History glossary
Confederation of the Rhine
a French-protected alliance of German states that left the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.
- Category
- Political alliance
- Region
- Central Europe
- Date range
- 1806–1813
What it means
The Confederation of the Rhine was formed in July 1806 under Napoleon’s protection. Its member rulers withdrew from the Holy Roman Empire, removing important participants from the imperial framework. Francis II renounced the imperial crown the following month and released the estates from their obligations.
Stories using this term
Napoleon and the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleon turned revolutionary opportunity into continental empire, then lost it in total war that still transformed European politics, states, and nationalism.
The Holy Roman Empire
From Otto I’s coronation to Napoleon’s upheaval, emperors, princes, bishops and cities built a political order sustained by contested and shared authority.
