List of wars involving the Holy Roman Empire

This is a list of wars involving the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) (962–1806[1]), since 1512 also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (German: Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation, Latin: Sacrum Imperium Romanum Nationis Germanicæ).[2]

  Victory
  Defeat
  Another result

Holy Roman Empire (962–1806)

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Conflict and date Combatant 1 Combatant 2 Result Ruling King/Emperor
Otto I's raid on Poland (963) Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire Coat of arms Duchy of Poland Victory Otto I
German–Danish War of 974 Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire Kingdom of Denmark
Norwegian vasal
Victory Otto II
Franco-German War of 978-980 Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire West Francia Status quo ante bellum Otto II
Otto II's raid on Poland Coat of arms Holy Roman Empire Coat of arms Civitas Schinesghe Defeat Otto II
Slavic revolt of 983 Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire Wends

Lutici
Obotrite

Defeat Otto II
Polish-Saxon Invasion of Veleti (985) Coat of arms Duchy of Poland
Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire
Veleti Victory Otto III
Polish-Bohemian War (990) Duchy of Bohemia Victory Otto III
Polish-German invasion of Veleti (992) Veleti Victory Otto III
Polish-German invasion of Obotrites (995) Obotrites Victory Otto III
German–Polish War (1003–1018) Coat of arms Holy Roman Empire Coat of arms Duchy of Poland Peace of Bautzen Henry II
Bolesław I's intervention in the Kievan succession crisis (1015–1019) Coat of arms Duchy of Poland


Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire
Pechenegs

Kievan Rus' Victory
  • Temporary victory for Sviatopolk and Boleslaw
  • Polish sack of Kiev
Henry II
German–Polish War (1028–1031) Holy Roman Empire

Kievan Rus' (from 1030)
Kingdom of Hungary (1031)

Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Hungary (1029–1031)
Victory Conrad II
Emperor Conrad II's military campaign against Hungary
(1030–1031)
Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire Kingdom of Hungary Defeat
  • The Hungarians occupied Vienna
Conrad II
German-Hungarian Wars (1042–1043) Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire Kingdom of Hungary Victory Henry III
Henry III's military campaign against Hungary (1044) Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire

Peter Orseolo and his allies

The army of King Samuel Aba Victory
  • Defeat of Samuel Aba, restoration of Peter
Henry III
War between King Peter and Prince Andrew

(1046)

King Peter's army

Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire

Prince Andrew's army

Kievan Rus'

Defeat Henry III
Emperor Henry III's military campaigns against Hungary (1051–1052) Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire

Duchy of Bohemia

Kingdom of Hungary Defeat Henry III
German-Hungarian border War (1056–1058) Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire Kingdom of Hungary Stalemate Henry IV
Civil War between King Andrew I and his brother, Prince Bela (1060) King Andrew I's army

Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire

Prince Béla's army

Kingdom of Poland

Defeat Henry IV
German invasion of Hungary (1063) Holy Roman Empire Kingdom of Hungary Victory Henry IV
Saxon revolt of 1077–1088 Holy Roman Empire German rebels Victory Henry IV
German-Flemish war Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire County of Flanders Status quo ante bellum Henry V
Henry V's expedition to Poland Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire
Duchy of Bohemia
Kingdom of Poland Defeat Henry V
War of Bohemian Succession (1125–1140) Holy Roman Empire Duchy of Bohemia Defeat Lothair III
Wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines
  • 1125–1186
  • 1216–1392
Ghibellines'
1st phase

Guelphs'
1st phase

1st phase:Peace of Constance (1186)

2nd phase:Stalemate (1392)

Frederick I

Barbarossa

Frederick II

Henry VII

Louis IV

German–Polish War Holy Roman Empire

Duchy of Bohemia

Mieszko III the Old Mieszko III the Old's victory/Roman defeat Conrad III of Germany
Wendish Crusade (1147) Victory
  • March of Brandenburg reconquers Havelberg, County of Holstein expels its Wends
Conrad III of Germany
Second Crusade

(1147–1150)

 Holy Roman Empire

Other Crusaders

Emirate of Damascus

other Muslim and Pagan entities in East Central Europe, Iberia and the Near East.

Victories in East Central Europe and Iberia. Defeat in the Holy Land. Conrad III of Germany
Frederick I's expedition to Głogów Coat of arms Holy Roman Empire
Duchy of Bohemia
Coat of arms Kingdom of Poland
Coat of arms Cumania
Old Prussians
Victory Frederick I Barbarossa
Henry VI's conquest of Sicily Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire  Kingdom of Sicily Victory Henry VI
Third Crusade

(1189–1192)

 Holy Roman Empire

Other Crusaders

Ayyubids Small Gains for the Crusaders. Jerusalem stays under Ayyubid control. Frederick I Barbarossa
Fourth Crusade

(1202–1204)

Crusaders from:

 Republic of Venice

In Europe: Victory Otto IV
Prussian Crusade  Holy Roman Empire

Other Crusaders

Baltic pagans:'

Allies of Prussians:

Victory
  • Teutonic Knights gain control of Prussia
Frederick II
Fifth Crusade

(1217–1221)

Crusaders:

Levant:

Military orders:

Muslim forces: Defeat Frederick II
Anglo-French War (1213–1214) Angevin Empire

Holy Roman Empire

County of Flanders County of Boulogne

Kingdom of France Defeat Otto IV
Sixth Crusade

(1227–1229)

 Holy Roman Empire

including in Personal Union:

Ayyubids Kingdom of Jerusalem regains Jerusalem through peaceful negotiations. Frederick II
War of the Lombards Holy Roman Empire
Pro-Imperial faction in the Kingdom of Jerusalem


Principality of Antioch and County of Tripoli
Republic of Pisa
Knights Hospitaller
Teutonic Knights

Kingdom of Cyprus
Anti-Imperial faction in the Kingdom of Jerusalem


Republic of Genoa
Knights Templar
Papacy

Defeat Frederick II
Great Interregnum[1]

1245/50–1273/5

Hohenstaufen party Welf party Compromise
Hussite Wars

(1419–1434)

Catholic Church, Crusades and Loyalists:

Holy Roman Empire

Bohemian Wars:

Hussite Movement

Eventual defeat for Radical Hussites, Victory for Moderate Hussites and Catholics Sigismund
Austrian–Hungarian War (1477–1488) Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire  Kingdom of Hungary Defeat Frederick III
Austrian–Hungarian War (1490–91) Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire  Kingdom of Hungary Victory Frederick III
Italian War of 1494–1498 1494:
 Kingdom of Naples
1495:
League of Venice
 Papal States
 Republic of Venice
 Kingdom of Naples
Kingdoms of Spain
Duchy of Milan
 Holy Roman Empire
 Republic of Florence

 England (1496–98)
Margraviate of Mantua
 Republic of Genoa

 Kingdom of France

Duchy of Milan (before 1495)
Duchy of Ferrara (officially neutral)

Victory Maximilian I
Swabian War

(1499)

 Holy Roman Empire

Swabian League

 Old Swiss Confederacy

Three Leagues of the Grisons

Swiss Victory

Peace of Basel

Maximilian I
Italian War of 1521–1526  Holy Roman Empire
Spain Spain
 England
 Papal States (1521–1523 and 1525–1526)
 France

 Republic of Venice
 Papal States (1524–1525)
Marquisate of Saluzzo

Victory Charles V
War of the League of Cognac

(1526–1530)

Pro-Habsburg: League of Cognac: Victory Charles V
Little War in Hungary (1526–1568)  Holy Roman Empire

Royal Hungary
Kingdom of Croatia
 Spain
Papal States Papal States

Ottoman Empire
John Szapolyai's Hungarian kingdom
Defeat Charles V
Conquest of Tunis (1535) Spain Spanish Empire

 Holy Roman Empire


Kingdom of Portugal
 Papal States
 Knights of Malta

Ottoman Empire
 Kingdom of France
Habsburg and allied victory
  • Sack of Tunis
  • Muley Hassan of the Hafsid dynasty restored as client ruler of Tunis and Spanish-Imperial tributary.
Charles V
Italian War of 1536–1538  Holy Roman Empire
Spain Spain
 Kingdom of France
Ottoman Empire
Truce of Nice Charles V
Italian War of 1542–1546  Holy Roman Empire
 Saxony
Brandenburg
Spain Spain
Kingdom of England England
 France
Ottoman Empire

Jülich-Cleves-Berg
Denmark-Norway (1542–1543)

Inconclusive Charles V
Schmalkaldic War

1546–1547

 Holy Roman Empire  Habsburg Spain
Habsburg Hungary
Supported by:
 Papal States
Schmalkaldic League:

Supported by:
 England

Victory Charles V
Second Schmalkaldic War

March–August 1552

Imperial–Habsburg forces

Holy Roman Empire

Protestant princes Protestant victory Charles V
Long Turkish War

(1593–1606)

Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire Inconclusive Rudolph II
War of the Jülich Succession

(1609–1614)

1609–1610:
 Holy Roman Empire
Principality of Strasbourg
Prince-Bishopric of Liège
Catholic League
1609–1610:
Margraviate of Brandenburg
Palatinate-Neuburg
 United Provinces
 Kingdom of France
Protestant Union
Treaty of Xanten Rudolph II

Matthias

War of the Montferrat Succession Supporting the Duke of Mantua:
Duchy of Mantua
Montferrat
Tuscany (1613)
Spain Spanish Empire
 France (1613–14)
 Holy Roman Empire
 Kingdom of Naples
 Genoa
Supporting the Duke of Savoy:
 Duchy of Savoy
Montferrat
Tuscany (1613)
 France (1615–17)
 Venice
Victory Matthias
Uskok War  Holy Roman Empire
Kingdom of Croatia
Spain Spain
Republic of Venice
 Dutch Republic
 England
Treaty of Madrid (1617)
  • Many Uskok pirates executed or exiled; Austrian garrison installed to check Uskoks.
Matthias
Thirty Years' War

1618–1648

Imperial alliance prior to 1635[a]

Post–1635 Peace of Prague

Anti-Imperial alliance prior to 1635[b] Post–1635 Peace of Prague
Consequences
Ferdinand III
Upper Austrian peasant war of 1626 Holy Roman Empire
Bavaria
Austrian Rebels Victory Adam Von Herberstorff
Austro-Turkish War

(1663–1664)

League of the Rhine:

 Kingdom of France
 Holy Roman Empire

Savoy Piedmont-Savoy
 Kingdom of Hungary
Croatia Kingdom of Croatia
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire Peace of Vasvár Leopold I
Franco-Dutch War

(1672–1678)

Treaty of Nijmegen Leopold I
War of the Reunions Spain Spain
Co-belligerent:
Habsburg monarchy Holy Roman Empire
Republic of Genoa Genoa
Kingdom of France France Defeat Leopold I
Great Turkish War

(1683–1699)

 Holy Roman Empire

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

Tsardom of Russia

Republic of Venice Republic of Venice

 Spanish Empire

Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire
Victory
  • Treaty of Karlowitz
  • The Habsburg monarchy wins lands in Hungary, the Principality of Transylvania and the Balkans.
  • Poland-Lithuania captures Podolia.
  • Russia captures the port of Azov.
  • Venice captures Morea and inner Dalmatia.
Leopold I
Nine Years War

(1688–1697)

Holy Roman Empire

Dutch Republic

England

Scotland

Spanish Empire

Duchy of Savoy

Portuguese Empire

Swedish Empire

(until 1691)

France Treaty of Ryswick Leopold I
War of the Spanish Succession

(1701–1714)

Holy Roman Empire

Austrian Monarchy

Dutch Republic

Prussia

England (until 1707)

Great Britain (from 1707)

Piedmont-Savoy

Habsburg Spain

Portugal

France

Spanish monarchy

Bavaria (until 1704)

Cologne (until 1702)

Mantua (until 1708)

Treaties of Utrecht (1713), Rastatt (1714) and Baden (1714)

  • Philip is recognized as King of Spain, but once more renounces any claim to the throne of France
  • Austria gains the crowns of Naples and Sardinia as well as the duchy of Milan and the Spanish Netherlands
  • Savoy gains the crown of Sicily which is soon to be exchanged with Sardinia
Leopold I

Joseph I Charles VI

Rákóczi's War of Independence
Foreign mercenaries:
  • Swiss
  • Germans
  • Italians
  • Spaniards
Victory Leopold I

Joseph I Charles VI

War of the Polish Succession

(1733–1735)

Holy Roman Empire

Russia

Poland Loyal to Augustus III

France

Spain

Savoy-Sardinia

Duchy of Parma

Sweden

Poland Loyal to Stanislaus I

Treaty of Vienna Charles VI
Liège Revolution

(1789–1791)

Holy Roman Empire

Prince-Bishops of Liège

Liège Rebels

Brabant Rebels

Republic of Liège

Supported by:Prussia

Foundation of Liège Republic (1789);

reversion to Prince-Bishopric(1791); annexation by France (1795)

Leopold II
War of the First Coalition
(mostly the Low Countries theatre)

1792–1797

First Coalition:
Dutch Republic
Holy Roman Empire

Great Britain
Spanish Empire (1793–95)

Kingdom of the French (1792)
French First Republic (from 1792)

Spanish Empire (1796–97)

French Republican victory Francis II
War of the Second Coalition

1798–1802

Second Coalition:

Spanish Empire

French victory Francis II
War of the Third Coalition

1803–1806
(part of the Napoleonic Wars)

Third Coalition:
French victory Francis II

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ States that allied at some point between 1618 and 1635
  2. ^ States that fought against the Emperor at some point between 1618 and 1635
  3. ^ The French First Republic transformed into the First French Empire on 18 May 1804 with the adoption of the Constitution of the Year XII. The Coronation of Napoleon took place on 2 December 1804.
  4. ^ Holy Roman Emperor Francis II of Habsburg proclaimed the Austrian Empire on 11 August 1804, elevating the Habsburg monarchy to imperial status by himself. The indirect causes of this move are the French conquest of the Rhineland and further expansion into Germany and the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of 1803, which curbed the meaning and power of the Holy Roman Empire/Emperor. The direct cause of Francis' proclamation was the adoption of the new French Constitution of 18 May 1804, which appointed Napoleon as Emperor of the French (followed by his coronation on 2 December 1804). Instead of an increasingly meaningless and non-hereditary title that was dependent on the cooperation of the Electors and was limited to only the northwestern parts of his Hausmacht, Francis now made all Austrian Habsburg possessions into a unified hereditary empire.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Duitsland §6. Geschiedenis". Encarta Encyclopedie Winkler Prins (in Dutch). Microsoft Corporation/Het Spectrum. 2002.
  2. ^ Wilson 1999, p. 2.
  3. ^ Angelov, Dimiter (2019). The Byzantine Hellene: The Life of Emperor Theodore Laskaris and Byzantium in the Thirteenth Century. Cambridge University Press. p.89.
  4. ^ Croxton 2013, pp. 225–226.
  5. ^ a b Heitz & Rischer 1995, p. 232.

Bibliography

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