Henry VII (nov 27, 1308 – aug 24, 1313)

Description:

A son of Count Henry VI of Luxembourg and Béatrice from the House of Avesnes. Raised at the French court, he was the lord of comparatively small properties in a peripheral and predominantly French-speaking part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was symptomatic of the empire’s weakness that during his rule as the Count of Luxembourg, he agreed to become a French vassal, seeking the protection of King Philippe IV the Fair of France. When Albert I, Habsburg King of Germany, was assassinated in 1308, Henry seized the opportunity. He was bound by few national ties, an aspect of his suitability as a compromise candidate among the electors, who had lived without a crowned emperor for decades, and who were unhappy with the options of Philippe's brother Charles of Valois and Rudolf I "the Stammerer," Duke of Bavaria.
During his brief career he reinvigorated the imperial cause in Italy, which was racked with the partisan struggles between the divided Guelf and Ghibelline factions, and inspired the praise of Dino Compagni and Dante Alighieri. However, his premature death at 38 threatened to undo his life's work. His son, John the Blind of Bohemia (married to the daughter of Bohemian King Wenceslaus II, creating a claim to that crown) failed to be elected as his successor, and there was briefly another anti-king, Frederick the Fair, contesting the rule of Louis IV.

Added to timeline:

Date: