AHC Super Saxony

Your challenge should you choose to accept it is to have a low Saxon state stretching from Memel to calais and Jutland to Mainz
Bonus points if you can Silesia and have it majority low saxon speaking
 
There's no reason why it couldn't happen, but it would merely be a result of favorable dynastic politics that makes the Duke of Saxony ruler of more and more lands around it. So it is mere fortune and chance (or in the case east of the Elbe, favorable conquest during the Wendish Crusades. Assuming someone assembles such a personal dynastic domain by the Renaissance period, it can become institutionalized with permanent borders. Of course, such a super Saxony would be well placed to control the Holy Roman Empire at some point, so what you are really talking about is a united Germany politically dominated by the Low German speakers.
 
There's no reason why it couldn't happen, but it would merely be a result of favorable dynastic politics that makes the Duke of Saxony ruler of more and more lands around it. So it is mere fortune and chance (or in the case east of the Elbe, favorable conquest during the Wendish Crusades. Assuming someone assembles such a personal dynastic domain by the Renaissance period, it can become institutionalized with permanent borders. Of course, such a super Saxony would be well placed to control the Holy Roman Empire at some point, so what you are really talking about is a united Germany politically dominated by the Low German speakers.
There's no reason why it couldn't happen, but it would merely be a result of favorable dynastic politics that makes the Duke of Saxony ruler of more and more lands around it. So it is mere fortune and chance (or in the case east of the Elbe, favorable conquest during the Wendish Crusades. Assuming someone assembles such a personal dynastic domain by the Renaissance period, it can become institutionalized with permanent borders. Of course, such a super Saxony would be well placed to control the Holy Roman Empire at some point, so what you are really talking about is a united Germany politically dominated by the Low German speakers.
Traditional saxon inheritance laws would make the possibility of this just happening via dynastic luck very very unlikely.
You will at the very least need to change them
 
The first thing I would do is have Charlemagne beaten sufficiently in the Saxon Wars (772-800s), that they can retain their independence. After that, a couple of well timed and thought out alliances with Viking powers (remember the Saxons are still semi-Norse. Louis the Pious wasn't in any position to fight this), could see them secure Frisia and parts of the Norman coast. By about 850-900, a conversion to Christianity and an expansion into the mostly unsettled (there were tribes and stuff, but nothing like the civilisations in England or France then) areas east, up to whatever border you want. Probably the limit is wherever Kiev's power reached. By this point they would have enough strength (especially through trade) to hold on to their stuff and expand wherever else necessary, as long as said expansion isn't done against a "genius" ruler.

- BNC
 
The first thing I would do is have Charlemagne beaten sufficiently in the Saxon Wars (772-800s), that they can retain their independence. After that, a couple of well timed and thought out alliances with Viking powers (remember the Saxons are still semi-Norse. Louis the Pious wasn't in any position to fight this), could see them secure Frisia and parts of the Norman coast. By about 850-900, a conversion to Christianity and an expansion into the mostly unsettled (there were tribes and stuff, but nothing like the civilisations in England or France then) areas east, up to whatever border you want. Probably the limit is wherever Kiev's power reached. By this point they would have enough strength (especially through trade) to hold on to their stuff and expand wherever else necessary, as long as said expansion isn't done against a "genius" ruler.

- BNC
Isn't a victory over Charlemagne rather difficult? And control over the whole of Jutland is going to likely lead to conflict with Norse powers, I also think you are over simplifying the conquest of the low countries.
 
The first thing I would do is have Charlemagne beaten sufficiently in the Saxon Wars (772-800s), that they can retain their independence. After that, a couple of well timed and thought out alliances with Viking powers (remember the Saxons are still semi-Norse. Louis the Pious wasn't in any position to fight this), could see them secure Frisia and parts of the Norman coast. By about 850-900, a conversion to Christianity and an expansion into the mostly unsettled (there were tribes and stuff, but nothing like the civilisations in England or France then) areas east, up to whatever border you want. Probably the limit is wherever Kiev's power reached. By this point they would have enough strength (especially through trade) to hold on to their stuff and expand wherever else necessary, as long as said expansion isn't done against a "genius" ruler.

- BNC
This.
Just have a weak but equally aggressive Frankish leader (don`t need Charlemagne) and an early alt-Widukind leading the opposition.
The underlying difference would be between Christianity and paganism, between a semi-centralised state and tribal confederacies.
But the Saxon who leads the successful resistance will undoubtedly copy the idea of Empire, too. That would pit them against the Vikings to their North, the Slavs to their East, and of course the weak underbelly of the Merowingian conquests to their South. Where would expansion be at the best cost-gain-ratio?

The expansion only works the way you describe it if these Saxons establish some sort of overlordship over the Vikings, or some form of shared / dual polity, which could include more and more of England, too. A loose North Sea dominion of sorts - but one with a large landbase and manpower reservoir.
Could make for horrendous alt-Viking conquests.
 
Isn't a victory over Charlemagne rather difficult? And control over the whole of Jutland is going to likely lead to conflict with Norse powers, I also think you are over simplifying the conquest of the low countries.
It is difficult if he is alive and well, but a substantial injury or even death would end that. Charlemagne's sons wouldn't come of age until the 790s or so, and the regency beforehand would provide a good political climate to scare the Franks away.

Just have a weak but equally aggressive Frankish leader (don`t need Charlemagne) and an early alt-Widukind leading the opposition.
Widukind was a noble, possibly a descendant of Theodoric (who fought Martel in the 730s), so he would be an easy pick for leading the resistance, especially once he proves himself as a capable commander.

The expansion only works the way you describe it if these Saxons establish some sort of overlordship over the Vikings, or some form of shared / dual polity, which could include more and more of England, too. A loose North Sea dominion of sorts - but one with a large landbase and manpower reservoir.
Could make for horrendous alt-Viking conquests.
Saxony in 771 had a pretty good relationship with the Danes to their immediate north (one of the leading Viking powers), and this was only changed by Saxony getting invaded and destroyed. If Charlemagne is killed in battle and Saxony holds its own, an alliance between the two powers would be quite possible, especially once the Vikings start invading everything.

We know that the later Karling rulers weren't especially good (notably excepting Charles the Bald, but I doubt he is born in this TL), and having that trend apply here is quite reasonable. By the 860s West Francia was pretty badly devastated by the raiding, which would make it easy for Saxony (with a decent leader) to take parts of it over. Especially so if the Great Heathen Army attacks there instead, for whatever reason.

After a Saxon state has established itself in modern Benelux, all it needs to do is convert to Christianity (do this while the Vikings are distracted and/or collapsing) and it will likely be a major power, certainly strong enough to take over the eastern territories (remember, Poland only formed in the 960s). While it may take a few more centuries to reach the size the OP wanted, they would be well in a position to do so.

- BNC
 
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