The Medieval Empire in Central Europe: Dynastic Continuity in the Post-Carolingian Frankish Realm, 900-1300

This book offers a concise yet detailed political history of medieval Central Europe as it traces the history of the Medieval Empire from its inception as a kingdom during the early 10th century, to its formation as Roman Empire, its support of the papacy, its struggle with the papacy for supremacy, the shift of its centre of gravity to Italy and its demise into particularist parts by the middle of the 13th century. It surveys the three dynasties which ruled the Post-Carolingian Empire and follows the political emergence of a disjointed region through its crystallization into an independent kingdom to become by the year 1000 the strongest military and political power in Europe, ultimately called upon to stabilize the political unrest in Italy. As Roman emperors the kings ordered the affairs of the city of Rome and bolstered the spiritual and political position of the popes until several competent popes turned the papal dependency into its primacy and enforced the subordination of the secular authorities. The Crusades helped to play great military and political power into papal hands, so that the secular authority declined, as the monarchy lost interest in Germany and became focused on Italy and especially on Sicily.