EU5 HRE: How to play as Holy Roman Empire

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When Europa Universalis 5 begins in 1337, the Holy Roman Empire dominates central Europe and a large part of Italy. However, it’s not a single, unified country – it’s made up of over 300 smaller states. In the game, the HRE functions as a unique organization, offering special benefits and options to all its members.

As a big fan of the Holy Roman Empire, what always struck me is how everything really revolves around the Emperor. He’s the one who kicks things off with a lot of the unique systems that make the HRE so interesting and different from other kingdoms.

This is a brief guide to understanding the Holy Roman Empire in Europa Universalis V, and how to begin the game as its Emperor.

How to play as Holy Roman Emperor in EU5

Unlike typical countries in Europa Universalis IV, the Holy Roman Empire is an organization. To begin a game as the Holy Roman Emperor in 1337, you don’t select Austria – you need to choose the member state currently ruled by the Emperor, which is actually Upper Bavaria.

After the Staufer dynasty ended, the Habsburg family consistently won elections to lead the Holy Roman Empire. However, around the start of the game, this pattern was briefly broken. The Wittelsbach and Luxembourg families both gained ground in these elections, leading to Ludwig IV of Bavaria, a Wittelsbach, being the Emperor when the game begins.

The Bavarian leader is quite old when the game starts, meaning you won’t likely rule for very long. This naturally leads to the question of who will take over after them.

How to become Holy Roman Emperor in EU5

Becoming Holy Roman Emperor wasn’t about taking power by force or inheriting a kingdom. Instead, it was an elected office – though not through a typical democratic election.

In the Holy Roman Empire, seven powerful leaders – four princes and three archbishops – had the right to vote for the next emperor. These leaders were known as Prince-Electors and Archbishop-Electors.

Here is the list of electors in 1337:

  • Palatinate of the Rhine
  • Kingdom of Bohemia
  • Brandenburg
  • Saxe-Wittenberg
  • Trier
  • Mainz
  • Cologne

Getting those votes will require any means necessary – winning people over, offering incentives, using threats, or even eliminating opposition to replace them with more supportive voters.

If you’d prefer not to begin the game as the emperor, the Habsburgs of Austria and the Luxemburgs of Bohemia are the most likely candidates to win the election.

How to gain Imperial Authority in EU5

Managing the Holy Roman Empire – with its 26 Free Cities, 52 religious leaders, 195 nobles, and even a self-governing peasant republic like Frisia – is incredibly challenging. But, over time, the emperor can use this complex structure to gain wealth and influence, making the position worthwhile despite the difficulties.

In Hearts of Empire, the emperor needs Imperial Authority to be effective. Like in Europa Universalis IV, this authority is gained by protecting member states from outside dangers, growing the empire’s size, ensuring its members remain independent from each other, and maintaining a single religion within the empire.

The emperor can use various diplomatic tools to achieve these aims, including maintaining peace among allied nations.

The Emperor’s power can be used to propose new laws within the Holy Roman Empire, beginning with the Golden Bull. This document, essentially the Empire’s constitution, was agreed upon by its member states in 1356 and remained in effect until the Empire ended in 1806. There are also many unique events within the HRE that can provide and utilize this imperial authority.

These laws strengthen the emperor’s power and make the position more appealing. They allow the emperor to accumulate even more authority and benefits, including the ability to demand assistance from their people during times of war.

The emperor can start debates that affect the entire empire by choosing specific Holy Roman Empire Parliament Issues within their own country’s parliament, in addition to diplomatic interactions and the International Organization screen.

Only those chosen as Prince-Electors can decide who becomes the next ruler, but everyone in the Holy Roman Empire gets a say in things like new laws.

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2025-11-04 20:17