The role of the religious factor in imperial consolidation during the reign of Leopold I (1658–1705)

 Importance. The influence of religious and confessional factors on the enemy image formation in German journalism during the reign of Leopold I is analyzed. The enemy image formation is an integral part of the national ideas and national identity formation processes. Research on this topic is especially important when studying the German national idea of the early modern period.Materials and Methods. The main source of the research is German political pamphlets of the last quarter of the 17th century from the collections of the Herzog August Library (Wolfenbüttel). Results and Discussion. An important component of the image of the enemy was the religious aspect. In the struggle against the Ottoman Empire, the appeal to religious themes stemmed from differences of religion. The enemy image was formed on the Christian world opposition basis to those of other faiths. To form a negative image of France, German publicists turned to the concept of a “good” and “bad” Christian. As a result, a negative image of the apostate French was formed, on the basis of which the French was also proclaimed a religious enemy. An important aspect of the negative perceptions of the French were the accusations made by German publicists against the policy of France, aimed, in their opinion, at inciting a confessional conflict with in the Empire. This made it possible to oppose the French to representatives of all three faiths as a common imperial enemy.Conclusion. The Austro-Turkish wars and the wars against Louis XIV found a wide response in German journalism. The authors sought to create a comprehensive, unquestionable image of the enemy, whose function was the internal consolidation of the German lands in the fight against a common danger.