1792 imperial election

Last updated August 29, 2025

The 1792 imperial election, held on 5 July 1792 in Frankfurt, elected Francis of the House of Habsburg as the final Holy Roman Emperor, succeeding his father, Leopold II, who died on 1 March 1792. The seven prince-electors unanimously chose Francis.

Background

The Holy Roman Empire’s elective monarchy, established by the Golden Bull of 1356, tasked seven prince-electors with selecting the King of the Romans, typically crowned Holy Roman Emperor.^[1] The electors in 1792 were:

Leopold II’s death on 1 March 1792, during the French Revolution and Great Turkish War, necessitated the election. Leopold’s Declaration of Pillnitz (1791) had escalated tensions with France, leading to the War of the First Coalition in April 1792.^[2] Francis, Leopold’s son and King of Hungary, was the sole candidate, supported by Habsburg tradition.^[3]

Election

The election took place in Frankfurt on 5 July 1792. Francis, as King of Bohemia, voted.^[4] The seven electors unanimously elected Francis, who was crowned King of the Romans in Frankfurt on 14 July 1792.^[5]

Results

Elector	Vote
Friedrich Karl Joseph von Erthal (Archbishop of Mainz)	Francis
Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony (Archbishop of Trier)	Francis
Maximilian Francis of Austria (Archbishop of Cologne)	Francis
Francis (King of Bohemia)	Francis
Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria (Elector of Bavaria)	Francis
Frederick Augustus III of Saxony (Elector of Saxony)	Francis
Frederick William II of Prussia (Elector of Brandenburg)	Francis

^[4]

Aftermath

Francis II faced immediate challenges in the War of the First Coalition, defending the Empire against revolutionary France. His reign ended with the Holy Roman Empire’s dissolution in 1806 under pressure from Napoleon, making the 1792 election the final imperial election.^[6]

References

↑ Whaley, Joachim (2012). Germany and the Holy Roman Empire: Volume II. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199693078.
↑ Blanning, T.C.W. (1997). The New Cambridge Modern History: Volume 8. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521291644.
↑ Okey, Robin (2001). The Habsburg Monarchy, c.1765–1918. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0333396544.
1 2 Heer, Friedrich (1968). The Holy Roman Empire. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 978-0297176725.
↑ Wilson, Peter H. (2016). The Holy Roman Empire: A Thousand Years of Europe's History. Penguin. ISBN 978-1846143182.
↑ Blanning, T.C.W. (1983). The French Revolution in Germany. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198225645.

External links

"Holy Roman Empire". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
"The Habsburg Monarchy". habsburger.net. Retrieved 28 June 2025.

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[1] Whaley, Joachim (2012). Germany and the Holy Roman Empire: Volume II. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199693078.

[2] Blanning, T.C.W. (1997). The New Cambridge Modern History: Volume 8. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521291644.

[3] Okey, Robin (2001). The Habsburg Monarchy, c.1765–1918. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0333396544.

[heers-4] 1 2 Heer, Friedrich (1968). The Holy Roman Empire. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 978-0297176725.

[5] Wilson, Peter H. (2016). The Holy Roman Empire: A Thousand Years of Europe's History. Penguin. ISBN 978-1846143182.

[6] Blanning, T.C.W. (1983). The French Revolution in Germany. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198225645.

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