A question on Hanoverian succession

No it's not about a united Hanover and Great Britain :rolleyes:
I was wondering could Catholics inherit the Electorate of Hanover. Younger brother of George I, Max Wilhelm was a Catholic and what if George I died as a child or something like that? The second son, Frederick August would become the Duke and his early death in a battle would be butterflied away. Suppose the the primogeniture succession is chosen like OTL, Max would would still conspire and get exiled as OTL. He goes to Austria and becomes a Catholic. Of course, no possibility of being in the British line of succession but what about Hanover? If Frederick leaves no sons, salic law says he is the heir. Frederick Augustus, Elector of Saxony converted to Catholicism to become the King of Poland but somehow i don't see Max inheriting. It sounds like a Catholic King of Prussia :eek:

So, any thoughts?
 
Yes, Catholics inheriting Protestant realms (or vice versa, or Calvinists inheriting from Protestants, etc.) was hardly uncommon in Germany. Indeed, the Electorate of Hanover only became an Electorate because the Protestant Elector Palatine was succeeded by a Catholic, and they wanted to maintain the same number of Protestant electors. It's not hard to imagine something similar happening in Hanover.
 
Yes, Catholics inheriting Protestant realms (or vice versa, or Calvinists inheriting from Protestants, etc.) was hardly uncommon in Germany. Indeed, the Electorate of Hanover only became an Electorate because the Protestant Elector Palatine was succeeded by a Catholic, and they wanted to maintain the same number of Protestant electors. It's not hard to imagine something similar happening in Hanover.

So, would it mean that Hanover doesn't become an Electorate? The Emperor promised to give Hanover an electoral status after the Palatinate was inherited by a Catholic. However, it only became an Electorate in 1708. By that time, ITTL the Hanoverian ruler would also be a Catholic. Could the electoral status be given to other state instead, or Hanover would still be included (forcing the Emperor to indicate two other Protestant states to become Electorates)?
 
Uhura thanks for the link! :)

Oh and the Elector Palatine was a catholic in 1685. Maybe a different duke (Frederick Henry instead of George) would affect the Nine Years' War and ends up with France taking more Imperial territory? But the Neuburg would probably keep the Electoral title and the vote in the election of the Emperor. So Frederick would probably still become an elector, but what happens when he dies and his Catholic brother becomes the Elector? The butterflies are incredible :D
It also affects Maximilian's possible marriage and succession. He had younger brothers, who might not all die as OTL (except the youngest one who became a Prince-Bishop i think). That would require another Elector but I think the Emperor would be running out of excuses for making new ones and he might be running out of nobles powerful enough and friendly to him. It could be solved in a war similar to one of the Succession Wars of the 18th century :D
Maybe someone frome Hesse or Mecklenburg can become an Elector with both Palatinate and Hannover going Catholic?
 
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So, would it mean that Hanover doesn't become an Electorate? The Emperor promised to give Hanover an electoral status after the Palatinate was inherited by a Catholic. However, it only became an Electorate in 1708. By that time, ITTL the Hanoverian ruler would also be a Catholic. Could the electoral status be given to other state instead, or Hanover would still be included (forcing the Emperor to indicate two other Protestant states to become Electorates)?

Yes and no. Legally the Electorate already existed in 1692, when Ernst August was designated Elector by Leopold I. However, it wasn't approved by the Diet until 1708, when the appointment became official. Assuming that Max inherits the throne before Hanover is accepted by the Diet, then the appointment could, I suppose, be rejected and a Protestant appointing in his place. However, I can't really think of a Protestant state in the early 1700s in a position to be elevated to an Electorate.

Uhura thanks for the link! :)

Oh and the Elector Palatine was a catholic in 1685. Maybe a different duke (Frederick Henry instead of George) would affect the Nine Years' War and ends up with France taking more Imperial territory? But the Neuburg would probably keep the Electoral title and the vote in the election of the Emperor. So Frederick would probably still become an elector, but what happens when he dies and his Catholic brother becomes the Elector? The butterflies are incredible :D
It also affects Maximilian's possible marriage and succession. He had younger brothers, who might not all die as OTL (except the youngest one who became a Prince-Bishop i think). That would require another Elector but I think the Emperor would be running out of excuses for making new ones and he might be running out of nobles powerful enough and friendly to him. It could be solved in a war similar to one of the Succession Wars of the 18th century :D
Maybe someone frome Hesse or Mecklenburg can become an Elector with both Palatinate and Hannover going Catholic?

Maximilian wouldn't be the Elector if he inherits before the appointment is approved by the Diet. It could easily be rejected. At that point only Brandenburg-Prussia was officially Protestant (although Saxony's government remained Protestant, in spite of their Catholic Elector). So we could either see yet another Elector appointed (probably Hesse) or just ignore it. By that point the titles were basically empty prestige positions, so the Emperor (Leopold or Josef) might just allow a Catholic majority. After all, its not like there was ever a real chance of getting a Protestant Emperor of the HRE.
 
constantine thanks that helps a lot. Say i do go with this TL, Frederick Henry leaves a daughter to become the British queen (born in the 1690s), who does she marry? How would Britain look? And how would the lack of George I affect the Imperial Army in the War of Spanish Succession (he was a general so could things change a bit with someone else in command?)
 
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