Q: An alternate Kalmar Union between Denmark, Norway and a non-HRE Germany against an expansive Sweden?
- Thread starter Mario
- Start date
This is not a Kalmar union this is a HRE which dominates Denmark and Norwway. If you want an alliance between Germany and Denmark-Norway I suggest a smaller state such as Pommerania or early Prussia
Pomerania or early Prussia would be pretty irrelevant in such union, I can't see why Denmark would be interested. It should be easier to just invade them.
These borders are more or less the borders of the IOTL Kingdom of Germany, HRE included part of Italy and Burgundy.
But why would Denmark want to go into a union with Germany? An alliance would serve the same purpose without being lorded over to much
By the same reasons they did it IOTL with Sweden (against the Hansa) but now reversing the roles between Sweden and Germany.
I really think that if you started from a POD and asked at each turn whether a certain event made sense, you'd quickly discard the idea.
A Pula to Trondheim Empire seems like the most beautiful logistical nightmare, that in comparison the blobby Swedish Empire bordering it definitely feels viable.
A Pula to Trondheim Empire seems like the most beautiful logistical nightmare, that in comparison the blobby Swedish Empire bordering it definitely feels viable.
If a dynasty rules both Denmark-Norway and HRE, it will simply be like the Habsburg and in that scenario it was not Bohemia, Hungary or Croatia which wagged the Austrians. Of course the good question is where the capital will be, there’s not really any North German cities as well place and strategic important as Vienna or Copenhagen, so that would have a interesting effect of a HRE with a de facto royal capital outside it, the result would be that the court dialect would be some kind of Low German heavily influenced by Danish.
First, its honestly impossible to have a Germany not linked to the HRE unless the Empire itself were abolished, or dissolved as a result of a successful war, and this is unlikely given the fact that the Imperial Knights would not likely submit to a Danish-dominated Kalmar Union. And if the Hapsburgs are the emperors, then its even more impossible.
Only plausible way for such to happen is if Denmark-Norway allied with France, but France was OTL allied with Sweden. so circumstances would have to be such that France sees more value in a Danish alliance than a Swedish one.
Then there's Poland-Lithuania. While they might lose the Baltic littoral and Prussia, they would be motivated to regain those territories, and if the Hapsburgs should be displaced as emperors, they could find a new home in the Commonwealth. The Austrians would want to regain their hausmachts (house territories) back and Poland wouid want the Baltic Coast back in their hands. They could even ally with Muscovy-Russia for the purpose.
Let's also not forget the future Dutch or England. The English would see the domination of the North Sea and English Channel as a threat to their security, prompting them to bury the hatchet with France and even begin supporting Dutch rebellions which could break out sooner than OTL. I would suspect that when Protestantism becomes widespread, there would be an alignment of sorts happening and the earlier outbreak of the 30 Years War
Technically, it could be possible - the title of "Roman Emperor" was tied to the kings of Italy during the late 9th-early 10th centuries. Maybe Lambert of Spoleto living longer and establishing his dynasty in Italy could help keep the title there instead of it falling to the German kings.
That would certainly put the screws to any efforts by France to claim the Imperial Title, and if the Pope is made Spiritual Ruler alongside, then it truly becomes a Holy Roman Empire