Front Imperial Circles

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The front imperial circles were called the imperial circles that lay in the west of the Holy Roman Empire . Because of their location along the imperial border against France, they were always endangered and had a particular need for security , especially during the expansionist efforts of Louis XIV . Therefore, they formed loose circle associations several times - in different compositions - for common defense.

Emergence

During the War of the Palatinate Succession , the institutions of the Reich, and in particular the Reichstag, proved unable to act. The Imperial War Constitution of 1681/82 did not appear to be very effective either. In particular on the initiative of Ludwig Wilhelm von Baden on January 23, 1697 in Frankfurt am Main the Franconian , the Kurheinische , the Upper Rhine , the Swabian and the Westphalian Reichskreis came together to form a defense association (" Frankfurter Association "). The Bavarian Reichskreis withdrew from this alliance shortly before it was signed.

All members agreed to have their troops ready, both in war and in peace. It was agreed that an imperial army should be set up , which should comprise 40,000 men in peacetime and 60,000 men in wartime.

With the creation of a standing army on a regional basis, the association went beyond the often overlooked provisions of the Imperial War Constitution. Ultimately, the alliance could act independently of the emperor and the Reichstag if necessary.

Nevertheless, the association of was Leopold I . viewed benevolently. The alliance explicitly placed itself under the imperial supervision.

However, the alliance could not change the basic problem that the large, armed imperial estates were hardly ready to incorporate their troops into the respective district army. In this respect, the real importance of the alliance remained limited.

Members

Among the front circles of the Reich were

In some research, the following districts are also counted among the Vordere Reichskreise:

The latter two often played a more cautious role because of their location further away from France and because of their internal structure, while the other Upper Imperial Circles were very active in their defense efforts. This is especially true for the Swabian and Franconian Imperial Circle, which consisted of a particularly large number of smaller district estates.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Michael Kotulla: German constitutional history. From the Old Reich to Weimar. Berlin / Hamburg, 2008 pp. 140–141

literature

  • Ruth Gebauer: The foreign policy of the Swabian district before the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession. Heidelberg 1966.
  • Max Plassmann: The Association of the Front Imperial Circles before the beginning of the War of the Spanish Succession. On: ZGO 149 (2001), pp. 133-162.
  • Max Plassmann: The warfare of the front imperial circles in the Palatinate and Spanish War of Succession. In: Wolfgang Wüst (Ed.): Reichskreis and Territorium. The rulership over the rulership? Supraterritorial tendencies in politics, culture, economy and society. A comparison of southern German imperial circles. Stuttgart 2000, pp. 89-109.
  • Max Plassmann: War and Defension on the Upper Rhine. The Frontier Reichskkreis and Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm von Baden 1693–1706. (= Historical Research 66), Berlin 2000.