Were any HRE emperor candidates not voted into power out of fear that they would make foolish decisions (bad statesman/party animal/erratic behavior)?
In most elections, a combination of dynastic standing, military power, and bribes were more important than anything else. I still wonder if any candidates that checked plenty of those boxes were ultimately deemed inadequate due to an outrageous personality or something similar. Perhaps someone more boring or predictable who wasn't as plentiful in those factors became the emperor instead?
Posted Jul 11, 2026, 2:27 PM UTC
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