Grand duchy
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A grand duchy is a
Prior to the early 1800s, the only Grand duchies in Europe were located in what is now Italy: Tuscany (declared in 1569) and Savoy (in 1696).
In the 21st century, only Luxembourg remains a grand duchy.
Luxembourg
The only grand duchy still extant is Luxembourg. It regained its independence from Napoleonic France and became a sovereign grand duchy in 1815 by decision of the Congress of Vienna which dealt with the political aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars.
In order to act as a sufficient counterbalance to France, the Congress decided to grant the dignity of grand duke of Luxembourg to the monarch of the newly created
History
The term "grand duchy" is of relatively late invention, used at first in Western Europe in 1569 in the case of Tuscany, to denote either territories of a particularly mighty duke or territories of significant importance in political, economical or military matters without being of sufficient size or importance to be recognized internationally as a kingdom.
The number of duchies had inflated towards the end of the Middle Ages to an extent that included middle-sized towns or relatively small fiefs, as compared to the national, pre-medieval tribal provinces. As a consequence, a new title was needed to make the difference between important and unimportant regional powers: the title grand duke was born.
One of the first examples was the unofficial use of the title for the dukes of Burgundy, who almost succeeded in forming a new kingdom in the historical region of Lotharingia. Collectively known as the Burgundian State in modern historiography, they held lands in modern-day eastern France (Burgundy, Franche-Comté, Alsatia, Lorraine, Champagne, Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais) as well as most of modern Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg and small parts of western Germany (Burgundian Netherlands).
The first monarchy ever officially titled a "grand duchy" was the
In 1696, the
In the early nineteenth century, Napoléon I occasionally used the title "grand duchy" for several French satellite states given to his relatives or generals. Other allies abandoned the orbit of the Holy Roman Empire to join Napoleon's nominally independent Confederation of the Rhine. The elevation of these vassals to the title of grand duke was usually accompanied by an expansion of their realms with additional territory gathered at the expense of subdued powers such as Prussia. Though Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo and most of his newly created satellite states abolished, the Congress of Vienna restored some of the previous sovereign duchies and principalities, while recognizing others as grand duchies. As a result, the 19th century saw the creation of a new group of grand duchies in central Europe, such as the grand duchies of Hesse, Baden and Oldenburg.
Historically, in Europe a sovereign grand duke was one of the highest ranks among hereditary rulers after emperor and king, and was equal to that of prince-elector; ranking as royalty, i.e., European rulers and, in Germany, the reigning nobility (Hochadel). The correct form of address (also for the heir apparent and his wife) is Royal Highness (HRH).
The title of grand duke borne under the Russian Empire by children and grandchildren of its rulers was a non-sovereign honorific, unrelated to any grand duchy, to which was attached the style of
Associated titles
In several
Emerging from the
The Grand Duchy of Finland, an autonomous state ruled by the Russian Empire and established in 1809, was referred to in Swedish, Finnish and Russian as a Grand Principality (Swedish: Storfurstendömet Finland; Finnish: Suomen suuriruhtinaskunta; Russian: Великое княжество Финляндское) Velikoye knyazhestvo Finlyandskoye; The Russian Tsar held title as Grand Duke of Finland.
The title Magnus Dux or "grand duke" (
On the other hand, the
Junior members of the dynasties of historical grand duchies in Germany sometimes bore the style of Highness, sometimes that of Grand Ducal Highness, and continued to be accorded those styles post-monarchy by courtesy in such reference works as the Almanach de Gotha and Burke's Peerage.
List
Prior to the Napoleonic Wars, only two grand duchies were recognized in Europe. Both were in Italy, the first, Tuscany, was elevated to that status by a papal bull while the second, Savoy, was elevated by the Holy Roman Emperor:
- Grand Duchy of Tuscany (1569–1860, absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy afterwards)
- Grand Duchy of Savoy (1696–1847, fused into the greater Kingdom of Sardinia, which was later absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy)
Other states whose names are translated as "grand duchy" in English were, properly, grand principalities:
- Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė, Ruthenian: Великое князство Литовське; established c. 1183/1236, in personal union with the Kingdom of Poland in 1386–1401, 1447–1492, and 1501–1795)
- Grand Duchy of Finland (Finnish: Suomen suuriruhtinaskunta, Swedish: Storfurstendömet Finland, Russian: Великое Княжество Финляндское; raised from duchy status, from c. 1580 to 1809 as part of the Swedish Empire; conquered by the Russian Empire and held 1809–1917 in personal union with the Russian Empire; later became a fully independent Republic of Finland in 1917)
- Grand Duchy of Moscow(Russian: Великое Княжество Московское)
- Grand Duchy of Kiev (Ruthenian: Вели́ке Кня́зівство Київське)
- Grand Duchy of Ryazan(Russian: Великое Княжество Рязанское)
- Grand Duchy of Rus'(Ruthenian: Велике Князівство Руське)
- Grand Principality of Transylvania (1765–1867) a realm of the Hungarian Crown and after 1804 an Austrian crown land.
- Grand Principality of Smolensk (Russian: Великое Княжество Смоленское)
- Grand Principality of Tver (Russian: Великое Княжество Тверское)
The Napoleonic Wars saw several minor ducal titles so elevated, and between then and
- Grand Duchy of Berg (1806–1813, absorbed into Prussia afterwards)
- Grand Duchy of Würzburg (1806–1814, absorbed into Bavaria afterwards)
- Grand Duchy of Baden (1806–1918, joined the German Empire in 1871)
- Grand Duchy of Hesse (1806–1918, joined the German Empire in 1871)
- Grand Duchy of Fulda (1816–1866) part of the Electorate of Hesse, annexed by Prussia 1866)
- Grand Duchy of Frankfurt (1810–1813, part of several German states afterwards)
- Grand Duchy of the Lower Rhine (1815–1822 as part of Prussia)
- Grand Duchy of Luxembourg(from 1815 in personal union with the Netherlands until 1890. Extant independently)
- Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1815–1918, joined the German Empire in 1871)
- Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1815–1918, joined the German Empire in 1871)
- Grand Duchy of Posen (1815–1848 as a de facto part of Prussia (nominally ruled in a personal union), Großherzogtum Posen)
- Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach(1815–1918, joined the German Empire in 1871)
- Grand Duchy of Oldenburg (1829–1918, joined the German Empire in 1871)
- Galicia and Lodomeria, Großherzogtum Krakau)
The term "grand duchy" is often, but incorrectly, used in reference to Warsaw between 1807 and 1813, which was in fact the Duchy of Warsaw.
Metonymy
In
See also
- Archduke
- Duchy
- Grand principality
- Herzog
- Savoy Opera
References
- ^ "Grand duke | European peerage | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
- ^ "Grand Duchy of Tuscany | Overview, History & Significance". study.com. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
- ^ Peter Wilson. "Heart of Europe: A History of the Holy Roman Empire." Cambridge: 2016. Pages 227 and 445.
External links
- Media related to Grand duchies at Wikimedia Commons