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Government Types in the Middle Ages?
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<blockquote data-quote="Dogbrain" data-source="post: 1349714" data-attributes="member: 14980"><p>Rather than focus on titles, I'll focus on institutions.</p><p></p><p>The "rulers" of our medieval cultures (I arbitrarily restrict it to Europe just because) were never really all that much in charge. They could rely upon their personal armies and that was it. Otherwise, they had to keep their vassals (powerful flunkies) happy. Vassalage was purely personal. If I had a vassal, and my vassal had a vassal, my vassal's vassal was not under my authority, and for me to insist upon such authority could be construed as "tyranny" and be considered grounds for "rightful" rebellion. In addition, cities might have a "charter" or some other agreement and be essentially self-ruling, so long as they paid their royal tax and/or supplied troops. In addition to the addition, nobility might also live in those cities, with their noble priviliges. In addition to the addition to the addition, within a city, a village, or lands of a noble, there could be locations or individuals who had special power, authority, or privilige, with no real logic behind the whole non-system. The concept of constitutional law didn't really exist in practice, no matter what lawyers of the day might like to claim.</p><p></p><p>The "Emperor" of the "Holy" "Roman" "Empire" had no more authority than any other "king", although he theoretically had more prestige. However, the Emperor was not the King of the Germans, although he might be. Likewise, the Emperor might or might not be the King of Bohemia. The King of France couldn't directly rule any land within the Empire, except when he managed to finagle it. The Duke of Burgundy was often as powerful as any king.</p><p></p><p>And there were also Republics (Venice--votes only for rich merchants) and a more-or-less democratic Confederation (Switzerland) and various independent little doogies here and there.</p><p></p><p>And then there was the Pope who kept claiming theoretical supremacy over everybody but never got listened to unless it was convenient.</p><p></p><p>Now, when one moves east, things get to be different.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dogbrain, post: 1349714, member: 14980"] Rather than focus on titles, I'll focus on institutions. The "rulers" of our medieval cultures (I arbitrarily restrict it to Europe just because) were never really all that much in charge. They could rely upon their personal armies and that was it. Otherwise, they had to keep their vassals (powerful flunkies) happy. Vassalage was purely personal. If I had a vassal, and my vassal had a vassal, my vassal's vassal was not under my authority, and for me to insist upon such authority could be construed as "tyranny" and be considered grounds for "rightful" rebellion. In addition, cities might have a "charter" or some other agreement and be essentially self-ruling, so long as they paid their royal tax and/or supplied troops. In addition to the addition, nobility might also live in those cities, with their noble priviliges. In addition to the addition to the addition, within a city, a village, or lands of a noble, there could be locations or individuals who had special power, authority, or privilige, with no real logic behind the whole non-system. The concept of constitutional law didn't really exist in practice, no matter what lawyers of the day might like to claim. The "Emperor" of the "Holy" "Roman" "Empire" had no more authority than any other "king", although he theoretically had more prestige. However, the Emperor was not the King of the Germans, although he might be. Likewise, the Emperor might or might not be the King of Bohemia. The King of France couldn't directly rule any land within the Empire, except when he managed to finagle it. The Duke of Burgundy was often as powerful as any king. And there were also Republics (Venice--votes only for rich merchants) and a more-or-less democratic Confederation (Switzerland) and various independent little doogies here and there. And then there was the Pope who kept claiming theoretical supremacy over everybody but never got listened to unless it was convenient. Now, when one moves east, things get to be different. [/QUOTE]
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