On this day 200 years ago: The dissolution of the HRE.

[Ecthy]

After a long decline with several states rising to power on their own, the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II of the Habsburg dynasty abdicated from his throne on 6 August 1806, under pressure from Napoleon.

A brief intermediate period of a Confederation of the Rhine followed, a satellite of Napoleon. After the Vienna Congress Germany was dominated by Prussia and Austria, up to the unification wars of the 1860s, when it turned into one state (without Austria).

The day's almost over now, also overshadowed by sharing a date with Hiroshima, but I'll have a beer to the good ol' HRE later on anyway (it's in the fridge only now). German word for you to learn: Geschichtsbewusstsein

[Ecthy]

Some wiki for you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire

[Zkribbler]

von Metternich's family lost their ancestrial lands along the Rhine when Napolean took over. Young von Metternich headed for Vienna, and after the destruction of the Austrian army at Austerlich, he got himself named as Austria's Ambassador to France with the task of stopping Napolean.

He was able to convince Napolean that he didn't really want to marry a Russian Archduchess (and invade Austria). Instead von Metternich married Nappy off to a daughter of the Hapsburg emperor, and Nappy invaded Russia instead.

Meanwhile, von Metternich was putting together an anti-France alliance. When the French offensive froze to deathoutside Moscow, Napolean found himself fallen upon by a British, Russian, Prussian, Austrian, Swedish alliance.

[Ecthy]

Aye, we'll celebrate 200 years of Leipzig in just about 7 years

[Dr Strangelove]

Some people carry nostalgia too far. The HRE was a product of the medieval era and simply had no reason to continue existing.

[Dinner]

The HRE stopped functioning centuries before Napolean finally buried it.

[Ecthy]

Strangelove, this has nothing to do with nostalgia. I'm just putting Germany into the center of attraction.

Oerdin, what do you think were the big structural dynamic reasons for this?

[Flip McWho]

I knew the acronym HRE was familiar.

[Ecthy]

You think I should have put the proper name of the thing int othe title? Why?

[Flip McWho]

No, I opened the thread to remember what it was, that is all.

[Harovan]

HRE

Barbarossa

[Sikander]

Hey Mr. Tallyrand, tally me banana!

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Ecthy

Oerdin, what do you think were the big structural dynamic reasons for this?

Decentralization. The emperor couldn't take a crap without 50 electors holding a vote on it.

[Heresson]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph
HRE

Barbarossa

Barbarossa

But

Barbarossa capturing turkish capital on my birthday

[Harovan]

Was that before or after he drowned?