> In 800 A.D., Ireland was made up of perhaps 150 separate kingdoms. At the same date, sparsely-populated Norway was divided into 31 principalities. By 1200 A.D., there were 200 autonomous city-states in Northern Italy. In the 14th century, Germany was made up of 600 autonomous realms.

–Jeb Smith

*Missing Monarchy: Correcting Misconceptions About The Middle Ages, Medieval Kingship, Democracy, and Liberty* (2024)