ABSTRACT
The Emperor’s religious zeal made him too dependent on his confessors and ecclesiastical advisers, and this sometimes led to great intolerance against Protestants. The Court of the Emperor therefore included statesmen and generals of special ability, though also many courtiers without any significance. French enemies of Louis XIV’s regime, like Charles of Lorraine and Prince Eugene, set their hope on the Emperor. The Secret Conference, comparable to a Cabinet, towards the end of Leopold’s reign, comprised thirteen members of ministerial rank. The first war which Leopold had to wage was on behalf of Poland which had been attacked by Sweden, Brandenburg and Transylvania and was threatened with partition. The Emperor sent his best generals and troops to Poland, who fought for three years against her enemies and he also supported her with a diplomatic campaign. The Emperor and his ministers protected them but their Christian competitors hated them.
