Württemberg, Duchy of
Years: 1495 - 1803
The Duchy of Württemberg is a state in southwestern Germany.
It is a member of the Holy Roman Empire from 1495 to 1806.
The dukedom's long survival for nearly four centuries is due mainly to its size, being larger than its immediate neighbors.
During the Protestant Reformation, Württemberg faces great pressure from the Holy Roman Empire to remain a member.
Württemberg resists repeated French invasions in the seveneteenth and eighteenth centuries.
Württemberg is directly in the path of French and Austrian armies who are engaged in the long rivalry between the House of Bourbon and the House of Habsburg.
In 1803, Napoleon raises the duchy to be the Electorate of Württemberg of the Holy Roman Empire, and when he abolishesd the Empire in 1806, the Electorate is elevated as the Kingdom of Württemberg.