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41-614: The Rheinbund or ' Confederation of the Rhine ' was founded in 1806, when several German states seceded from the Holy Roman Empire and allied themselves with Emperor Napoleon of France, who assumed the position of the Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine . Its highest office was held by Karl Theodor von Dalberg , first Archbishop of Mainz and then of Regensburg . He had been

82-789: A Prince-Primate of the confederation. As such, he was President of the College of Kings and presided over the Diet of the Confederation, designed to be a parliament-like body although it never actually assembled. The President of the Council of the Princes was the Prince of Nassau-Usingen. In return for their support of Napoleon, some rulers were given higher statuses: Baden , Hesse, Cleves , and Berg were made into grand duchies , and Württemberg and Bavaria became kingdoms. Several member states were also enlarged with

123-521: A dirk (Air Force), if the ceremony is presided over by a military authority. Civilian members and all members of lesser orders ( Merit , Arts and Letters ...) are not dubbed with a bladed weapon. They receive only the accolade , which has kept in French its ancient meaning of "embrace". Officers in the French Armed Forces also receive the accolade, but a different version. When they graduate, during

164-584: A loose confederation of sovereign states (the treaty called it the États confédérés du Rhin . The " Protector of the Confederation " was a hereditary office of the Emperor of the French, Napoleon. On 1 August, as the treaty compelled them to do, the members of the confederation formally seceded from the Holy Roman Empire, and on 6 August, following an ultimatum by Napoleon, Francis II , who had already proclaimed himself Emperor of Austria in 1804, declared

205-727: A night spent in prayers, prior to the rite ). The increasingly impressive ceremonies surrounding adoubement figured largely in the Romance literature , both in French and in Middle English , particularly those set in the Trojan War or around the legendary personage of Alexander the Great . Newly inducted military Knights of the Legion of Honour are struck on both shoulders with a sword (Army and Navy) or

246-458: A significant sum from its seigniorage revenues, called jus piseti ('right of'). By ancient custom, he had the right to crown the King of Hungary and anoint the queen. By a gift of archiepiscopal property he was at one time able to confer nobility ( Prädialadel ), another rarely delegated princely prerogative (usually only knighting was allowed to non-sovereign nobility). Another privilege

287-458: A voluntary option for its future member states. Negotiations between France and the princes who had been selected by Napoleon to be members of the future alliance had been dragging on for the first six months of 1806 when Napoleon decided to rush things. On 12 July, the Paris envoys of the various princes were summoned to the ministry of Foreign Affairs to find themselves instructed by Talleyrand to sign

328-546: A youth with a weapon that was buckled on him, was elaborated in the 10th and 11th centuries as a sign that the minor had come of age . A panel in the Bayeux Tapestry shows the knighting of Harold by William of Normandy , but the specific gesture is not clearly represented. In medieval France, early ceremonies of the adoubement were purely secular and indicated a young noble coming of age. Around 1200, these ceremonies began to include elements of Christian ritual (such as

369-658: The Congress of Vienna redrew the continent's political map. Napoleonic creations such as the huge Kingdom of Westphalia, the Grand Duchy of Berg and the Duchy of Würzburg were abolished; suppressed states, including Hanover, the Brunswick duchies, Hesse-Kassel and Oldenburg, were reinstated. On the other hand, most members of the Confederation of the Rhine located in central and southern Germany survived with minor border changes. They, along with

410-652: The Electorate of Baden and the Duchy of Württemberg benefited the most from these changes. The disappearance of ecclesiastical territories meant the emperor lost important political support. The end of the crippled Holy Roman Empire was foreseeable. Francis II took the title of Emperor of Austria in 1804 to counter the loss of prestige. When the War of the Third Coalition broke out in 1805, with Russia, Austria and Great Britain on

451-584: The Pope ), to have the cross carried before him, dealt directly with Rome and had the right of visitation in the episcopal sees and the religious houses in Hungary, except the exempt Archabbey of Pannonhalma (S. Martinus in Monte Pannoniæ). Since 1715, the primate had also been a Reichsfürst , a ruling prince of the Holy Roman Empire , entitled Prince Primate . He was the chief and privy chancellor of

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492-654: The Treaty of Lunéville , which saw the annexation of the German territories of the left bank of the Rhine occupied by France, a new order of Central European states was established. The Final Imperial Recess of 1803 led to a radical transformation within the Holy Roman Empire . Some 112 immediate territories east of the Rhine were absorbed by larger states. Over three million people were affected by this change. All ecclesiastical territories save one were secularized and most free imperial cities underwent mediatisation . Besides Prussia,

533-578: The War of the Sixth Coalition . The founding members of the confederation were German princes of the Holy Roman Empire . They were later joined by 19 others, altogether ruling a total of over 15 million people. This granted a significant strategic advantage to the French Empire on its eastern frontier by providing a buffer between France and the two largest German states, Prussia and Austria (which also controlled substantial non-German lands). After

574-414: The monarch on a knighting-stool. First, the monarch lays the side of the sword's blade onto the accolade's right shoulder. The monarch then raises the sword just up over the apprentice's head, flips it counterclockwise so that the same side of the blade will come in contact with the knight's body, and places it on his left shoulder. The new knight then stands up, and the king or queen presents him with

615-593: The shoulders of a candidate (who is himself sometimes referred to as an accolade during the ceremony) or an embrace about the neck. The earliest reference to the knighting as a formal ceremony in Germany is in the Annals of Aachen under the year 1184, when the Emperor Frederick I 's sons, Henry VI and Frederick VI , "were made knights" ( facti sunt milites ). An early Germanic coming-of-age ceremony, of presenting

656-570: The trade embargo with Great Britain , the Continental System . The Confederation of the Rhine collapsed in 1813, in the aftermath of Napoleon's failed invasion of the Russian Empire . Many of its members changed sides after the Battle of Leipzig , when it became apparent Napoleon would lose the War of the Sixth Coalition . Both French influence and internal autonomy varied greatly throughout

697-563: The Devil : "He had with all solemnitie the accolade, and was commanded to kneele downe to receiue the order of Knighthoode." It derives from the Middle French accolee , meaning an embrace or the bestowal of knighthood thereby, which in turn descends from the Latin collum , meaning "neck". Accolade ceremonies have taken a variety of forms, including the tapping of the flat side of a knighting sword on

738-423: The French Empire. Thus, as either emperor of the French or protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, Napoleon was now the overlord of all of Germany except Austria, Prussia , Danish Holstein , and Swedish Pomerania , plus previously independent Switzerland, which were not included in the Confederation. In 1810 large parts of what is now northwest Germany were quickly annexed to France in order to better monitor

779-770: The Habsburgs when they were within the Holy Roman Empire. In order to add luster to his newly-founded dynasty, the French Emperor pressed hard to arrange a marriage between his step-son Eugène de Beauharnais and Augusta of Bavaria . Napoleon had already contemplated marrying Beauharnais to a Wittelsbach princess in 1804 but it’s only in 1806, following his elevation to the status of king, that Max Joseph gave in to Napoleon’s pressure. Other royal marriages were arranged between Stéphanie de Beauharnais and Charles of Baden and Jérôme Bonaparte and Catharina of Württemberg . After Prussia lost to France in 1806, Napoleon cajoled most of

820-467: The Holy Roman Empire dissolved. According to the treaty, the confederation was to be run by common constitutional bodies, but the individual states (in particular the larger ones) wanted unlimited sovereignty . Instead of a monarchical head of state , as the Holy Roman Emperor had been, its highest office was held by Karl Theodor von Dalberg , the former Arch Chancellor, who now bore the title of

861-456: The Hungarian kingdom, and thus keeper of the great seal. Formerly he was also a member of the supreme court, and still earlier governor, viceroy and főispán ('hereditary' lord-lieutenant) of Esztergom county . To the primate also belonged the right (delegated regalia ) to superintend the royal mint at Kremnica ( German : Kremnitz , Hungarian : Körmöcbánya ), for which he received

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902-521: The Rhine , simply known as the Confederation of the Rhine or Rhine Confederation , was a confederation of German client states established at the behest of Napoleon some months after he defeated Austria and Russia at the Battle of Austerlitz . Its creation brought about the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire shortly afterward. The Confederation of the Rhine lasted for only seven years, from 1806 to 1813, dissolving after Napoleon's defeat in

943-718: The Thistle and Knights Companion of the Order of the Garter . Women who are awarded damehoods do not receive the accolade. Clergy receiving a knighthood are not dubbed. The use of a sword in this kind of a ceremony is believed to be inappropriate. Knights of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem , an order of chivalry under the protection of the Holy See , are dubbed in

984-477: The absorption of the territories of Imperial counts and knights who were mediatized at that time. They had to pay a very high price for their new status, however. The Confederation was above all a military alliance; the member states had to maintain substantial armies for mutual defense and supply France with large numbers of military personnel. As events played out, the members of the confederation found themselves more subordinated to Napoleon than they had been to

1025-453: The ceremony a senior officer hovers their sword on the kneeling graduate's shoulders as if he were knighting the young officer. This part is called the "adoubement", which has a different meaning than accolade. Adoubement involves the sword, accolade is a movement of the hands which varies in different countries. In France, it can be akin to a hug or a hand on the shoulder. In the Netherlands,

1066-418: The confederations' existence. There was also a great variation between the power and influence of the individual states. There are three basic types: The following table shows the members of the confederation, with their date of joining, as well as the number of troops provided, listed in parentheses. The allies opposing Napoleon dissolved the Confederation of the Rhine on 4 November 1813. After its demise,

1107-402: The elevation of both Bavaria and Württemberg to the rank of kingdom and Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt and Berg to that of grand duchy. With French encouragement, the vestiges of small Imperial estates in the region were annexed. This reorganisation of the right bank of the Rhine laid the groundwork for the Confederation of the Rhine. The formation of the Confederation of the Rhine was not altogether

1148-448: The first among the princes of the Holy Roman Empire and styled its Archchancellor , and as such was given the first rank among the princes of the new Confederation and the title of Fürstprimas , 'Prince Primate'. As such he presided over the College of Kings and the Diet of the Confederation, a senate-like assembly which never actually assembled. During his term as prince-primate, Dalberg

1189-510: The insignia of his new order . Contrary to popular belief, the phrase "Arise, Sir ..." is not used. There are currently eleven different knighthoods being bestowed (in ascending order): Knights Bachelor , Knights Commanders and Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire , Royal Victorian Order , Order of Saint Michael and Saint George and Order of the Bath , Knights of the Order of

1230-524: The knights in the exclusive Military Order of William (the Dutch "Victoria Cross") are struck on the left shoulder with the palm of the hand, first by the Dutch monarch (if present) then by the other knights. The new knight does not kneel. All newly created knights in the UK are dubbed on both shoulders with a sword by the monarch or the prince delegated by them. In the first example, the "knight-elect" kneels in front of

1271-567: The one side and France on the other, Bavaria, Baden and Wurttemberg allied with Napoleon. After the victory at Austerlitz and the resultant Peace of Pressburg in 1805, Napoleon could significantly reassert his position in the German states. Furthermore, Austria had to concede territory and Napoleon named his brothers Joseph and Louis kings of Naples and Holland , respectively, and his brother-in-law Joachim Murat , Grand Duke of Berg . He also worked toward establishing an alliance with Baden, Bavaria and Württemberg. Francis II had to assent to

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1312-560: The only attempt at political coordination in Germany until the creation on 8 June 1815 of the German Confederation was a body called the Central Administration Council (German: Zentralverwaltungsrat ); its president was Heinrich Friedrich Karl Reichsfreiherr vom und zum Stein (1757–1831). It was dissolved on 20 June 1815. On 30 May 1814 the Treaty of Paris declared the German states independent. In 1814–1815,

1353-583: The position moot. In virtue of his dignity as primate of the Habsburg dynasty 's apostolic Kingdom of Hungary , the Archbishop of Esztergom enjoyed extraordinary privileges, resulting in his being titled prince primate . The primate was entitled to hold national synods , was Legatus Natus of the Holy Roman Church , and therefore had the right, inside of his legation (territory where he represented

1394-488: The princes had been sent a copy of the proposed treaty, was aghast. Among other things, Bavaria would lose control of its foreign policy which would now be in the hands of Napoleon, the " Protector of the Confederation " . He hurriedly sent Baron Karl von Gravenreuth to Paris with instructions to reject a confederation which he said gave to the Protector a power "more extensive than the Emperor of Germany ever had". Von Gravenreuth

1435-529: The reinstated states, Prussia, and Austria, formed the German Confederation . Knighting The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement ) ( Latin : benedictio militis ) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages . The term accolade entered English by 1591, when Thomas Lodge used it in a historical romance about Robert

1476-486: The same time, Napoleon appointed his stepson Eugène de Beauharnais — excluded from the French imperial succession — as heir to the Grand Duchy. On the eve of the collapse of the First French Empire , Dalberg resigned his secular positions and Beauharnais succeeded him as Grand Duke, though this had no practical effect, as the dissolution of the Confederation (carved up into a revised set of monarchies) also rendered

1517-534: The secondary states of Germany into the Confederation of the Rhine. Eventually, an additional 23 German states joined the Confederation. It was at its largest in 1808, when it included 36 states—four kingdoms, five grand duchies, 13 duchies , seventeen principalities , and the Free Hansa towns of Hamburg , Lübeck , and Bremen . The west bank of the Rhine and the Principality of Erfurt had been annexed outright by

1558-456: The treaty of the new alliance, whose terms had been decided between him and Napoleon. This caused consternation among the envoys given that the terms were far more onerous for the princes than what had been expected. They all protested that they were not empowered to sign before their masters authorized them to do so, but Talleyrand compelled them to sign then and there and so they did under duress. King Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria , who alone among

1599-518: Was Archbishop of Regensburg (in Bavaria ) and at first Fürst (ruling prince) of Aschaffenburg . From September 19, 1806, his territories included the former Reichsstadt and on February 16, 1810, Dalberg was promoted to the strictly secular rank of Grand Duke of Frankfurt , in chief of another former Reichsstadt (on the lower Main , enclaved in the Electorate of Mainz , now in Hessen ). At

1640-538: Was detained long enough at the French border so that when he finally arrived in Paris all the other princes had signed. He therefore found it unadvisable to deliver the King’s views on the matter. In the words of Enno E. Kraehe: "Only by such crude methods was Napoleon able at last to found the Confederation of the Rhine". On signing the Treaty of the Confederation of the Rhine (German: Rheinbundakte ), 16 German states joined in

1681-542: Was his right to take an oath before a court of justice through his deputy, and not personally. The primate was also chief priest and chancellor of the Hungarian national Order of St. Stephen , established in 1764. As first banneret ( baro regni ) of Hungary, he was a Magnate , i.e. member of the Upper House . Confederation of the Rhine 50°07′N 8°41′E  /  50.117°N 8.683°E  / 50.117; 8.683 The Confederated States of

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