What is the political structure of the Holy Roman Empire?
I think it must have varied, having existed for such a long time throughout all the changes in Europe. The first Holy Roman Emperor is considered Charlemagne, and received his authority from the Pope. The Emperors functioned as a secular counterpart and ally of the Pope (who himself was usually very powerful), especially during the early centuries I think. The Emperor would normally have been the most powerful Prince in Europe, but not necessarily wielding total power over the other princes and dukes and so on. As Voltaire said, it was “neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire” – despite being called an empire. So in a sense it had no political structure of it’s own, but overarched the existing structures of the different states of Europe, in their power relationships, whatever they were at the time. In medieval and renaissance Europe, princes, dukes, and so on, even counts, could wield the authority of a head of state, ie executive power, in their own area. I don’t know too much about i
