536 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE It was almost impossible for the emperor to maintain order between the various principalities or to carry out any policy dealing with Germany as a whole, espe- im^erial daily since no institutions of imperial govern- p 01 ^ ment had been developed in the past, and since the heads of the local states seldom cooperated loyally with him in any proposed measures for the general welfare. Whether from these reasons or from mere selfish ambition, the emperors in the later Middle Ages were apt to employ the term of their office and their imperial power chiefly in extending their own family possessions within or without the boundaries of the Empire. These local lordships they could hope to hand on to their sons, whereas the imperial office might go to some other family upon their death. For money, troops, administrative assistance, and the like, the emperor had to rely mainly upon the particular state of which he had been head before he became emperor. If he exploited it for the benefit of the Empire, he would be liable to ruin the possessions of which his family had hitherto been reasonably sure. It seemed better and safer to him to ex- ploit the imperial office, to which he had been fortunate enough to be elected, and to make what marriages and dip- lomatic alliances and territorial acquisitions he could for the benefit of his family. If the person holding the imperial office did little for the good of Germany and of the Empire as a whole, the general The German assembly or Diet or Reichstag of the princes and nobility did still less. This body was poorly attended and seldom accomplished anything or even gave the emperor hearty support when he had proposals to make for the general welfare. The free cities desired representa- tion in this body, but were kept out by the feudal lords until the close of the fifteenth century. It should be added that most of the principalities into which the Empire was di- vided had, if they were of any size, their own assemblies of the local nobility with whom the head of the state had to consult in all important legislation and financial matters. A rapid chronological survey of the emperors of Germany
