View source for History of Hanover (region)

{{For|history of the city of Hanover|Hanover#History|Timeline of Hanover}}
{{Single source |date=October 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
'''Hanover''' ({{langx|de|link=no|Hannover}}) is a territory that was at various times a principality within the [[Holy Roman Empire]], an [[Electorate of Hanover|Electorate]] within the same, an independent [[Kingdom of Hanover|Kingdom]], and a subordinate [[Province of Hanover|Province]] within the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]. The territory was named after its capital, the city of [[Hanover]], which was the principal town of the region from 1636. In contemporary usage, the name is used only for the city. Most of the historical territory of Hanover forms the greater part of the [[states of Germany|German state]] of [[Lower Saxony]] but excludes certain areas.

== Formation ==
Hanover was formed by the union of several [[dynastic]] divisions of the Duchy of [[Brunswick-Lüneburg]], with the sole exception of [[Duchy of Brunswick|Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]]. From 1714 to 1837, it was joined in a [[personal union]] with the United Kingdom, which terminated upon the accession in Britain of [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]], as in Hanover, a woman could not rule if there was a male descendant. Until 1803, when it was occupied by French and Prussian troops, Hanover was a constituent state of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]; when it regained independence in 1814, Hanover was raised to a kingdom, which lasted until 1866.

== Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg ==
{{main|Brunswick–Lüneburg}}

The title "[[Brunswick-Lüneburg|Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg]]" ({{langx|de|link=no|Herzog zu Braunschweig und Lüneburg}}) was held, from 1235, by various members of the [[House of Welf|Welf]] family who ruled several small territories in northwest Germany.  These holdings did not have all of the formal characteristics of a state, being neither compact nor indivisible. When several sons of a Duke competed for power, the lands were often divided between them; when a branch of the family lost power or became extinct, the lands were reallocated among surviving members of the family; different dukes might also exchange territories. The territories were named after notable towns where the dukes had (or had had at one time) their residences, e.g. [[Calenberg Castle|Calenberg]], [[Göttingen]], [[Grubenhagen Castle (Einbeck)|Grubenhagen]], [[Lüneburg]], [[Wolfenbüttel]]. The unifying element of all these territories was that they were ruled by male-line descendants of Duke [[Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg]], nephew of the [[Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV]].

=== Principality of Lüneburg ===
{{main|Principality of Lüneburg}}
The line that would lead to the House of Hanover was that of Bernard, one of the three sons of Duke [[Magnus II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|Magnus II]] who had jointly ruled a united Duchy of Brunswick since 1388, but who partitioned the territory in 1428 and 1432.  Bernard received the territory of [[Principality of Lüneburg|Lüneburg]], whose principal town was [[Celle]].

From 1527 until 1642 the Principality of Harburg, seated in [[Harburg (quarter)#History|Harburg]], was partitioned from Lüneburg. In 1569, Lüneburg was divided between [[Henry III, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|Henry III]] (''line of Dannenberg'') and [[William VI, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|William VI]] (''line of Lüneburg''), the sons of [[Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|Ernest the Confessor]], Bernard's great-great-grandson.

A distant cousin of the line of Lüneburg, [[Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|Frederick Ulrich]], who ruled the territories of Wolfenbüttel and Calenberg, died in 1634. After some dispute, his territories were divided in 1635 between the Dannenberg and Celle branches of the Lüneburg line. Henry III's son [[Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|Augustus]] became Duke of [[Duchy of Brunswick|Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]] and his descendants eventually ruled the Duchy of Brunswick.

William's first four sons ruled Lüneburg in sequence from their father's death in 1592 to 1648. The fifth son, [[George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|George]] received the territories of Calenberg and Göttingen in 1635. In 1636 he moved the seat of the Dukes of Calenberg from [[Pattensen]] to the town of [[Hannover]] in the Calenberg territory. This was the nucleus of the state of Hanover, though the territory would have to wait until 1814 before receiving ''Hanover'' as its official name.

In 1648, the Duke of Calenberg inherited Lüneburg from his uncle Frederick, the last survivor of William's five sons. From 1648 to 1705, Lüneburg (the larger territory) was held by the senior of the Lüneburg line, and Calenberg by the next junior.

In 1692, the [[Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor]] promised to raise the Duke of Calenberg, [[Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover|Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg]] to the rank of [[Prince-elector|Elector]].  This promotion did not become effective until it was recognized by the [[Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)|Imperial Diet]] in 1708, ten years after Ernest Augustus's death.

In the meantime, his son, [[George I of Great Britain|George Louis]], inherited Lüneburg from his uncle in 1705, doubling Hanover's size.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan=4 | Dukes of Brunswick and Lüneburg in [[Principality of Lüneburg|Lüneburg]] and Calenberg
|-
!Image
!Name
!Date
!Notes
|-
| [[File:William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.jpg|80px]]
| [[William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|William]]
| 1559–1592
| Ruled with his brother Henry to 1569, and alone Lüneburg thereafter.
|-
|
| Ernest II
| 1592–1611
| Eldest son of William, ruled Lüneburg.
|-
|
| Christian
| 1611–1633
| Second son of William, ruled Lüneburg.
|-
|
| Augustus
| 1633–1636
| Third son of William, ruled Lüneburg
|-
|
| Frederick
| 1636–1648
| Fourth son of William, ruled Lüneburg
|-
| [[File:Georg (Braunschweig-Calenberg) Residenzmuseum Celle.JPG|80px]]
| [[George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|George]]
| 1635–1641
| Fifth son of William. Ruled in Calenberg and [[Principality of Göttingen|Göttingen]], moved his ducal seat to Hannover in 1636.
|-
| [[File:Christian Ludwig Braunschweig-Lüneburg (1).JPG|80px]]
| [[Christian Louis, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|Christian Louis]]
| 1641–1665
| Son of preceding. Ruled in Calenberg to 1648, when he inherited the [[Principality of Lüneburg]] from his uncle Frederick and ruled there thereafter.
|-
| [[File:Georg-Wilhelm.jpg|80px]]
| [[George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|George William]]
| 1648–1705
| Brother of preceding. Ruled in Calenberg to 1665, and Lüneburg thereafter. Acquired the Duchy of [[Saxe-Lauenburg]] in 1689.
|-
| [[File:Johann Hulsmann - Joh Friedrich Herzog von Braunschweig-Luneberg-Kalenburg - 1675.jpg|80px]]
| [[John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|John Frederick]]
| 1665–1679
| Brother of preceding. Ruled in Calenberg only.
|-
| [[File:Celle Schloss Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover 01.JPG|80px]]
| [[Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg|Ernest Augustus I]]
| 1679–1698
| Brother of preceding. Ruled in Calenberg. Awarded the rank of Elector in 1692.
|-
| [[File:GeorgeIKneller1714.jpg|80px]]
| [[George I of Great Britain|George Louis]]
| 1698–1708
| Son of preceding. Inherited the territory of Lüneburg and the duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg from his uncle George William in 1705. Installed as Elector in 1708.
|}

== Electorate of Hanover 1708–1814 ==
{{main|Electorate of Hanover}}

In 1692, the Holy Roman Emperor, [[Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold I]], elevated George's son, Duke [[Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg|Ernest Augustus]] to the rank of [[prince-elector|Elector]] of the Empire as a reward for aid given in the [[Nine Years' War]]. There were protests against the addition of a new Elector, and the elevation did not become official (with the approval of the [[Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)|Imperial Diet]]) until 1708, in the person of Ernest Augustus's son, [[George I of Great Britain|George Louis]]. Though the Elector's titles were properly ''Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg'' and ''Elector of the Holy Roman Empire'', he is commonly referred to as the ''Elector of Hanover'' after his residence.

[[File:Hanover1720.png|thumb|Sketch map of Hanover, {{circa|1720}}, showing the relative locations of Hanover, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück. Hanover acquired Bremen-Verden in 1719.]]
The Electorate was legally bound to be indivisible: it could add to its territory, but not alienate territory or be split up among several heirs; and its succession was to follow male primogeniture. The territory assigned to the Electorate included the Brunswick-Lüneburg principalities of Calenberg, Grubenhagen, and Lüneburg (even though at the time Lüneburg was ruled by Ernest Augustus's older brother) and the counties of [[County of Diepholz|Diepholz]] and [[County of Hoya|Hoya]].

[[George I, King of Great Britain|George Louis]] became king of [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] in 1714 (see [[House of Hanover]]). The influence of the electors in Germany grew also: they inherited the formerly [[Sweden|Swedish]] territories of [[Duchy of Bremen|Bremen]] and [[Prince-Bishopric of Verden|Verden]] in 1719. As part of the [[German Mediatisation]] of 1803, the Electorate received the [[Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück]].

The Electorate became a battleground during the [[Seven Years' War]] following the French [[Invasion of Hanover (1757)|Invasion of Hanover]]. In the [[Convention of Klosterzeven]] it was agreed that Hanover should be [[Neutrality (international relations)|neutral]] with large parts of the Electorate occupied by French forces. [[George II of Great Britain|George II]] subsequently revoked the convention, and the re-formed [[Hanoverian Army of Observation|Army of Observation]] counter-attacked and drove the French from the Electorate. Subsequent French attacks were repulsed.

In 1803, the Electorate of Hanover was occupied by France after the [[Convention of Artlenburg]]. From 1807 to 1813, the Hanoverian territory was part of the [[Kingdom of Westphalia]]. However, the government of George III did not recognize the French annexation (being at war continuously with France through the entire period) and Hanoverian ministers continued to operate from London. The Hanoverian government maintained its own separate diplomatic service, which maintained links to countries such as [[Austria]] and [[Prussia]], with whom the United Kingdom itself was technically at war. The [[Hanoverian Army]] was dissolved, but many of the officers and soldiers went to England, where they formed the [[King's German Legion]] (KGL). The KGL was the only German army to fight continually throughout the Napoleonic wars against the French, and played an important part in the [[Battle of Waterloo]] in 1815.

Although the [[Holy Roman Empire]] was dissolved in 1806, George III's government did not consider the dissolution to be final, and he continued to be styled "Elector of Hanover" down to 1814.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan=4 | Electors of Hanover
|-
! Image
! Name
! Date
! Notes
|-
| [[File:King George I by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (2).jpg|80px]]
| [[George I of Great Britain|George I]]
| 1708–1727
| George Louis, son of Ernest Augustus I. Became [[King of Great Britain]] in 1714. Acquired Bremen and Verden in 1719.
|-
| [[File:George II of Great Britain - 1730-50.jpg|80px]]
| [[George II of Great Britain|George II]]
| 1727–1760
| Son of preceding.
|-
| [[File:George III of the United Kingdom.jpg|80px]]
| [[George III of the United Kingdom|George&nbsp;III]]
| 1760–1814
| Grandson of preceding. Became King of the United Kingdom (including Ireland) in 1801. Abandoned Electoral title and became King of Hanover in 1814.
|}
{{Electors of the Holy Roman Empire after 1356}}
{{Lower Saxon Circle}}

== Kingdom of Hanover 1814–1866 ==
{{main|Kingdom of Hanover}}

In 1813, [[George III of the United Kingdom|George III]] was restored to his Hanoverian territories, and in October 1814 they were erected into the independent '''Kingdom of Hanover''' at the [[Congress of Vienna]]. The Congress of Vienna instituted a territorial exchange between Hanover and [[Prussia]], in which Hanover increased its area substantially, gaining the [[Bishopric of Hildesheim]], [[East Frisia]], the Lower County of [[Lingen]] and the northern part of the [[Bishopric of Münster]]. It lost the parts of the [[Duchy of Lauenburg]] to the right of the [[Elbe]] and several small [[exclave]]s in the east.

The [[personal union]] with the United Kingdom ended in 1837 on the accession of [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] because the [[semi-Salic]] succession laws in Hanover prevented a female from inheriting the throne if there was a male descendant.

In the [[Austro-Prussian War]] of 1866, Hanover was annexed by [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] and became the [[Province of Hanover]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan=4 | Kings of Hanover
|-
! Image
! Name
! Date
! Notes
|-
| [[File:George III of the United Kingdom.jpg|80px]]
| [[George III of the United Kingdom|George III]]
| 1814–1820
| George III was mentally unfit during these years, and power was exercised by a regency.
|-
| [[File:King George IV when Prince Regent (1762-1830), by Henry Bone.jpg|80px]]
| [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV]]
| 1820–1830
| Son of preceding. Regent 1811–1820.
|-
| [[File:William.IV.of.Great.Britain.JPG|80px]]
| [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William IV]]
| 1830–1837
| Brother of preceding. Last monarch to rule both Hanover and the United Kingdom.
|-
| [[File:ErnestAugustusI.jpg|80px]]
| [[Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover|Ernest Augustus]]
| 1837–1851
| Brother of preceding. The accession of [[Queen Victoria]] separated the crowns of the United Kingdom and Hanover, and the latter passed to her uncle.
|-
| [[File:Georgv.jpg|80px]]
| [[George V of Hanover|George V]]
| 1851–1866
| Son of preceding. Lost his territories to [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] in the [[Austro-Prussian war]].
|}

{{States of the German Confederation}}

==Province of Hanover 1866–1946==
{{main|Province of Hanover}}
The '''Province of Hanover''' ({{langx|de|link=no|Provinz Hannover}}) was a [[Provinces of Prussia|province]] of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] and the [[Free State of Prussia]] from 1868 to 1946.

In 1946, the British military administration made the Province of Hanover the main part of the [[States of Germany|land]] of [[Lower Saxony]], along with the states of [[Free State of Oldenburg|Oldenburg]], [[Free State of Brunswick|Brunswick]], and [[Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe|Schaumburg-Lippe]], with the city of [[Hanover]] as the capital of the new state.

== See also ==
*[[Province of Hanover]]
*[[King's German Legion]]
*[[House of Hanover]]
*[[Ernst zu Münster]]
*[[German Chancery]]
* [[Timeline of Hanover]] city

==Further reading==
* {{Citation 
|publisher = Ward, Lock & Co. 
|location = London 
|title = Haydn's Dictionary of Dates 
|author = Benjamin Vincent 
|title-link = Haydn's Dictionary of Dates 
|edition = 25th 
|date = 1910 
|chapter=Hanover
|hdl = 2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t41r6xh8t?urlappend=%3Bseq=674 
|chapter-url = http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t41r6xh8t?urlappend=%3Bseq=674
| ref = {{harvid|Haydn|1910}}
}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.hoeckmann.de/germany/lowersaxony.htm Map of Lower Saxony 1789]
*[http://www.heraldica.org/topics/royalty/HGBraunschweig.htm Succession laws in the House of Welf]
*{{in lang|de}} [http://www.welfen.de Die Welfen], the official homepage of the House of Welf.

{{Rulers of Hanover}}

[[Category:History of Hanover (region)| ]]