Holy Roman Empire

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/holy-roman-empire

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the number of constituent states (circa 1789)?Approximately 1,800 distinct territories, ranging from kingdoms to free imperial cities
2. What is the key imperial dynasties?Carolingian, Ottonian, Salian, Staufen, Habsburg
3. What was the Holy Roman Empire and how long did it last?It was a big kingdom in Europe that lasted about a thousand years, from 800 AD when Charlemagne was crowned to 1806 when it ended.
4. How was the emperor chosen in the Holy Roman Empire?The emperor was not chosen by birth; a small group of powerful rulers called Electors picked the emperor each time.

Electors: The most powerful princes and archbishops within the Holy Roman Empire who elected the Emperor.
Investiture Controversy: A medieval dispute between the Papacy and secular rulers over the appointment of bishops and other church officials.
Peace of Westphalia: A series of peace treaties signed in 1648 that ended the Thirty Years' War and the Eighty Years' War, significantly altering the political map of Europe.