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After reading a lot Peter Wilson's book "Heart of Europe", I've come to truly appreciate the HRE for what it was, and what it wasn't. Never did it truly desire to become a unitary state, nor did it really "decentralize"; rather, change over time was more a reflection of continued legal attempts to delineate more specifically and more legally pre-existing rights. Emperor's didn't see themselves the same way as say, monarchs of France and Spain.

So here's my question: Can the HRE reform to a more federalized state by 1800? I'd imagine a reformed imperial diet that respected the rights of the individual states, yet providing more cohesion than in OTL.

I'd imagine we'd need a few steps:

1) A mitigated or somehow butterflied reformation to prevent splintering in the Imperial Diet.
2) It'd probably help if the Habsburgs stopped inbreeding. Alternate wives for a few monarchs, maybe?
3) Curbing the rise of Prussia.
4) Perhaps more external threats that force more central reforms through, such as a more effective diet to pass war taxes more consistently?

This thread from 2013 raises the question of Charles V taking another wife, and producing a son that would likely be raised in burgundy and inherit the Imperial title, while likely butterflying the troubles the Habsburgs faced in the region. Perhaps this could play into such a goal?

Anyways, I'd be interested to hear what steps you guys think the Empire could take, and perhaps iron out more specific details, if such a challenge can even be accomplished.

Note: I'm hoping for a PoD sometime after 1300 (i.e, not a medieval one)
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