Great Interregnum

the Great interregnum refers to the period between 1253 and 1273 during which the imperial throne of the Saint Germanic Roman Empire was vacant. It was the result of the victorious fight of the Papauté against the dynasty Hohenstaufen which culminated with the vacancy of the imperial throne.

Origins

Following the death of the emperor Frederic II, the imperial capacity was weakens vis-a-vis papacy. Besides papacy will find a champion against the successors of Frederic in the person of Charles Ier of Anjou. This last was invested besides Royaume of Sicily by the pope in 1266, with the detriment of the same successors of Frederic II, also king de Sicile.

In addition, the heir in rule to the Empire, Conrad IV, wire of Frederic, died in 1254 leaving only his 2 year old son to succeed to him. This divided the voters on the choice of a new emperor. They hesitated between Richard de Cornouailles, brother-in-law of Frederic II and Alphonse X of Castille. The pope opposed however these two applicants. In addition, Guillaume of Holland had already been declared anti-king in 1248.

In front of the dead end, the pope proposed the king of Bohemia, Ottokar II. Other applicants made known themselves: the duke of Bavaria, Louis de Wittelsbach and even the king of France Philippe III. The other candidate considered, Conradin, last descendant of Frederic II, were beaten by Charles of Anjou for then being carried out by this one in 1268.

The dead end was regulated in 1273 when the voters chose Rodolphe de Habsbourg. It was chooses for its military competences and its direction of the organization. The pope Gregoire X also ratified this choice since it wished that the order either restores in Germany.

Consequences

One of the consequences immediate and transitory of the Great interregnum was the increase in power of the party guelfe as well as Charles of Anjou, new king de Sicile. The opposition gibeline having lost its leading head, the king angevin could then make feel its influence in central and septentrional Italy.

The other more durable consequence was decentralization within the Empire. The majority of the princes and cities German benefitted from the vacancy of the throne to reach an independence compared to the central capacity. This lack of unit was consequently to characterize Germany until the XIXe century.

The last consequence of this period was the beginning of the importance of the family of Rodolphe d' Habsbourg in Central Europe. The family Habsbourg will become one of most powerful of Europe and its members will reign in an uninterrupted way on the Saint Worsens Roman Germanic of 1438 until its dissolution by Napoleon i in 1806, then on the Empire of Austria until the end of the First World War in 1918.

Random links: