Home Region:  Central Europe (Europe)

Electorate of Bavaria

D G PT OTHER  de_bavaria_1

Preceding:
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Succeeding:
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The Electorate of Bavaria, established in 1623 during the Thirty Years’ War, was a significant territorial state within the Holy Roman Empire, primarily encompassing what is now modern-day Bavaria, Germany. Unlike the decentralized nature of the Empire, the Electorate was a more unified entity with Munich serving as its capital and center of administration. The Elector, a title granted by the Emperor, held substantial autonomous power within his territories, managing internal affairs, laws, and customs, distinct from the broader imperial structure. [1]


This period saw Bavaria under the rule of the Wittelsbach dynasty, which played a crucial role in the political, religious, and cultural developments within the Electorate and the Empire at large. The Catholic faith remained a central unifying factor, with the Bavarian Electors often positioning themselves as champions of Catholicism, especially during the Counter-Reformation, reinforcing their political and religious significance within the Empire. [2]


The conclusion of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) elevated the former Duchy of Bavaria to that of an Electorate in recognition of Maximilian I’s support for the Catholic cause and the Habsburgs. [3]


The Electorate of Bavaria also took part in the War of the Austrian Succession, Karl Albrecht, Elector of Bavaria made demands on behalf of his wife Maria Amalie, the youngest daughter of Joseph I. After suffering defeats at the hand of the Habsburgs, they withdrew from the war in 1745. [4]




The end of the Electorate came with the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, following the Napoleonic Wars. Bavaria was elevated to a Kingdom by Napoleon in recognition of its alliance with France. [5]

[1]: Hartmann, Bayerns Weg in Die Gegenwart. Zotero link: WLSMSWHR

[2]: Adalbert and Nöhbauer, Die Wittelsbacher. Zotero link: 9ZP6CVBS

[3]: Arndt, Der Dreißigjährige Krieg. Zotero link: PULFEDKX

[4]: “Der Österreichische Erbfolgekrieg,” Die Welt der Habsburger Zotero link: ZXXX6U6B

[5]: Körner, Geschichte Des Königreichs Bayern. Zotero link: RZXCRW25

General Variables
Identity and Location
Utm Zone:
32 U  
Original Name:
Electorate of Bavaria  
Capital:
Munich  
Alternative Name:
Kurfürstentum Bayern  
Temporal Bounds
Peak Years:
[1,745 CE ➜ 1,777 CE]  
Duration:
[1,623 CE ➜ 1,806 CE]  
Political and Cultural Relations
Degree of Centralization:
unitary state  
Language
Linguistic Family:
Indo-European  
Language:
German  
Religion
Religion Genus:
Christianity  
Religion Family:
Catholicism  
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale
Hierarchical Complexity
Professions
Bureaucracy Characteristics
Law
Specialized Buildings: polity owned
Transport Infrastructure
Special-purpose Sites
Information / Writing System
Information / Kinds of Written Documents
Information / Money
Information / Postal System
Information / Measurement System
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications
Military use of Metals
Projectiles
Handheld weapons
Animals used in warfare
Armor
Naval technology
Religion Tolerance Nothing coded yet.
Human Sacrifice Nothing coded yet.
Crisis Consequences Nothing coded yet.
Power Transitions Nothing coded yet.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range Electorate of Bavaria (de_bavaria_1) was in:
Home NGA: None

General Variables
Identity and Location
Utm Zone:
32 U

Original Name:
Electorate of Bavaria

Capital:
Munich

Alternative Name:
Kurfürstentum Bayern

Temporal Bounds
Peak Years:
[1,745 CE ➜ 1,777 CE]

Maximilian III Joseph (1745–1777), implemented various reforms that modernized the state and its institutions. His efforts in fostering the arts and sciences contributed to a cultural flourishing in Bavaria. [1]

[1]: Biographie, “Maximilian III. Joseph - Deutsche Biographie.” Zotero link: XDA9QHS7


Duration:
[1,623 CE ➜ 1,806 CE]

Political and Cultural Relations
Degree of Centralization:
unitary state

Maximilian I, through various reforms, rehabilitated the country financially and made it economically productive. By eliminating the Landstände’s rights of participation, he became the actual founder of absolutist rule in Bavaria. [1]

[1]: Biographie, “Maximilian I. - Deutsche Biographie. Zotero link: J73E62FS


Language
Linguistic Family:
Indo-European

Language:
German

Religion
Religion Genus:
Christianity

Religion Family:
Catholicism


Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale
Hierarchical Complexity
Professions
Bureaucracy Characteristics
Law
Specialized Buildings: polity owned
Transport Infrastructure
Special-purpose Sites
Information / Writing System
Information / Kinds of Written Documents
Information / Money
Information / Postal System
Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications
Military use of Metals
Projectiles
Handheld weapons
Animals used in warfare
Armor
Naval technology

Human Sacrifice Data
Human Sacrifice is the deliberate and ritualized killing of a person to please or placate supernatural entities (including gods, spirits, and ancestors) or gain other supernatural benefits.
- Nothing coded yet.
- Nothing coded yet.
Power Transitions