Imperial Diet and peace settlement. Decision-making processes and controversies on peace treaties at the Perpetual Diet of Regensburg

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After the Peace of Westphalia (1648) the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire had the right to co-decide on peace treaties with foreign powers. This right, the so-called Ius Pacis, was quite unique regarding diets and parliaments of other Early Modern European monarchies. From the 1670ties onwards, this Ius Pacis was repeatedly subject of intense negotiations and bitter controversies between the Emperor and the estates at the Imperial Diet, which since 1663 had become – as the Immerwährender Reichstag (Perpetual Diet) – a permanent institution. These discussions dealt with the contents of peace treaties, but also with the appropriate participation of the estates in peace negotiations. Historical research has mentioned the importance of these discussions only regarding particular cases like the Peace of Rijswijk (1697). Thus and in contrast to the Ius Belli, the diet’s right to co-decide on declarations of war, these decision making processes and controversies of the Perpetual Diet about the Ius Pacis have not yet been investigated in a systematical and coherent way. Filling this gap is the central objective of the research project. Such an investigation pursues different goals, which are of special interest against the background of recent research: On the one hand, the general relevance and value of peace and peace treaties were intensively discussed during these controversies with respect to special treaties, but in a very principal manner. It is therefore possible to gain profound insights into general ideas and concepts of peace in the Early Modern period. This is especially the case when it comes to the question if peace settlements and peace negotiations had to be regarded as failed. Such questions played a crucial role in the communication of the Perpetual Diet. Thereby, the project contributes to the general research on Early Modern conceptions and assessments of failure. On the other hand, this project offers new insights into the contemporary interpretation of the Holy Roman Empire as a monarchy, also in European comparison. The question whether the Emperor could represent the Empire in peace negotiations on his own or only together with the estates was closely connected with general assessments of the Holy Roman Empire.