Independent Silesia in the HRE
- Thread starter wurtel99
- Start date
It was a part of the Bohemian duchy until the Prussian conquest, I guess Bohemia could be divided in two in a war and the Silesian duchy would go to a cadet line of the winning kingdom but I don't see him surviving Brandenburg-Prussia and the Habsburgs long term.
Before it was Bohemian, Silesia was tied to what passed as the Polish crown. Given Poland was quite fragmented, I don't think it's too implausible for the Silesian duchies to somehow join the HRE. Maybe it would be as some sort of anti-Bohemian scheme on the part of their Piast dukes. Bohemia's king had been a frequent competitor for the throne of the HRE, so actions that can theoretically weaken them is a reasonable strategy for their rivals. The HRE's electors also did not like a strong emperor, so retreating from attempts at direct rule over Silesia is a show of a good faith. And if it's the Premyslids we're talking about then they also had claim on the Hungarian throne if they want a second crown so there's no need to expand into Poland.
This is not implausible. But since this would likely require a 13th century POD its hard to say how things would actually look in the HRE later on as it could profoundly change the trajectory of Bohemia and other states in Germany. If we assume for the sake of argument a fairly strong butterfly net outside of Bohemia then I would think that Silesia fragments and ends up as a series of small German duchies. Most of the large German duchies did IOTL (Swabia, Saxony etc) and Silesia was also fairly divided IOTL but all the rulers there were under the aegis of the Bohemian crown. So the difference now is that all the Silesian duchies have Imperial immediacy. So each Duke gets a seat in the Reichstag, Silesia is encircled when Imperial reform occurs and all the organs of Imperial government that the Crown lands of Bohemia were exempted from IOTL would be effective in this ATL Silesia.
If the Reformation plays out similar to OTL I would expect most Bishoprics or church territory, at least in lower Silesia, to be secularized by the mid 17th century and most of the Dukes would likely be Protestant. That does have implications for the religious and political struggle in Germany in the 16th-17th centuries. Obviously we can't really talk about specifics since the circumstances would be so different with a POD several hundred years prior, even with a strong butterfly net.
If the Reformation plays out similar to OTL I would expect most Bishoprics or church territory, at least in lower Silesia, to be secularized by the mid 17th century and most of the Dukes would likely be Protestant. That does have implications for the religious and political struggle in Germany in the 16th-17th centuries. Obviously we can't really talk about specifics since the circumstances would be so different with a POD several hundred years prior, even with a strong butterfly net.
I'd say reduce number of Silesian Piasts. Silesia was insanely fragmented. But united Silesia would likely unite Poland in turn...
I think the most plausible scenario for something like this to happen would be Charles IV granting a son of his the title of (Arch?)Margrave of Silesia, with all the Silesian duchies made vassals of this figure.
From there, all you need is dynastic good luck for Silesia to centralise a little and remain under a Luxembourg cadet branch, which makes centralisation of the kingdom of Bohemia impossible, especially if a separate line of margraves of Moravia also survives. When it becomes time for imperial reform of the 15th/16th century, pressure from these great magnates could result in the distinction between the kingdoms of Bohemia and Germany to be erased, so that they have equal empire wide status to other immediate lords.
Alternatively, in order to better centralise the bohemian lands which they can reliably control, the king of Bohemia/emperor voluntarily transfers Silesia from the kingdom of Bohemia into the kingdom of Germany, potentially as part of the reformation.
From there, all you need is dynastic good luck for Silesia to centralise a little and remain under a Luxembourg cadet branch, which makes centralisation of the kingdom of Bohemia impossible, especially if a separate line of margraves of Moravia also survives. When it becomes time for imperial reform of the 15th/16th century, pressure from these great magnates could result in the distinction between the kingdoms of Bohemia and Germany to be erased, so that they have equal empire wide status to other immediate lords.
Alternatively, in order to better centralise the bohemian lands which they can reliably control, the king of Bohemia/emperor voluntarily transfers Silesia from the kingdom of Bohemia into the kingdom of Germany, potentially as part of the reformation.