Hesse-Kassel
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{{redirect3|Kurhessen|For the Prussian province, see [[Province of Kurhessen]]}}
{{Infobox Former Country
|native_name = ''Landgrafschaft Hessen-Kassel''<!--No footnote?: {{smallsup|a}}--><br/>''Kurfürstentum Hessen''
|conventional_long_name = Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel<br />Electorate of Hesse
|common_name = Hesse-Kassel
|continent = Europe
|region = Germany
|country = Germany
|status = Vassal
|status_text = [[States of the Holy Roman Empire|State]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]<br/>[[States of the German Confederation|State]] of the [[German Confederation]]
|empire = Holy Roman Empire
|government_type = Principality
|year_start = 1567
|year_end = 1866
|life_span = [[1567]] – [[1806]]<br/>[[1813]] – [[1866]]
|event_start =
|date_start =
|event_end = Annexed by [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]]
|date_end =
|event1 = Raised to [[Prince-elector|Electorate]]
|date_event1 = 1803
|event2 = [[French Revolutionary Wars|Annexed]] by [[First French Empire|France]]
|date_event2 = 1806
|event3 = Reestablished
|date_event3 = 1813
|p1 = Landgraviate of Hesse
|flag_p1 = Flag of Hesse.svg
|s1 = Province of Hesse-Nassau
|flag_s1 = Flagge Preußen - Provinz Hessen-Nassau.svg
|image_flag = Flag of Hesse.svg
|image_coat = Wappen-HK.png
|symbol_type = Coat of arms (1818)
|image_map = Hessen-Kassel.png
|image_map_caption = Hesse-Kassel
|capital = Kassel
|common_languages = [[German language|German]]
|religion = [[Protestant]] ([[Calvinist]])
|stat_year1 = 1864
|stat_area1 = 9581
|stat_pop1 = 745063
|currency = [[Hesse-Kassel thaler]]<small>(to 1858)</small><br/>[[Hesse-Kassel vereinsthaler]]<small>(1858-1873)</small>
|footnotes =
|title_leader = Landgrave
|leader1 = [[William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|William IV of Hesse]]
|year_leader1 = 1567–1592
|leader2 = [[Frederick I of Sweden]]
|year_leader2 = 1730–1751
}}
The '''Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel''' ({{lang-de|Landgrafschaft Hessen-Kassel}}) or '''Hesse-Cassel''' was a ''[[Reichsfrei]]'' [[principality]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] that came into existence when the [[Landgraviate of Hesse]] was divided in 1567 upon the death of [[Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse]]. His eldest son [[William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|William IV]] inherited the northern half and the capital of [[Kassel]]. The other sons received the [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Marburg]], the [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Rheinfels]] and the [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt]].
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel was elevated to the '''Electorate of Hesse''' (''Kurfürstentum Hessen'', or ''Kurhessen'') in 1803. It was then annexed by the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] in 1866 after the [[Austro-Prussian War]] and subsequently became the [[Province of Hesse-Nassau]].
== 17th and 18th centuries ==
The [[House of Hesse]] was a dynasty which descended from [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] and [[Protestantism|Protestant]] luminaries. Landgraves [[Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse|Philip I]], [[William V, Landgrave of Hesse|William V]], and [[Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|Maurice]] married descendants of King [[George of Bohemia]]. From [[William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|William VI]] onwards, mothers of the heads of Hesse-Kassel were always descended from [[William the Silent]], the leader of the [[Dutch Republic|Dutch]] to independence on basis of [[Calvinism]].
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel expanded in 1604 when [[Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel]], inherited the [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Marburg]] from his childless uncle, [[Louis IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Marburg]] (1537-1604).
During the [[Thirty Years' War]], Calvinist Hesse-Kassel proved to be [[Sweden]]'s most loyal German ally. Landgrave [[William V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|William V]] and, after his death in 1637, his widow [[Amelia of Hanau]], a granddaughter of [[William the Silent]], as [[regent]] supported the Protestant cause and the [[France|French]] and Swedes throughout the war and maintained an army, garrisoning many strongholds, while Hesse-Kassel itself was occupied by Imperial troops.
William V was succeeded by Landgraves William VI and [[William VII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|William VII]]. Under King [[Frederick I of Sweden]] the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel was in [[Political unions involving Sweden|personal union]] with Sweden from 1730-51. But in fact the King's younger brother, [[William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|William VIII]], reigned in Kassel until 1760.
Although it was a fairly widespread practice at the time to rent out troops to other princes, it was the Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel who became infamous for hiring out contingents of their army as mercenaries during the 17th and 18th centuries. [[Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel|Frederick II]], notably, hired out his troops called [[Hessians]] to his nephew King [[George III of the United Kingdom]], who used them in his attempt to suppress the rebellion of the American colonies during the [[American Revolution]]; Frederick used the revenue to finance his opulent lifestyle. One of these regiments that saw service in America was the [[Musketeer Regiment Prinz Carl]].
During the 17th century, the landgraviate was internally divided for dynastic purposes, without [[Allodial title|allodial]] rights, into:
* [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Rotenburg]] (1627–1834)
* Landgraviate of [[Hesse-Wanfried]]-(Rheinfels) (1649–1755)
* [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Philippsthal]]
* [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld]]
These were reunited with the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel when each particular branch died out without issue.
== 19th century ==
Following the reorganization of the German states during the [[German mediatisation]] of 1803, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel was raised to the Electorate of Hesse and Landgrave William IX was elevated to [[prince-elector|Imperial Elector]], taking the title [[William I, Elector of Hesse]]. The principality thus became known as ''Kurhessen'', although still usually referred to as Hesse-Kassel.
In 1806, William I was dispossessed by [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon Bonaparte]] for his support of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]], and Kassel became the capital of a new [[Kingdom of Westphalia]] under Napoleon's brother [[Jérôme Bonaparte]] as king. The elector was restored following Napoleon's defeat in 1813, and although the [[Holy Roman Empire]] was now defunct, William retained his title of Elector, as it gave him pre-eminence over his cousin, the [[Grand Duchy of Hesse|Grand Duke of Hesse]]. From 1813 onwards, the Electorate of Hesse was an independent country and, after 1815, a member of the [[German Confederation]].
William's grandson, Elector [[Frederik William, Elector of Hesse|Frederick William]], sided with the [[Austrian Empire]] in the [[Austro-Prussian War]], and after the Prussian victory his lands were annexed by Prussia in 1866. Along with the annexed [[Nassau (state)|Duchy of Nassau]] and [[Frankfurt-am-Main|Free City of Frankfurt]], Hesse-Kassel became part of the new [[Province of Hesse-Nassau]] of the Kingdom of Prussia.
== 20th century ==
In 1918, Hesse-Nassau became part of the [[Free State of Prussia]] until 1944. From 1944-45 as part of [[Nazi Germany]], it was divided into the Prussian provinces of [[Province of Kurhessen|Kurhessen]] and [[Province of Nassau|Nassau]]. From 1945-46, it was renamed [[Greater Hesse]] (''Großhessen'') and was part of the [[US occupation zone in Germany]]. From 1946 onwards, it was reorganised into the state of [[Hesse]] (''Bundesland Hesse''), in the [[Federal Republic of Germany]]'.
In 1918, [[Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse]], younger brother of the head of the house and a brother-in-law of Emperor [[William II, German Emperor|William II]], was elected by the pro-German [[Finland|Finnish]] government to be [[King of Finland]], but he never reigned.
In 1968, the head of the [[House of Hesse-Kassel]] became the head of the entire [[House of Hesse]] due to the extinction of the [[House of Hesse-Darmstadt]].
== Trivia ==
{{Trivia|date=July 2008}}
The village of [[Hessen Cassel, Indiana]] near [[Fort Wayne, Indiana|Fort Wayne]], founded by German immigrants, is named for the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel.
Hesse-Kassel maintained 7 percent of its entire population under arms throughout the eighteenth century. This force served as a source of mercenaries for other European states.<ref>Tilly, Charles "Coercion, Capital, and European States."</ref>
== See also ==
* [[Rulers of Hesse|List of rulers of Hesse]]
* [[List of Swedish monarchs]]
* [[List of Finnish monarchs]]
* [[Line of succession to the Hesse Throne]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.hoeckmann.de/germany/hesse-north.htm Map of Hesse in 1789 - Northern Part]
* [http://www.hoeckmann.de/germany/hesse-south.htm Map of Hesse in 1789 - Southern Part]
{{succession
|office = [[List of Swedish monarchs]]
|years = 1720–51
|preceded = [[House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken]]
|succeeded = [[House of Holstein-Gottorp (In Sweden)|House of Holstein-Gottorp]]
}}
{{Template group
|list =
{{Upper Rhenish Circle}}
{{Electors of the Holy Roman Empire after 1356}}
{{States of the German Confederation}}
}}
[[Category:House of Hesse-Kassel| ]]
[[Category:History of Hesse]]
[[Category:Royal families of Sweden]]
[[Category:States of the German Confederation]]
[[Category:States of the Holy Roman Empire]]
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