Charles VII of Bavaria (Charles Albert)
Charles VII, born Charles Albert of the Wittelsbach dynasty and Elector of Bavaria, holds the distinction of being the only non-Habsburg emperor in nearly three hundred years. His election in 1742 was made possible by the War of the Austrian Succession, during which France supported a Wittelsbach candidate as a means of permanently breaking Habsburg control of the imperial office. The irony of his election was immediate and savage: the very day he was crowned in Frankfurt, Austrian forces occupied his capital Munich, and Charles VII spent virtually his entire reign as an emperor without an empire. Charles VII died in January 1745, worn out by the humiliations and frustrations of his impossible position.
- Lived: 1697 CE – 1745 CE
- Nationality: german
- Roles: emperor, head_of_state
