AHC: Romans on the Baltic

The Romans put a lot of effort into England, perhaps they could have put less resources into things like Hadrian's Wall and used them to push north through Germany. Although they would only do it if there was a very very good reason.
 
Rome may not have went too far, but Romans went farther than commonly thought.. there was trading posts with *India*...

So, maybe indeed with a strong presence in England, traders in the northern lands?
 
Rome develops roads that curve, longbows, gunpowder, stirrups, horseshoes, ocean-going ships, plate armor, winterized clothing, heavy cavalry, proper mounted archers, and trebuchets. In short, not Rome.:(
 
They conquer a part of Northern Germany in the 1st century, establishing a small Baltic coast in Schleswig-Holstein to gain access to a maritime version of the Amber Road.

Honestly, it seems to me that any POD that gets the Romans to the Elbe should have this as a corollary. The Amber trade from the Baltic States down to Italy was a thriving money producer, and if one can get it directly from the Balts into Roman territory without going through Slavic barbarian middlemen, it'll turn a profit.
 
They conquer a part of Northern Germany in the 1st century, establishing a small Baltic coast in Schleswig-Holstein to gain access to a maritime version of the Amber Road.

Honestly, it seems to me that any POD that gets the Romans to the Elbe should have this as a corollary. The Amber trade from the Baltic States down to Italy was a thriving money producer, and if one can get it directly from the Balts into Roman territory without going through Slavic barbarian middlemen, it'll turn a profit.

Exactly what I was thinking. Something similar to the conquest of the Crimea might even be enacted where they simply nab a bit of territory along the coasts of Holland and Frisia before taking Jutland and the narrowest point.
 
Well, if they hadn't lost at Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD, they had a fighting chance. They conducted naval operations as far north as the Danish coast in 5 AD, and if the planned invasion of Germany had worked, then they could have easily built a naval presence, and maybe some small bases in the Baltic to support it.

I'm pretty sure some Roman traders were present on the Baltic coast anyway, the Amber trade was too valuable to keep them away.
 
I will not deny that victory at Teutoburg will be the more easy solution, but i'm wondering if he Romans, through the naval superiority in the Atlantic, could build outposts in the Baltic bypassing the German lands. Maybe, controlling only the Frison isles and then Fyn and Sjaelland without involving in Jutland will granted them control of the Baltic routes...
 
An even better POD would be no Teutoberg, possibly having a competent governor for Germania as opposed to Publius Quinctillius Vaurus. Someone who won't bring Arminius into his closest circle.
 
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