Hey, guys! Long time lurker here, and first-time alt-history writer. As this is my first time writing anything alternate history related, please give me feedback on areas I should improve on. This timeline is a work in progress, and more details will be filled in soon, both inside this time frame and after it. As it stands, this is more of an outline than anything remotely finished, but I really desire feedback on the general flow of events.
The Timeline
1198: Heinrich VI passes the Erbreichsplan at the Diet of Aachen, thus ending the elective monarchy of the Holy Roman Empire. The title of Emperor now passes hereditarily. Minor concessions made to nobility.
1204: The Fourth Crusade is launched by Venice, and backed by the Holy Roman Empire, against the Byzantine Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire is dissolved, and a new "Latin Empire" is founded in its place.
1208 - 1212: The Imperial-Guelf conflict between Heinrich VI von Hohenstaufen and Otto IV von Guelf (Plus their respective supporters) started when Otto IV raised his flag in rebellion against the Emperor in opposition to the Erbreichsplan. Otto IV both wanted to claim the Imperial Throne and also to reduce the Hohenstaufen dynasty growing influence inside the Empire. The conflict lasted 4 years, and ultimately resulted in the Imperial party's victory. All Welf possessions in Bavaria are confiscated by the Hohenstaufen Dynasty, and subsequently incorporated into their domain.
1212 - 1220: After Hohenstaufen Castle was destroyed in the Guelf Rebellion, Heinrich VI used lands confiscated from Otto IV to build a new castle at Nuremberg. This city would eventually become the Capital of the Empire.
1225: When his Father Heinrich VI died, Friedrich II took the Imperial Throne. Although previous emperors had made the journey to Rome in order to be crowned, Friedrich II demanded that the Pope travel to Germany to Crown Friedrich. When the Pope refused, Friedrich II excommunicated the Pope, removed him from office, and set up a new pope in his place. This act firmly established Friedrich II above the Papacy, renewing the age-old tensions between Emperor and Pope.
1245: The Swabian Bull of 1245 was a legal document which explicitly listed and expanded the Hohenstaufen demesne (lands hereditary to the family) inside Swabia. Also listed in the document was the holdings of all other dukes, counts, and barons in Southern Germany. This document can be seen as a direct imitation of the Doomsday Book (A similar document made in England in the 11th century). By the Swabian Bull, 50% of the Duchy of Swabia became part of the Hohenstaufen demesne.
1254: Conrad II is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. His reign focused primarily on squashing German rebellions. Conrad also passed many reforms, including the standardization of measurements and weights, the destruction of multiple rebellious dukes' castles, and the institution of the first gold based tax in the history of the Empire. By this point, a money economy was returning to Europe, towns were growing, and with them a new middle class of literate, skilled workers.
1291 - 1304: The tensions raised during Friedrich II's and Conrad II's reign between Emperor and pope reached a breaking point when Adolf I again demanded the Pope to travel to Germany for his Coronation. The Welf Dynasty allied itself with the Papacy, as did many Lombard cities, forming what is now known as the Second Lombard League. Adolf's forces were raised from his vast personal holdings in Swabia and from the hundreds of Free Imperial Cities across Germany. By the end of the war, both factions were exhausted, and signed a compromise in Milan. This compromise gave the prominent Italian Cities nearly complete autonomy in return for a special tax on trade goods. The Pope was separated from Imperial elections and coronations completely.
1315: The rise of the Sultanate led by Osman I was a matter of grave concern to the weak Latin Empire, and thus to the HRE as well. Emperor Adolf I called for a crusade against the Ottoman Turks in 1309 after their conquest of Nicea. The crusade halted Ottoman expansion to the west for the next century.
1320: Coronation of Friedrich III, son of Adolf I, who continued to expand the Hohenstaufen domain inside Swabia.
1348: The Golden Bull of 1348 was a legal decree issued by the Imperial Diet at Nuremberg headed by the Emperor which fixed important aspects of the constitutional structure of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Kingdom of Germany would be divided into 6 Imperial Circles for administrative purposes, each one having its own (limited) courts.
Greater autonomy was given to the Lombard league cities in Italy (Venice, Milan, Florence, etc). The Kingdom of Italy was placed outside of the direct rule of the Holy Roman Emperor, essentially (but not formally) giving the Pope and Lombard league complete autonomy over their own affairs.
The Holy Roman Emperor would now collect a special tax from all fiefs inside the empire. State monopolies on silk, iron, and grain were established, and Tariffs inside the empire were lifted. Tolls were established on major roads.
Prohibited bearing arms without permission. To counter revolts, a standing army of Sicilian mercenaries was created, who were loyal only to the Emperor. The nobility were forced to destroy any castle which was built without the authorization of the Emperor. Also established was a ban on selling fiefs in order to prevent continued subinfeudation. All vassals of the emperor were made subject to the emperor's taxes, legislation, and judgment. The cities and baronage were deprived of the rights of penal justice. These rights would be transferred to the Emperor alone.
These reforms turned the Kingdom of Germany into the first absolutist state in Europe. Outraged by the revocation of their ancient rights, nearly all of the nobility of Germany raised their flags in rebellion, and refused to ratify the constitution of Nuremberg. Thus began the Barons War.
1359 - 1420: Although he had lost the support of most of the greater nobility, The Emperor still maintained powerful allies who would assist him during the conflict. Chief among these were the Pope (who was appeased by the concessions made to the pope at the Diet of Nuremberg), and the King of Bohemia (Who was granted major exemptions in the constitution due to his power in the east). The Emperor drew upon the resources of Swabia and Sicily, crushing rebellion after rebellion for the next eighty-five years. The Pope excommunicated most of the German Nobility, marking one of the first times the Pope and Emperor co-operated in a war.
1420:The Barons War ended with the Second Diet of Nuremberg, where the constitution put forth eighty-two years ago was finally ratified. Both factions were incredibly shaken by the 82 years of warfare. By this point, three emperors had taken part in the war, along with 5 anti-kings, and a dozen anti-popes. The land was pillaged and burned during the war, and plague had wrecked havoc on both sides. It would take a century for Germany to fully recover its grandeur. The church had become a shell of its former self, now nothing more than a puppet for various political leaders to manipulate. Germany and Italy had essentially split, bringing into question the legitimacy of the title of “holy roman emperor”.
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Again, this is my first attempt at writing anything alternate history related. I'm open to feedback of any sort. My primary concerns right now are how quickly the HRE seems to centralize in this timeline after the Erbreichsplan... I really don't know what the right speed is for centralization. I know that in France it took till the 1700's.