Politically, the change was no less disastrous. The ambition of the house of Hapsburg, it is true, had brought its own punishment; the imperial dignity was secured to it, but henceforth the head of the "Holy Roman Empire" was not much more than a shadow. Each petty State became, practically, an independent nation, with power to establish its own foreign relations, make war and contract alliances. Thus Germany, as a whole, lost her place among the powers of Europe, and could not possibly regain it under such an arrangement: the Emperor and the Princes, together, had skilfully planned her decline and fall. The nobles who, in former centuries, had maintained a certain amount of independence, were almost as much demoralized as the people, and when every little prince began to imitate Louis XIV. and set up his own Versailles, the nobles in his territory became his courtiers and government officials. As for the mass of the people, their spirit was broken: for a time they gave up even the longing for rights which they had lost, and taught their children abject obedience in order that they might simply _live_. [Sidenote: 1648. THE GERMAN STATES.] After the Thirty Years' War, Germany was composed of nine Electorates, twenty-four Religious Principalities (Catholic), nine princely Abbots, ten princely Abbesses, twenty-four Princes with seat and vote in the Diet, thirteen Princes without seat and vote, sixty-two Counts of the Empire, fifty-one Cities of the Empire, and about one thousand Knights of the Empire. These last, however, no longer possessed any political power. But, without them, there were two hundred and three more or less independent, jealous and conflicting States, united by a bond which was more imaginary than real; and this confused, unnatural state of things continued until Napoleon came to put an end to it. CHAPTER XXX. GERMANY, TO THE PEACE OF RYSWICK. (1648--1697.) Contemporary History. --Germany in the Seventeenth Century. --Influence of Louis XIV. --Leopold I. of Austria. --Petty Despotisms. --The Great Elector. --Invasions of Louis XIV. --The Elector Aids Holland. --War with France. --Battle of Fehrbellin. --French Ravages in Baden. --The Peace of Nymwegen. --The Hapsburgs and Hohenzollerns. --Louis XIV. seizes Strasburg. --Vienna besieged by the Turks. --Sobieski's Victory. --Events in Hungary. --Prince Eugene of Savoy. --Victories over the Turks. --French Invasion of Germany. --French Barbarity. --Death of the Great Elector. --The War with France. --Peace of Ryswick. --Position of the German States. --The Diet. --The Imperial Court. --State of Learning and Literature. [Sidenote: 1648.]