Writing in May of 1806, on the eve of the Empire's dissolution, a Habsburg official wrote the following, praising the Holy Roman Empire's rule of law and protection for the poor. "Two imperial courts, whose counselors were appointed with great care and were free of external influence, competed with each other in the impartial administration of justice, and gave even the lowest subject right against the most powerful prince. . . . [Now], there is no doubt canals will be dug, roads laid, avenues and parks, theaters and pools created, cities illuminated, and we will shine and starve. The only robbers threatening the subjects' property will be the tax collector and the French and German soldiers."
We give the Holy Roman Empire a lot of crap for failing to centralize and perform the proper role of a state, which is invade its neighbors and create the Space-Filling Empire, but in a lot of ways the Empire held it together better than you'd expect.
Even after the treaty of Westphalia, Imperial subjects paid millions of florins to the Empire in the for "Turkish Aid" or the "Imperial Operations Fund." DUring the WAr of Spanish Succession, the Empire spent 650 million florins between 1701-1714, including the cost of contingents from Imperial Estates. One third of this was paid by the Habsburgs, but the rest came from the remaining Imperial Estates. This exceeded Britain's expenditure by about 237.5 million florins. Meanwhile, Imperial auxiliaries and troops from the Imperial Circles fought on the Habsburg side (134,000 men compared to 126,00 for the Habsburgs).
The citizens of the Empire became increasingly concerned over the 18th century of a "Polish Future," where the state was partitioned between the great powers. (As eventually happened!) But was this inevitable? Is there a way for the Empire to muddle through?
We give the Holy Roman Empire a lot of crap for failing to centralize and perform the proper role of a state, which is invade its neighbors and create the Space-Filling Empire, but in a lot of ways the Empire held it together better than you'd expect.
Even after the treaty of Westphalia, Imperial subjects paid millions of florins to the Empire in the for "Turkish Aid" or the "Imperial Operations Fund." DUring the WAr of Spanish Succession, the Empire spent 650 million florins between 1701-1714, including the cost of contingents from Imperial Estates. One third of this was paid by the Habsburgs, but the rest came from the remaining Imperial Estates. This exceeded Britain's expenditure by about 237.5 million florins. Meanwhile, Imperial auxiliaries and troops from the Imperial Circles fought on the Habsburg side (134,000 men compared to 126,00 for the Habsburgs).
The citizens of the Empire became increasingly concerned over the 18th century of a "Polish Future," where the state was partitioned between the great powers. (As eventually happened!) But was this inevitable? Is there a way for the Empire to muddle through?