Strelets 1:72 Holy Roman Empire Grenadiers 1701-1714 – 269

Strelets 1:72 Holy Roman Empire Grenadiers 1701-1714 – 269

The Habsburg ruler of Austria in 1701 was Leopold I (1640-1705), who followed a long family tradition by also being elected emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, to give it its full title. This did not mean that the Empire, which was made up of many kingdoms, principalities, bishoprics, duchys – small and large – would necessarily support the emperor when he called for it, and indeed some, including Bavaria, Liège and Cologne, chose to support France in the War of the Spanish Succession.

Some others remained neutral, but the emperor was fairly successful in getting much of the Empire to support him in his war to have his second son, Archduke Charles (1685-1740), made the new king of Spain. Naturally the military contribution of each of these states was partly dependent on their size, and some maintained a larger force than they could easily afford by hiring their troops out to others, including during the conflict with France.