With a POD after the Peace of Augsburg, what is the maximum success Protestantism can have in Europe? (IE, the most countries that can plausibly become officially protestant)
With a POD after the Peace of Augsburg, what is the maximum success Protestantism can have in Europe? (IE, the most countries that can plausibly become officially protestant)
I would guess the current areas plus France, Southern Germany, Bohemia, Poland, and Hungary.
With a POD after the Peace of Augsburg, what is the maximum success Protestantism can have in Europe? (IE, the most countries that can plausibly become officially protestant)
Depends. Emperor Ferdinand I converting might help significantly; he was probably the closest Austria and Germany came to a Protestant Emperor in that period.
Him being the head of such a large, nominally Catholic territory might influence other princes to follow suit.
Perhaps Henry creates a fad when he creates the Church of England?
Other kings might follow suit in order to diminish the power/influence of Rome?
Henry was pretty much following the fad when he did actually. The German Princes had already started this idea.
A decent POD would probably include Luther not alienating all the other reformist leaders, creating a sole Protestant faith which could become a religious diplomatic front against Catholicism. The League of Schmalkalden was a fight for Austria, the 30 Years War was a huge struggle, but if Protestant Europe actually stood together as one Protestantism together could have beaten the Catholic states and started forcing major Catholic states to recognise religious freedom laws. Eventually the Protestant demographic could erode and infiltrate the Catholic ruling classes in certain countries until there is the potential for a national conversion.
Not a sure thing it would work, but I reckon there's a fair chance in there.
But of course we saw the opposite as well; the Counterreformation gained ground in "religiously free" Poland, it reclaimed Austria, etc. And why would Protestant Europe stand together? Catholic France was a strong enemy of Catholic Spain.
but if Protestant Europe actually stood together as one Protestantism together could have beaten the Catholic states and started forcing major Catholic states to recognise religious freedom laws...
This is interesting because the protestants states themselves were incredibly intolerent.
And why would Protestant Europe stand together? Catholic France was a strong enemy of Catholic Spain.
Add to this perhaps Bloody Mary dying earlier and Calvin living longer (He was only 54 when he died) and you could perhaps see Protestantism reach a greater extent.