The
Duchy of Württemberg was a state in south-western
Germany. It was a member of the Holy Roman Empire from 1495 to 1806. The dukedom's long survival for nearly four centuries was mainly due to its size, being larger than its immediate neighbors. During the
Protestant Reformation, Württemberg faced great pressure from the
Holy Roman Empire to remain a member. Württemberg resisted repeated French invasions in the 17th and 18th centuries. Württemberg was directly in the path of French and Austrian armies who were engaged in the long rivalry between the
House of Bourbon and the
House of Habsburg. In 1803,
Napoleon raised the duchy to be the
Electorate of Württemberg of the
Holy Roman Empire, and when he abolished the Empire in 1806, the Electorate was elevated as the
Kingdom of Württemberg.