The Federation of the Rhine

[Faeelin]

In the chaos after the 30 years war, the states of the Rhineland formed the Rhenish Federation in 1654. Its members were the rulers of cologne, julich-berg, munster, and the other rhenish electors. The elector Ferdinand Maria of Bavaria was to be crowned emperor ina french plan, but ferdinand didn't think he would win; it's quite possible that he would've won, because the federation would've preferred him.

In August of 1658, Bremen and Verden, under the King of Sweden, the landgrae of Hesse-Kessel, and the dukes of Brunswick as well.

Okay. The hapsburg election made the federation ally with france, which wasn't what john philip, its leader, wanted. So say that the duke of bavaria gets elected instead. Most of Western Germany is now in an alliance under the Emperor to defend Germany from the French. It still can't beat French on its own, but a successful federation paves the way for greater cooperation.

Thoughts?