The Phenomenon of Imperial Patriotism in German Political Pamphlets of the 1670s – 1680s

Abstract

During the reign of Leopold I, the Holy Roman Empire faced serious foreign policy challenges: the wars of the Ottoman Empire and the wars of Louis XIV. Both threats were reflected in German journalism. German publicists came out in defense of the Empire, as a result, a huge number of works with pro-imperial motives appeared. Speaking from the standpoint of imperial patriotism, German publicists strove to create an image of a common danger that threatened not only the entire Empire, but every German. Imperial patriotism was manifested in three topical subjects of German political journalism of the last quarter of the 17th century: French politics, the struggle against the Ottoman Empire and uprisings in Hungary. All three plots were presented from the position of a threat to the existing order. An important component of the negative image of France was its desire to seize the imperial throne and destabilize the internal situation in the Empire. The successes in the struggle against Turkey were demonstrated as the successes of the Empire and the Emperor. The Hungarian uprisings were condemned as a betrayal of the emperor, and therefore of the Empire. The surge in imperial patriotism was beneficial to the imperial power, which used it to strengthen their authority within the Empire.