Constantinople of the Baltic

You mean, apart from the otl København? And Helsingør?

Both reside on a fairly defensible position (provided you had a strong navy), and commands the approaches to the strait in question.
 
If you want it to be more similar to Constantinople then have Denmark keep Skaneland and fully exert control over the passage into the Baltic. Maybe trade gets forbidden by the Danes through any route other than the strait?
 
You might need the Hanseatic League to be curtailed, and the Danish achieving true dominance in the Baltic with greater power in the North Sea as well.

The Sound Dues were majorly unpopular with everyone else, and resulted in numerous wars with the Hanseatic League. Wars where the Danish weren't able to permanently subdue their opponents. The Sound Dues also served as a ready fire casus belli for other nations, most particularly Sweden. Denmark once again never quite gained the power to remove the ability of outside powers to threaten it, and Copenhagen wasn't the fortress of Constantinople where the heart of the government could ride out any enemy pushes in preparation for an eventual counterattack.

I'd say a more successful or alternate Kalmar Union might be necessary. Denmark needs more resources for its war machine, and it needs to have its back to the north safe. A stronger Denmark fleet and army could more firmly enforce and protect the Sound Dues, which would finance improved defenses of Copenhagen/Helsingor.

Although a more equitable split with Sweden might also be an option. If the numerous Dano-Swedish Wars could be prevented, maybe with a more equitable split or Sweden somehow being convinced to focus on the east against Russia compared to Skaneland and Norway, Denmark could focus its full attention to the south and its fleet could be improved if it didn't need to finance the army and fortifications to protect Skaneland.
 
The state of Denmark controlled the traffic of ships Before Sweden seized control over Skåne in 1658.

In Helsingør the had Kronoborg castle and in Helsingborg they had Kärnan/Kernen from where they could view the boats passing by.
 
The state of Denmark controlled the traffic of ships Before Sweden seized control over Skåne in 1658.

In Helsingør the had Kronoborg castle and in Helsingborg they had Kärnan/Kernen from where they could view the boats passing by.
Except Denmark was never quite powerful enough that others couldn't threaten Denmark as a whole. Constantinople flourished when its armies were unmatched, or at least strong enough that they were always able to lead a counterattack when someone threatened it. Once that stopped being the case, Constantinople withered in population and wealth till it had a population of like 40,000 and controlled basically only what was within site of its walls.

Even controlling the Sound as it did, without the sort of power to create a greater security you probably aren't going to get much more successful than Copenhagen achieved OTL. Although maybe if the earlier kings of Denmark adopted a neutral stance it could grow quicker.

Doesn't help that Copenhagen had a few fires that wiped out most of the city during its heyday.
I agree with this, but I also say that Saint Petersburg is an option.
That's actually very true. Maybe if Old Novgorod established a port city there, Muscovy could take control and have it become economically important enough that Sweden never takes it. It could have long fulfilled its OTL purpose of serving as the link between western and eastern Europe.
 
Maybe have the Danish kings take an even bigger interest in the Falsterbo hering markets, to the point of trying to take direct control of the city. If they're able to force the Hanseatic League to accept the siezure, you have a good chance of the two cities (Copenhagen and Flasterbo) merging into one, even if the good fortunes of Falsterbo would peter out in the medium run.
 
That's actually very true. Maybe if Old Novgorod established a port city there, Muscovy could take control and have it become economically important enough that Sweden never takes it. It could have long fulfilled its OTL purpose of serving as the link between western and eastern Europe.
I doubt the feasibility of founding a city in the place of OTL Saint Petersburg in the middle ages. The place was a barely inhabited swamp, it took a nigh psychotic absolute monarch sacrificing 20 000 serfs to turn it into the base for a future capital.
 
I doubt the feasibility of founding a city in the place of OTL Saint Petersburg in the middle ages. The place was a barely inhabited swamp, it took a nigh psychotic absolute monarch sacrificing 20 000 serfs to turn it into the base for a future capital.
Ah, I actually didn't know that. Interesting to know.

Maybe Ivangorod then. Or Narva. I'm pretty sure Narva had some economic importance while under Russian control till Sweden conquered it.

Although if we're moving away from Cpenhagen or a Danish city in the Sound, we should also probably consider Lubeck and other prominent Baltic port cities. They might not have the strategic position of a city in the Sound, but some had greater force projection from being major ports for Germany or Poland.
 
I doubt the feasibility of founding a city in the place of OTL Saint Petersburg in the middle ages. The place was a barely inhabited swamp, it took a nigh psychotic absolute monarch sacrificing 20 000 serfs to turn it into the base for a future capital.

Im sorry I don't know what the OP meant by a Constantinople. I assume they meant a large important city on the Baltic.
 
It may be a metropolitan area and not a single city, but OTL fulfills this.

Helsingborg shared market with Helsingør until the loss of it to Sweden. Helsingør was also under Frederik III de facto centre of the Danish monarchy, if he had lived longer, his son would likely have let it keep that position, and it could have ended up the Danish capital.
 
Top