schaich is Research Fellow at the German Historical Institute of London. Peter H. Wilson is G. F. Grant Professor of History at the University of Hull.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.