It was the French historian and philosopher Voltaire who once declared the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy nor Roman nor an empire. Indeed this was the case, for the territory in question had no formal ties to Rome; actually consisted of numerous principalities, duchies, countries, and cities that often were in conflict with each other; and certainly functioned in a manner that could not be recognized as holy. And yet it hung on for nearly 900 years until dissolved as an imperial entity by Francis II in 1806.
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