austria get south germany instead of Hungary by 1700

Austria get duchies of Bavaria and Baden and wurttemberg instead of Hungary by 1700.
john zapolya win decisively kingdom of Hungary against Ferdinand in 1527.
Austrian Hapsburg spend their recourse on south Germany instead of Hungary.
duchy of wurttenberg was in Hapsburg control between 1525-1535. duke of Baden was Protestant.
duchy of Bavaria had followed the traditional Wittelsbach policy of opposition to the Hapsburg until 1547 . if Bavaria become Protestant Hapsburg can seize duchy Bavaria and duchy Baden.what is potential of Austria-Bohemia-Croatia plus south Germany by 1700 ?
 

Driftless

Donor
Would you see Vienna remaining as the seat of power? In this layout, it's near the eastern border with some potentially unfriendly neighbors.
 
Austria get duchies of Bavaria and Baden and wurttemberg instead of Hungary by 1700.
john zapolya win decisively kingdom of Hungary against Ferdinand in 1527.
Austrian Hapsburg spend their recourse on south Germany instead of Hungary.
duchy of wurttenberg was in Hapsburg control between 1525-1535. duke of Baden was Protestant.
duchy of Bavaria had followed the traditional Wittelsbach policy of opposition to the Hapsburg until 1547 . if Bavaria become Protestant Hapsburg can seize duchy Bavaria and duchy Baden.what is potential of Austria-Bohemia-Croatia plus south Germany by 1700 ?

Have the Austrian branch also retain the Netherlands.

Then the Austrians have the potential to centralize the HRE or unify Germany, which would pretty much be the same thing, in this scenario.
 
I assume a POD in the 1520ies or 1530ies.

At this point, Baden, Würrtemberg and Bavaria are smaller than later in the 19. century or the two Bundesländer Baden-Würrtemberg and Bavaria today. Many smaller territories and free imperial cities are between them. Also todays northern Bavaria, the Region Franken is at this point not a part of the duchy of Bavaria. And the Palatinate (Kurpfalz) controls some parts of todays northern Baden-Würrtemberg. Therefore you would control not all territories in southern Germany, but just 2/3.

But if the House of Habsburg tries to conquer not only Württemberg (as in OTL) but also Bavaria and Baden, it would be plausible, that most of the "Reichsstände" (the principalities, duchies, bishoprics and imperial cities) would unite against the Habsburgs and cooperate with Phillip of Hesse, even if there are confessional disagreements. France would perhaps oppose this increase of the increasing power of the Habsburgs. The Swiss Confederacy would be frightened too (but is in the 1530ies in civil war).
It is possible, that the Austrians could maintain these possessions, and even try to create some connection to the Netherlands.
A victory of the Austrians would still mean, that many "Reichsstände" in Northern or Central Germany would oppose any centralization. And France and the Ottomans are still powerful opponents. Therefore Catholicism could regain Southern Germany, therefore separating the Reformation in Northern Germany and in Switzerland. This could perhaps change the Reformation in the Netherlands, or even mean, that the Netherlands remain Catholic. But the Institutions of the Holy Roman Empire wouldn't gain more functionality, because the confessional groups could still easily block each other.
Straßburg could be threatened from the Austrians. And Straßburg was a really important center for theological discussions in these decades. This could change the development of the Anabaptist movement.
And what about the Anglican refugees under Marry Tudor ("bloody marry")? They would perhaps flee towards other countries, which would change Anglicanism significantly after her reign.
I don't know enough about the Huguenots and the Reformed Church in France to give some estimates about possible changes, but I would suggest, that this would change their situation to.
But a victory of the Austrians could change the religious landscape of Europe, and later of the American Colonies.

But in OTL Phillip of Hesse managed to regain Würrtemberg for the Lutherans. Therefore a defeat of the Austrians is also possible (or a little bit more possible than a victory of the Austrians). Such a large defeat would weaken their position inside the empire and strengthen the Reformation. The effects on the constant struggles with the Ottomans could become interesting.
It is also possible that Phillip of Hesse succeeds in this case in bringing the Lutheran Reformation into the Bishopric of Münster (where he failed terribly OTL), and therefore strengthen the Reformation in the Rhineland.
If the Reformation succeeds then also in Trier or Cologne (I don't know the strength of a possible reformation in this area, and can't therefore estimate a probability for this scenario), this could create serious problems for the Empire, because there is now with Brandenburg, Sachsen, Cologne and Trier a Lutheran Majority among the "Kurfürsten" (Electors), after that further conflicts between the "Reichsstände" and the Austrians are only a matter of time.

I apologize for any mistakes in Grammar or Language, English isn't my first language.
 
There was no Duchy of Baden, Baden was a Margraviate until 1806 when it became a Grand Duchy and for most of its history Baden was divided by multiple lines of the House of Baden (Zahringen), the Baden branch being Catholic (and of of the Habsburgs main Swabian allies) and the Durlach branch being Protestant, only in the late 18th century the Badenese territories were united by the Durlachs after the other lines died.

There are several problems for this scenario to exist (save Württemberg).
 
Austria get duchies of Bavaria and Baden and wurttemberg instead of Hungary by 1700.
john zapolya win decisively kingdom of Hungary against Ferdinand in 1527.
Austrian Hapsburg spend their recourse on south Germany instead of Hungary.
duchy of wurttenberg was in Hapsburg control between 1525-1535. duke of Baden was Protestant.
duchy of Bavaria had followed the traditional Wittelsbach policy of opposition to the Hapsburg until 1547 . if Bavaria become Protestant Hapsburg can seize duchy Bavaria and duchy Baden.what is potential of Austria-Bohemia-Croatia plus south Germany by 1700 ?

Is this a challenge?

Well, at least for the hungarian part:

Zápolya winning is highly unlikely, he was not only against Ferdinand, but had to deal with a civil war (unsuccesful).
The "easier" path to deter Habsburg eastern ambition have Louis survive Mohács (bonus points for winning it). And after that have a heir and survive until his adulthood :).
(Now both Bohemia and Hungary is out of reach for Ferdinand.)
 
There was no Duchy of Baden, Baden was a Margraviate until 1806 when it became a Grand Duchy and for most of its history Baden was divided by multiple lines of the House of Baden (Zahringen), the Baden branch being Catholic (and of of the Habsburgs main Swabian allies) and the Durlach branch being Protestant, only in the late 18th century the Badenese territories were united by the Durlachs after the other lines died.

There are several problems for this scenario to exist (save Württemberg).
But Baden-Baden and Baden-Durlach where divided in the year 1535. If the POD happens some years before 1535, some changes are possible. The Margraviate of Baden before 1535 controlled around 1/3 of the Territory of the Grand Duchy of Baden in the 19. century.
But the Habsburgs controlled the Breisgau, the area around the city of Freiburg. The so called "Further Austria" (here a map after the 30years war https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Autriche_antérieure.png) became lather another 1/4 of the Grand Duchy of Baden in the 19. century.
Therefore "Further Austria" and early 17. century Margraviate of Baden are a perfect combination of territories at the Rhine.
 
Austria get duchies of Bavaria and Baden and wurttemberg instead of Hungary by 1700.
john zapolya win decisively kingdom of Hungary against Ferdinand in 1527.
Austrian Hapsburg spend their recourse on south Germany instead of Hungary.
duchy of wurttenberg was in Hapsburg control between 1525-1535. duke of Baden was Protestant.
duchy of Bavaria had followed the traditional Wittelsbach policy of opposition to the Hapsburg until 1547 . if Bavaria become Protestant Hapsburg can seize duchy Bavaria and duchy Baden.what is potential of Austria-Bohemia-Croatia plus south Germany by 1700 ?

One minor nitpick - In this scenario, Croatia wouldn't be controlled by Austria. Croatia had been inherited by the Hungarian crown and the only reason that Dalmatia was in the Austrian section of Austria-Hungary is because it was integrated into Cisleithania following the Austrian recapture of the Illyrian Provinces from Napoleon.
 
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