The ruling dynasties of the Holy Roman Empire were subjected to imperial jurisdiction. Until the Empire’s demise in 1806, its two supreme courts adjudicated disputes that stemmed from all levels of...Show moreThe ruling dynasties of the Holy Roman Empire were subjected to imperial jurisdiction. Until the Empire’s demise in 1806, its two supreme courts adjudicated disputes that stemmed from all levels of the imperial hierarchy. Despite considerable autonomy, a sizable army and international ambitions, the rulers of Brandenburg-Prussia remained accountable to imperial justice. The Kings ‘in’ Prussia needed the emperor’s confirmation to realize their expansionist ambitions in the Southern German region of Franconia. The Reichshofrat, as the emperor’s supreme court, reviewed the lawfulness of Prussia’s claims, while a political opposition of small Franconian princes organized itself around the influential imperial arch-chancellor and elector of Mainz. The opposition feared Prussian interference in their regional assembly and did everything to prevent Prussian expansion into Franconia. Several of the king’s relatives were persuaded to join the opposition and appeal to the Reichshofrat to challenge Prussia’s ambitions. This ignited an intra-dynastic conflict which could alter the balance of power in the Empire on the outset of the 18th century. This thesis enquires how the Reichshofrat arbitrated the conflict, demonstrates how political and legal issues merged in a struggle for power and seeks to understand how the protagonists operated within the confines of the Empire’s legal framework. As they tried to achieve their political objectives within the imperial system they were forced to deal with its constraints. The conflict’s dynamic, course of events and outcome were determined by the imperial system.Show less
