How did Emperor Leopold I and his advisers respond to the weakening of the Holy Roman Empire by the ravages of the Thirty Years' War? They sided with the peasantry against the nobility. They gave control of Hungary to the Ottoman Turks. They promoted a new loyal nobility. They allied themselves more closely with the Bohemian nobility.

They promoted a new loyal nobility.<br /><br />The Thirty Years' War devastated the Holy Roman Empire, weakening the central authority of the Emperor and strengthening the power of individual princes. To counter this trend and rebuild imperial power, Leopold I and his advisors focused on creating a new nobility loyal to the Habsburg dynasty. They rewarded loyal service with titles, lands, and positions of power, thereby building a power base dependent on the Emperor.<br />