ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Germanic monarchy

So, you know how sometimes you play pretend games, like being a princess or a king or queen? Well, a long long time ago, in a place called Germania, some people were playing that game for real! They didn't have presidents or prime ministers like we do now - instead, they had a special person called a monarch who was in charge of everything.

This monarch was kind of like the boss of the whole kingdom, or group of people living in an area together. They would make decisions and tell people what to do, but they also had to take care of everyone and make sure they were safe and happy.

The Germanic monarchies were a bit different from each other, but they all had some things in common. First of all, they got their power from their family. So if your dad or grandpa was the monarch, then you might become the monarch when they passed away. This was called a hereditary monarchy, which basically means the power was passed down through the family.

Secondly, the monarchs usually had a lot of control over the laws and rules in the kingdom. They might have advisors or a council to help them make decisions, but ultimately the monarch was the one who had the final say. Sometimes they even made the laws by themselves!

Overall, the Germanic monarchy was a way for people to have a leader who could guide them and keep them safe. It might seem weird to us now, but for a long time it was the way things were done!