We're Not So Different Patreon Ep Unlocked: Habsburg News You Can Use
Feb 14, 2025
Dive into the intriguing world of the Holy Roman Empire as hosts explore how emperors governed from the road through itinerant rule, revealing shifts in imperial power over time. Transitioning to the bizarre realm of modern monarchy, they delve into the surreal happenings at a recent Habsburg convention in Texas, where noble aspirations collided with suburban oddity. From calls for sainthood for Karl I to the absurdities of royal pageantry in a strip mall, the discussion is filled with laughs, surprises, and a sprinkle of schadenfreude.
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Itinerant Rule Defined And Documented
- Itinerant rule meant emperors governed by traveling across territories to assert authority and monitor powerful vassals.
- The study reconstructs 72,665 geolocated documents to map this practice and its political effects.
Traveling Was Governance
- Traveling showed presence and deterred uprisings by letting emperors directly oversee nobles and courts.
- Eleanor Janaga explains mobility replaced a single capital as the key instrument of medieval authority.
Travel Patterns Signal Imperial Strength
- Strong early emperors toured beyond family lands, policing peripheral threats like rebellious Italian cities.
- Weaker later rulers concentrated travel near core courts and relatives, reducing imperial reach.
