Question

Based on the map, why might the Holy Roman Empire have faced challenges in keeping its territory under control?

Answer 1

Answer:

The Holy Roman Empire faced many territorial challenges.

Explanation:

The first challenge was in Italy: the Italian states that were part of the Holy Roman Empire were separated from the German hinterland by the Alps, which imposed a communication barrier that made it very difficult for Emperors to hold control over these lands.

In what is now Germany, there were also territorial issues. The land was divided among countless states: duchies, counties, princedoms, fiefdoms, city-states, and so on, something that made coordination at the imperial level very difficult.

As centuries passed, the Holy Roman Empire lost control over several possessions: it lost most of the Low Countries, and the Italian city-states like the Duchy of Milan and the Republic of Venice became fully independent.