Changes

==Religion==

==Religion==

During the Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Empire, like the rest of Europe, followed the Catholic faith. Throughout its history, however, the Empire was plagued by religious conflicts, especially between the Emperor and the Pope. The most important of these conflicts was the so-called [[Investiture Conflict]] between c. 1076 and 1122 AD. The Investiture conflict

During the Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Empire, like the rest of Europe, followed the Catholic faith. Throughout its history, however, the Empire was plagued by religious conflicts, especially between the Emperor and the Pope. The most important of these conflicts was the so-called [[Investiture Conflict]] between c. 1076 and 1122 AD and the Thirty Years War between c. 1618 and c. 1648.

These conflicts were mostly political in nature, however, and as a rule, the position of the Catholic Church was unchallenged in the Empire until the end of the Middle Ages. The emergence of first the [[Hussite movement]] in [[Bohemia]] the beginning of the 15th century and especially the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] reformers a century later, however, challenged the religious unity of the Empire and gave rise to serious conflicts.

These conflicts were mostly political in nature, however, and as a rule, the position of the Catholic Church was unchallenged in the Empire until the end of the Middle Ages. The emergence of first the [[Hussite movement]] in [[Bohemia]] the beginning of the 15th century and especially the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] reformers a century later, however, challenged the religious unity of the Empire and gave rise to serious conflicts such as the Thirty Years war.