Claims to Succession of the Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the one of the most influential and prestigious civilizations in human history. Due to this, it does not come as a surprise to historians that many nations have laid claims to the succession of the Roman Empire. A list of this is below.

* The Spanish Empire laid claim to the Byzantine and Roman Empire. In June 1502, Andreas Palaiologos, the legitimate heir to the Roman throne of Constantinople died. His will, written on 7 April that same year, gave all of his titles to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, designating them and their successors as his heirs to the Roman Empire.
* The Kingdom of France claimed to be the Roman Emperors due to Andreas Palaiologos selling his rights to the Byzantine crown to the King of France in 1494. After the king's death four years later, Andreas claimed that the title reverted to him, while the French kings claimed to keep the title.
* The Tsardom of Russia laid claim to the Byzantine Empire, calling itself ''The Third Rome.'' This was due to the last Byzantine emperor’s daughter married the Tsar of Moscow.
* The Ottoman Empire laid claim to the Byzantine Empire due to control of the Byzantine capital of Constantinople and holding the title 'Byzantine Emperor'.
* The Holy Roman Empire and its emperors claimed to be the Roman Empire, due to Charlemagne, the Empire's founder, being crowned by the Pope as 'Emperor of the Romans'.
* The Byzantine Empire was seen as a direct successor to Rome, due to being directly descended from the Roman Empire.
* The Brazilian Empire's Emperors claimed succession to the Roman Empire, stating that the Spanish Kings, under the Iberian Union, supposedly transferred the title of Roman Emperor to the Portuguese at the end of the Union, and that the Portuguese awarded them the title during Brazilian independence.
* Mussolini used propaganda comparing Italy to a Third Rome, promoting the view that "a*fter the Rome of the emperors, after the Rome of the Popes, there will come the Rome of the people*".
* The Principality of Montferrat was ruled by the house of Palaeologus-Montferrat, a cadet branch to the Palaiologos Dynasty.
* The Empire of Trebizond was ruled by the Komnenos Dynasty, a former Byzantine Dynasty and claimed to be the rightful rulers of Constantinople, the former capital of the Roman Empire.
* The First Archduchy of Austria, Habsburg Monarchy, and the Second Archduchy of Austria claim to be the Successors to Rome due to their ownership of the Holy Roman Emperor title.
* The Serbian Empire and its emperors used the title "*Emperor of the Serbs and Romans*", later being changed to "*Emperor of the Serbs, Romans, and Bulgarians*".
* The German Empire claimed to be the direct successors to the Holy Roman Empire, and they would thus claim to be the successors to Rome.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B\_jmaeaW-BE
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas\_Palaiologos
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman\_claim\_to\_Roman\_succession
4. ↑ https://www.wga.hu/tours/gothic/history/holy\_rom.html
5. ↑ Common Sense
6. ↑ 100% real facts
7. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succession\_of\_the\_Roman\_Empire#Risorgimento\_and\_Fascist\_Italy
8. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palaeologus-Montferrat
9. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire\_of\_Trebizond
10. ↑ Emperor of the Serbs - Wikipedia