Leopold III
Leopold III (1905-1974) was Holy Roman Emperor as well as being Pretender to the throne of Bavaria. Born Albrecht Leopold Ferdinand Michael of the House of Wittelsbach, he was elected to the imperial throne in 1970 following the abdication of his predecessor. Most historians agree the Electors chose him out of a dislike for Bavaria's government, coupled with some nostalgia for the older nobility of the Empire and an unwillingness to settle on some other candidate. Even so, he only won the purple by one vote.
His reign was short and acrimonious, as he sought to increase the power of his office and even attempted to persuade others to repudiate the Treaty of Copenhagen and make the Wittelsbachs the new imperial dynasty. The Bavarian government, which had argued long and hard against Leopold, felt itself vindicated as the nascent Anti-Snorist Movement began using him as an example of what was wrong with all things royal.
For better or worse, he died of a stroke after sitting upon the imperial throne after less than three years.
| Preceded by: Stephan I |
 Holy Roman Emperor 1970-1974 |
Succeeded by: Konrad |
