ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Imperial circle

Okay kiddo, so you know how when you go to the playground, there are different groups of kids playing together? Well, back in the olden days, different parts of Europe also had their own groups, called "states."

Now, these states would sometimes fight with each other, but other times they would work together to help protect each other. They would even have a special meeting where they would all come together and talk about how they could help each other.

This special meeting was called the "Imperial Circle." It was like a big group hug to help everyone feel safe and secure. This group was made up of different states or territories that were controlled by the Holy Roman Empire, which was sort of like a big club for rulers to join.

The Imperial Circle helped the states work together to protect themselves from dangers like wars and invasions. They would also help each other with things like building roads and trading goods.

So, just like you have your own group of friends to play with, the states of Europe had the Imperial Circle as their group to keep them safe and help them out.