The Peace of Westphalia also effected a change in the Imperial constitution. No doubt the form of the old constitution remained in tact in so far as still there was an Emperor and a body of Electors, a Diet and an Imperial Chamber, but the power of the Emperor was reduced to a considerable extent.

Each of the component state of Germany was given the power to make treaties and alliances on its own behalf without reference to the emperor. In fact Germany got di­vided into more than 300 principalities whose princes maintained their own courts, armies and laws.

As a result of this decentralization of power Germany lost all the unity or cohesion which it possessed. The emperor was reduced to the position of a titular ruler and his main function was to confer titles and confer tolls. In other words Germany became a sort of loose confederation of states devoid of any notion of national identity or political unity.

Apart from the constitutional changes, Germany also suffered enormously in the economic field. As a result of the Thirty Years’ War her population was considerably reduced. While most of them perished by the sword some also lost life due to famine or pestilence.

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The cities declined. Industry and agriculture also greatly suffered. As a result Germany was considerably weakened materially which resulted in moral and intellectual stagnation for quite some time.