1658 imperial election explained

The imperial election of 1658 was an imperial election held to select the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. It took place in Frankfurt on July 18.

Background

The death of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, on April 2, 1657 was followed by the longest interregnum since the 13th century. This was largely a result of the youth of Ferdinand's surviving son Leopold, who was only seventeen at the time of his father's death. It was generally agreed that the emperor had to be at least eighteen years old. Cardinal Mazarin, the French chief minister, hoped to prevent Leopold's election and to secure either the election of his king Louis XIV or, at least, a candidate from outside the House of Habsburg such as Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria.^[1] The electors called to choose Ferdinand's successor were:

• Johann Philipp von Schönborn, elector of Mainz
• Karl Kaspar von der Leyen, elector of Trier
• Maximilian Henry of Bavaria, elector of Cologne
• Ferdinand Maria, elector of Bavaria
• John George II, elector of Saxony
• Frederick William, elector of Brandenburg
• Charles I Louis, elector of the Electoral Palatinate
• Leopold I, King of Bohemia

Following the precedent set by his elder brother in the election of 1653, Leopold abstained from the vote.

Elected

Mazarin's efforts were unsuccessful and Leopold was elected with little difficulty. He was crowned at Frankfurt on August 1.

Notes and References

1. Carl J. Ekberg (July 1981), "Abel Servien, Cardinal Mazarin, and the Formulation of French Foreign Policy, 1653–1659," The International History Review, 3(3):317–29