History of Bavaria

The history of Bavaria traces the region’s development from early settlement and medieval duchies through its emergence as a German state and modern federal state.

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Bavarii: A Germanic people associated with the formation of early medieval Bavaria. Their name and settlement are linked to the region’s emergence in the sixth century.
Duchy of Bavaria: A medieval and early modern territorial polity ruled by Bavarian dukes. Its changing rulers and boundaries form the backbone of Bavaria’s political history.
War of the Bavarian Succession: A 1778–1779 conflict between Austria and Prussia over the succession to the Bavarian electorate. The conflict preserved Bavaria’s independence from Habsburg annexation.
Weimar Republic: The parliamentary German republic established in 1918 and formally constituted in 1919. Bavaria became a republic within Germany after its monarchy collapsed.
Bavarian stem duchy: An early medieval duchy ruled by the Agilolfing dynasty and later subject to Frankish authority. It was the first durable political structure identified with Bavaria.
Wittelsbach dynasty: A German royal house that ruled Bavaria from 1180 until the monarchy ended in 1918. Its long rule linked the medieval duchy to the modern Bavarian state.
Napoleonic Wars: A series of European conflicts from 1803 to 1815 involving France and shifting coalitions. Bavaria gained territory and became a kingdom through its alliance with Napoleon.
Nazi Germany: The German dictatorship ruled by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party from 1933 to 1945. Nazi rule ended Bavarian state autonomy and made Munich a regime center.
Agilolfing dynasty: The ruling dynasty of the early Bavarian duchy from the sixth to the eighth century. Its dukes shaped Bavaria before Charlemagne brought the duchy under Frankish control.
Golden Bull of 1356: A constitutional decree that established procedures for electing the Holy Roman emperor and named seven prince-electors. It confirmed the Palatinate, rather than Bavaria, among the original electoral territories.