Holy Roman Empire
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- The Holy Roman Empire should not be mistaken for the Roman Empire.
The Holy Roman Empire (German: Heiliges Römisches Reich, in the 15th century: Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation) was a country that existed in central Europe. It started when Charlemagne became emperor in 800, and it was ended by Napoleon in 1806.
When Charlemagne died, his Frankish Empire was given to his children and divided into 3 different countries: West Francia, Lotharingia and East Francia. The East Francian kings had the title of "Holy Roman Emperor".
In the 17th century the Empire was shattered by the Thirty Years' War. Nearly thirty percent of the population of the Empire had been killed. The Holy Roman Empire lost parts of his territoy.
Until the 13th century, the Holy Roman Empire was powerful. Later, all the duchies and counties inside the Empire started to get more power. At the end, the Emperors didn't have a lot of real power any more, and the country existed only in name.
Voltaire, a French philosopher, once joked that the empire was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.
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