View source for Holy Roman Empire

{{Era|Organizations}}{{WP-REAL}}
{{Regime Infobox
|title1=Holy Roman Empire
|image1=
|caption1=
|capital= {{wiki|Itinerant court}}, no fixed capital
|government= Confederate [[monarchy|elective monarchy]]
|head_of_state= Holy Roman Emperor
|head_of_government=
|legislature= {{wiki|Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)|Imperial Diet}}
|military=
|ruling_house=
|affiliation=
|nation= Present Day [[Germany]], [[Austria]], [[Switzerland]], [[Czechia|Bohemia]], and Northern Italy (South Tyrol)
|languages= {{wiki|Latin}} {{c|administrative & liturgical}}<br>{{wiki|German language|German}}<br>{{wiki|Czech language|Czech}}<br>{{wiki|Italian language|Italian}}<br>{{wiki|Dutch language|Dutch}}<br>{{wiki|French language|French}}<br>(others)
|religion= [[Christianity]]
|demonym=
|major_cities= [[Prague]]<br>[[Vienna]]<br>{{wiki|Munich}}
|population=
|currency=
|founder(s)= [[Charlemagne]]
|date_founded= 800 or 962
|date_dissolved= 1806
|last_ruler= {{wiki|Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor|Francis II}}
}}
The '''Holy Roman Empire''' was a great [[Europe]]an power that lasted from 800 A.D. to 1806 and dominated the central European continent.

==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, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]], the Empire developed an antagonistic relationship with the [[House of 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 Brotherhood of Assassins|Italian Assassins]] kidnapped these mercenaries and delivered them to Maximilian in [[Vienna]], the shocked but grateful Emperor had them form the ''{{Wiki|Landsknecht}}e'', 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>

Intending to curb the [[Republic of Venice|Venetian]] influence in northern [[Italy]], Maximilian joins the [[War of the League of Cambrai|League of Cambrai]] created by [[Papacy|Pope]] [[Julius II]], that served as an anti-Venetian alliance that included [[Louis XII of France]] and [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]]. The League was initially a success, but the friction between Julius and Louis caused it to collapse by 1510. Though in 1512 the Holy League managed to drive the [[France|French]] from Italy, later the French regained territory in 1515 which then ended the war the following year.<ref name="ACID">''[[Assassin's Creed: Identity]]'' – [[Database: War of the League of Cambrai]]</ref>

The [[Renaissance]] partly began in the Holy Roman Empire after [[Johannes Gutenberg]] invented the [[Printers|printing press]],<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''</ref> and under Maximilian I, culture, science and reform blossomed with German, [[Netherlands|Dutch]] and Swiss intellectuals like [[Conradus Celtis]], [[Martin Luther]], [[Desiderius Erasmus]] and [[Bombastus]], some of whom became members or allies of the Assassins, with Erasmus in particular becoming leader of the [[North European Brotherhood of Assassins|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, Holy Roman Emperor|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>

During the [[French Revolution]], the fall of [[Louis XVI of France|Louis XVI]] and the [[House of Bourbon]] worried the Holy Roman Empire, which joined a Coalition of other European monarchies as they all declared [[French Revolutionary Wars|war]] against the newly-formed [[France|French Republic]]. The conflict lasted 10 years and allowed [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] to gain power within the French Republic, ultimately declaring himself "Emperor of the French" and establishing the [[French Empire]] in 1804. The Coalition subsequently fought against the French in what became known as the [[Napoleonic Wars]] and, though the conflict saw Napoleon's defeat and exile, it also led to the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire.<ref name="ACU">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]''</ref>

==Appearances==
{{Incomplete list}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' {{1st}}
*[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Revelations'' novel]]
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' {{Mdat}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Identity]]'' {{Mdat}}
*''[[Echoes of History]]'' {{Imo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Daughter of No One]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR]]'' {{Mdat}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Codename Hexe]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{ACHexe}}
[[Category:Holy Roman Empire| ]]
[[fr:Saint-Empire romain germanique]]