A successful Danmark in the 30 Years' War

Was there ever a TL where Christian IV is more successful in Germany?
I have seen quite a few Swedewanks with a surviving and victorious Gustavus Adolphus, but nothing about a successful Denmark.

As in OTL, King Chistian intends to protect the Protestants in the HRE. As prince of the empire (he is Duke of Holstein), he is elected in 1626 as the war leader of the Lower Saxon Circle. He intends to march south towards Hesse and Thuringia and beat the imperial forces.

A obvious PoD would be a successful attack against Wallensteins forces - in OTL he misjudged the distances and decided to retreat to the city of Wolfenbüttel. Tillys forces intercepted the Danish forces at Lutter and beat them decisively, even the Danes had the stronger army. Christian IV had to sue for peace. AFAICT, the battle is far from a certain defeat for the Danish/Protestant side.

If they win their first battle and maybe even rout either Wallensteins or Tillys forces, it will be huge blow to the emperor and bring much prestige to the Danish king. Perhaps he can negotiate a deal with France for monetary support.

In this case, the war might end much earlier - it might be the Ten Years' War or have a completely different name. OTL, the king wanted to acquire the bishoprics of Bremen and Verden, but with a bigger success he also goes for the bishoprics of Halberstadt, Schwerin and Magdeburg (with a still unsacked capital city).

Additionally, the formalized position as protector of the protestant princes and permanent warlord of the Lower Saxon Circle might be possible - so he would expand his direct influence over the city of Hamburg and the principalities of Brunswick-Lunenburg and Mecklenburg. The county of Oldenburg will return to Denmark anyway.
In short, a veritable Danish-Lower German Great Power. along shores of the North Sea and the Weser and Elbe rivers. Striving for a electoral vote for Holstein seems the next logical step.

OTOH, this almost guarantees a close alliance of Sweden and Brandenburg against this rival. I also doubt that the United Provinces will be happy to see a new regional sea power emerge.

I confess, I thought about this because I think Christian IV is a really undervalued badass king. Just look at the Danish royal anthem.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kong_Christian_stod_ved_højen_mast

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said:
King Christian stood by the lofty mast
In mist and smoke;
His sword was hammering so fast,
Through Gothic helm and brain it passed;
Then sank each hostile hulk and mast,
In mist and smoke.

That is the king in the centre of picture, after battle, with one eye less than before it started.
RenaissanceCopenhagen-Marstrand-KingChristian-ptg.jpg
 
I might hazard to say that in the interests of Sweden, they may join the Catholic side in order to get at the Dane's Scanian possession, and it is likely that With Sweden on the Catholic side (and a presumably powerful force), there may be just as long and terrible war. If Denmark can't stop the Swedes, Maybe Poland-Lithuania switches sides in order to prevent a both Sweden and Hapsburgs from becoming too powerful. France and the United Provinces would definately give a hoot, and now Swedish ships are open to pillaging. Sweden's meteoric rise is cut down early and Denmark retains it's spot as the dominant Nordic for a little while longer.
 
If Sweden can be knocked out of the war and have the Catholic powers get defeated at the same time, could Denmark actually annex Brandenburg and northern Germany?
 
If Sweden can be knocked out of the war and have the Catholic powers get defeated at the same time, could Denmark actually annex Brandenburg and northern Germany?

Probably it's OTL desires (Bremen & Verden), and a few cities on the Elbe, Wismar, and possibly one of the Mecklenburgs, but Brandenburg is a stretch unless they are doing really well. Pomerania if they're good little allies. But too much beyond that might be pushing luck, especially if ITTL The UP and Poland (both less than thrilled with Denmark in any point in time) are still on the Protestant side as well. Having Brandenburg allotted to someone else however is not unfeasible.
 
With Denmark successful, then how would Sweden react to this? Would they be forced into compromising with the Danes or to seek a union with another German state to counter them? I thought of the idea about a Swedish-Prussian Union.
 
Could we see Denmark get the great power role that OTL went to Sweden?

I don't know much about this era - aside from playing as Christian IV in EUIII and conquering northern Germany, but I will eagerly follow!
 
Sweden and Denmark cooperated on Rügen so why not have that cooperation continue, ofcourse if the Danish intervention was more successful Sweden would probably continued its war with Poland
 
Could we see Denmark get the great power role that OTL went to Sweden?

I don't know much about this era - aside from playing as Christian IV in EUIII and conquering northern Germany, but I will eagerly follow!

I think, based off what I know, that it is entirely possible to get Denmark to replace Sweden as the Regional power.

Since this is about the 30 years war, I'll think of a POD around that time, with Denmark being more successful in the war in general, perhaps even gaining some German states.

Meanwhile you might have Sweden being much less successful, and having to pull out of the war, much like Denmark did in OTL. After that, with Denmark gaining some of the smaller north German states, they would be a power in the region and able to oppose Sweden. Denmark might then be able to slowly take Sweden out, and replace it as a power.
 
I think, based off what I know, that it is entirely possible to get Denmark to replace Sweden as the Regional power.

Since this is about the 30 years war, I'll think of a POD around that time, with Denmark being more successful in the war in general, perhaps even gaining some German states.

Meanwhile you might have Sweden being much less successful, and having to pull out of the war, much like Denmark did in OTL. After that, with Denmark gaining some of the smaller north German states, they would be a power in the region and able to oppose Sweden. Denmark might then be able to slowly take Sweden out, and replace it as a power.

Didn't Sweden only get involved because Denmark's defeat brough the imperial power to the Baltic? Without that threat, the Swedes might stay focused on Poland and Courland while Denmark gets to dominate northwestern Germany.
 
Didn't Sweden only get involved because Denmark's defeat brough the imperial power to the Baltic? Without that threat, the Swedes might stay focused on Poland and Courland while Denmark gets to dominate northwestern Germany.

Very true, I forgot about that. You could possibly have the Swedes being forced into the war in some way, or just less successful in Poland and Courland, making them less of a threat to the Danes.
 
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