Challenge: Creating small German state from scratch?

Would it be possible that considering the situation of the German small states before Napoleon's reform, one can create small German state from scratch and slip it into the history? So they didn't exist ATL but we make it for own purpose without creating too much mess. (and not practically going to that asb sub-section)

What do we need to alter to have our desired state?

P.S: The background for this is I'm trying to create a story whereby the character is one knight and he rises up to create one of those small duchies there.
 
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Would it be possible that considering the situation of the German small states before Napoleon's reform, one can create small German state from scratch and slip it into the history? So they didn't exist ATL but we make it for own purpose without creating too much mess. (and not practically going to that asb sub-section)

What do we need to alter to have our desired state?

I'm not certain exactly what you are going for, but here is my idea

Austria wins the War of Bavarian Succession, and annexes Bavaria, but Charles IV Theodore is given the Austrian Netherlands (and his existing holdings in Palatine). I'm not certain what It would be called, but its a new state, that could potentially have a large impact in history
 
Depends on where you want it.

A new Ernestine duchy is easy to create through a new cadet branch, so something like Saxe-Sonneburg would be simple. Same for Anhalt or Brunswick/Hannover in the 16th/17th Centuries.

If you want something as small as Liechtenstein just have a rich noble favoured by the Emperor buy some feudally independent lands (a couple of Small counties should do it) and voila.

It's harder to insert a state into Bavaria, Brandeburg or Austria though.
 
I would say... yes. Pre-Mediatisation one can have a character just gain a small concession, a village or two, for a random reason (military successes, loyalty for his liege, piety, etc.).

And then... butterflies and then it just... grows.
 
Depends on where you want it.

A new Ernestine duchy is easy to create through a new cadet branch, so something like Saxe-Sonneburg would be simple. Same for Anhalt or Brunswick/Hannover in the 16th/17th Centuries.

If you want something as small as Liechtenstein just have a rich noble favoured by the Emperor buy some feudally independent lands (a couple of Small counties should do it) and voila.

It's harder to insert a state into Bavaria, Brandeburg or Austria though.

Yeah I would say something as big as some Ernestine duchy you mentioned.

How about as big as Saxony?
 
Yeah I would say something as big as some Ernestine duchy you mentioned.

How about as big as Saxony?
Well, the merger of smaller states into such a large new state is "easy".
Creating a state that big carved out of Prussia, Bavaria or Austria is harder. A different War of the Bavarian Succession, perhaps?
 
I'm not certain exactly what you are going for, but here is my idea

Austria wins the War of Bavarian Succession, and annexes Bavaria, but Charles IV Theodore is given the Austrian Netherlands (and his existing holdings in Palatine). I'm not certain what It would be called, but its a new state, that could potentially have a large impact in history

IIRC HRE Joseph II of Austria (Habsburg-Lorraine) offered him (in the second attempt) the Austrian Netherlands; Charles Theodore also wanted the title king of Burgundy, and it was hinted during negotiations that this was a possibility.

IOTL opposition of the imperial princes lead by Frederick II prevented any exchange though.

If the plans would have succeeded, then this country might have become known as Burgundy. :)
 
I would say... yes. Pre-Mediatisation one can have a character just gain a small concession, a village or two, for a random reason (military successes, loyalty for his liege, piety, etc.).

And then... butterflies and then it just... grows.

I was going to suggest something along these lines. If the individual is lucky (in the Napoleonic sense of a lucky general) then he can keep expanding his own lands, and these would become part of whatever entity he was first granted. He could then be granted higher titles to elevate him up the ranks, so before long you can have the Duchy of Wolfsburg, or wherever

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
I was going to suggest something along these lines. If the individual is lucky (in the Napoleonic sense of a lucky general) then he can keep expanding his own lands, and these would become part of whatever entity he was first granted. He could then be granted higher titles to elevate him up the ranks, so before long you can have the Duchy of Wolfsburg, or wherever

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

Right - on a map showing the 1600s, you can't even distinguish Baden from the surrounding mess, and Württemburg just barely stands out. But because both families were "lucky" and chose the right sides, they expanded to the point where between the two of them they controlled that entire sw corner of Germany. Hessen's expansion was sort of similar.

As for what the big duchy ends up with as a name, it might go the route of Saxony and, once it was big enough, take on the name of one of Germany's bigger historic region. The Duchy of Swabia or Franconia, for example, or (depending on the PoD) a Duchy of Saxony in a completely different place than OTL.
 
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