City State Europe?

Could the Feudal Process escalate, and eventually form de facto city states if left unchecked, unlike in OTL?
If so, what effects would this have on exploration, the sciences, etcetera...
Would China assume a premier position in exploration, with the small European city states too individually weak to pay for colonization and exploration?

What do y'all think is the likelihood of such an event?
 
Could the Feudal Process escalate, and eventually form de facto city states if left unchecked, unlike in OTL?
If so, what effects would this have on exploration, the sciences, etcetera...
Would China assume a premier position in exploration, with the small European city states too individually weak to pay for colonization and exploration?

What do y'all think is the likelihood of such an event?

Not sure what you mean by the Feudal Process. Balkanization and feudalism are not identical.
 
Well, I did say "more or less". ;)

But in the most prominent--indeed, I'd say the only real--feudal nation, France, that faint bond proved enough to keep them together, and ultimately become... well, not feudal at all.
 
Well, I did say "more or less". ;)

But in the most prominent--indeed, I'd say the only real--feudal nation, France, that faint bond proved enough to keep them together, and ultimately become... well, not feudal at all.

What makes the HRE less feudal?

To pick one of the best examples of things becoming balkanized.
 
The lack of any clear chain of authority, for a start. The HRE was more an alliance of Princes then a kingdom for most of its existence.
 
Long time ago I started this thread, [thread=29254]A world of city republics[/thread]. I had the idea because philosopher Rousseau wanted this - many small republics, like the Swiss cantons, instead of big nations like France.
 
Have the Holy Roman Empire centralise more successfully in the 12th century. This may sound counter-intuitive, but the Emperor relied on Imperial Free Cities for his political power to counter-balance the nobility. Thus centralisation of power in the Emperors would lead to greater self-rule and autonomy for the Imperial cities, such as Bremen or Hamburg. The use of Imperial Charters to found tradiing companies and colonies would also be of use to groups like the Hanse or any alternate-East India Company.

Having a Europe dominated by small city states is something that can really only happen in modern times; only with contemporary agricultural yields and food imports can cities support a sufficiently large proportion of the population without having to have an enormous agricultural hinterland.
 
Could the Feudal Process escalate, and eventually form de facto city states if left unchecked, unlike in OTL?
If so, what effects would this have on exploration, the sciences, etcetera...
Would China assume a premier position in exploration, with the small European city states too individually weak to pay for colonization and exploration?

What do y'all think is the likelihood of such an event?

It's an interesting idea. We tend to assume that big is beautiful. But city states were very successful for a long time - Venice being a good example. The Hanseatic league showed that small states can pursue common aims. Switzerland was an example of how city states could form a close union.

I think the problem more is that feudalism tended towards large states, not small states. Monarchs would kill off their rivals and gradually moved towards absolute rule. It is difficult to see how states could devolve into city states - which is what woudl be required in your alternative timeline.

But maybe we could imagine a league of Italian states or the Hanseatic League embarking on voyages of discovery and acquiring large overseas Empires .
 
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