alternatehistory.com

Central Europe 1600-50

One thing first: I took the freedom to move the discussion about the republic of Novorossiya to [thread=41358]a seperate thread[/thread]. We'll move on with the TL, and I don't want things to become too confusing.

And heeeeere's Central Europe 1600-50:

~1600: 100 years after the 20yr War, the German population has completely recovered and even grown further. The German nobles repeatedly raised taxes, which the peasants in Saxony, Thuringia, Franconia and Swabia can't pay anymore, because in these areas, the peasants divide their lands among all kids - so their plots become smaller and smaller. The revolters demand a "jubilee" (when all debts are to be cancelled), no lord except emperor, pope and God, liberation of the serfs, election of the clerics by the people, peace among Christians, restitution of their old rights and lower taxes. The uprisings are mixed with religious movements (which are, sadly, often antisemitic). Except for the Swiss confederation, the uprisings are defeated everywhere. Those who can, try their luck elsewhere - some going even to Atlantis.

1607: University of Gran (old capital of Hungary) re-founded.

1612: After the death of king Eduard I of the Netherlands, his younger sons receive small shares too (Namur and Friesland). Namur secedes soon and is subsequently swallowed by France.

1615: After the lost war against Vladimir-Suzdal, Poland elects mighty king Henry V of England new king.

1616-19: "Island uprising" in Corsica and Sardinia after trying to reform the administration too fast (after French example). Florence proves unable to overwhelm them again, but gets the promise from France that they won't try to conquer them.

1627-32: Second Swiss-Savoy war. At the beginning the Swiss are in advantage, but later the rebellion in England-Castille-Portugal (E-C-P) gives France the opportunity to strike against the Swiss. In the peace of Turin, the Swiss have to give the French-speaking area around Geneva, some fortresses in Alsace and at the Rhine (like Kehl) to France, and Savoy joins the Alliance des Alpes, becoming a French satellite.

1628: Florence, still grumbling, bribes the Portuguese commander of the fortress Ceuta, so he gives them the city, which they keep, to protect their connection to Atlantis.

1629: The disgraced commander of the Mediterranean fleet, a duke Francisco of Alvarez, goes to Sicily, together with the occupation forces fled from the Marches and Algeria, sets up the (unrecognized) kingdom of Sicily (incl. Tunis, Malta, the Baleares). Threatened by the Seljuks, he makes an alliance with France.

1630-35: France and Denmark-Braunschweig fight the Netherlands in the Anti-Dutch war. In the peace of Bremen, the Dutch choose to keep their Caribbean colonies, give Denmark-Braunschweig Nieuw Nederlands. France gets a good part of Flanders and all of Hennegau / Hainaut. As the Dutch say, now their Silver Age has also ended.

1631: Florentines finally part with E-C-P, since the Florentines want to annex the Duchy of the Marches. They make a compromise with France: While the former Papal state is still nominally under the pope, Florence will "administrate" it for him. This is also seen as a compensation for the pope staying in Avignon, while many Italians still wish for his return to Rome. In addition, Florence has to allow France's ally Venice to annex the more valuable North: Bologna, Ferrara and Ravenna.

1634: Spain and Sicily make a contract: Spain acknowledges the independence of Sicily (not however, the fact that Sicily is a kingdom), get the Baleares back.
King, duke and elector Ernst V of Denmark-Braunschweig dies without a son, makes his daughter Margarethe new queen.

1637: Poland joins the HREGN, to be better protected against the Russians, and even gets one electoral vote. Its German neighbors secretly claim that this is for keeping them in check.

1638: Reforms in the Netherlands after the lost war give more power to the parliament, which is democratically elected by all adult men who own a house above a certain value.

1639: Sicily conquers Corsica and Sardinia with their fleet. France and Castille are preoccupied and can't interfere.
Princess Mary of Spain's plan to marry her sister Isabella to "the other Francisco", king of Sicily, fails.

1640: Queen Kristina of Sweden, Northern Norway and Mecklenburg founds the Baltic alliance with Prussia, Brandenburg-Silesia and Franconia-Pomerania against Polish or Russian threats.

1642: Government of the "Twin princes" Francois / Ferenc III (also king of Poland) and Charles / Károly IV begins. Introducing enlightened absolutism, they practice religious tolerance, thus stabilizing the until then very shaky Hungary (having Catholics in Hungary and Slovakia, Orthodox in Transsylvania and Bohemian brothers in, well, Bohemia, made governing the state extremely difficult). Even the Jews and Muslims in the country profit from the new tolerance.

Read [post=724945]more about the Twin princes[/post]!


And in addition: The kings of central Europe 1500-1650!

Holy Roman kings and emperors:
Karl V of Luxemburg 1495-1511
Franz I of Berry/France 1511-35 (emperor since 1514)
Karl VI of France (*1505) 1535-56 (emperor since 1537)
Karl VII 1556-83 (emperor since 1559)
Franz II 1583-86 (emperor in 1586)
Alexander of Scotland 1586-88
Eduard of Geldern 1588-1612 (emperor-elect)
Waldemar "Cicero" of Brandenburg 1612-48 (emperor-elect)
Karl VIII of Bourbon/Hungary 1648- (emperor since 1652)

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Kings of the Netherlands:
Wassenberg dynasty of Geldern
Reinald III the Old (*1469) 1492-1559
Otto (*1510) 1559-66
Reinald IV (*1540) 1566-68 (+1625)
Eduard I (*1547) 1568-1612
Eduard II (*1574) 1612-

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Kings of Poland:
Wladyslaw VIII (*1454) 1463-1505
Boleslaw VII (*1486) 1505-42
Boleslaw VIII (*1514) 1542-84

Elected monarchs:
Alexander / Aleksander of Scotland 1584-88
Louis / Ludwik of Hungary/Bourbon 1588-1615
Henry / Henryk V of England 1615-20
Erich / Eryk of Sweden 1620-36
Francois / Franciszek of Hungary/Bourbon 1636-42

Stanislaw of Opaliński 1642-

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Kings of Hungary:
Wittelsbach dynasty:
Ludwig / Lajos V (*1479) 1492-1502

Seljuk occupation, end of state

Bourbon dynasty:
Francois / Ferenc I (*1531) 1574-1615
Francois / Ferenc "the impotent" II (*1559) 1615-42
Francois / Ferenc III (*1592) 1642-47
Charles / Károly IV (*1592) 1647-

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Kings of Bohemia:
Elective kings:
Georgy II 1500-06
Jan III the Old / the Good (*1465) 1506-1555
Georgy III (*1506) 1555-61
Jan IV (*1535) 1561-87 (+1616)

Conquest by Hungary, end of state

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Dukes of Carinthia, Styria, Austria and Silesia:
Heinrich III (*1422) 1459-1502
Ottokar III (*1457) 1502-11

End of state, division between Württemberg and Brandenburg

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Lords of Florence:

Medici family / dynasty:
Dukes of Florence:
Giovanni I (*1455) 1479-1501
Piero II (*1483) 1501-23
Lorenzo I (*1490) 1523-65
Lorenzo II (*1545) 1565-75

Grand Dukes of Florence:
Lorenzo II 1575-90
Giovanni II (*1551) 1590-1630
Piero III (*1588) 1630-38
Giovanni III (*1624) 1638-

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Kings of Sicily:
Álvarez dynasty
Francisco I (*1569) 1628-41
José (*1606) 1641-