DBWI: Brandenburg/Prussian world power?

Its often forgotten that, in the late 17th and 18th centuries, the Electors of Brandenburg/Dukes of Prussia managed to make themselves a world power, culminating with Elector Frederick William, who managed to get himself recognized as "King in Prussia", giving the Prussian Hohenzollerans the same status as other European royalty. Unfortunately for the dynasty, Frederick William's son, Frederick the Bold, overeached by seizing Silesia in the War of Austrian succession, only to see his earstwhile Kingdom carved up in the Five Years War*, leaving him with only the Electorate of Brandenburg and half the Duchy of Pommerania.

So, if Prussia had somehow won, or not gotten involved in, the Five Years War, what might the reprecussions be?

*OOC-the POD is Czarina Elizabeth not dying, and Prussia being forced to surrender in the Seven Years War, which consequently ends sooner than IOTL
 
If Frederick, through ASB levels of luck, wins against the triple alliance, then not only will Austria be forced to resign most of Silesia to him, but the Anglo-Prussian alliance will have a gigantic bargaining chip. This, combined with the British successes in America, would likely lead to New France being annexed by Britain.

Now, without the French threat to the British American colonies their future becomes sketchy, perhaps they gain dominion status earlier?

And back to European repercussions - if Prussia does win that war it can gain power to challenge the Habsburgs for German dominance; in fact I daresay that they could shut Austria out of German affairs. I know it all sounds ASB, though.
 
ASB, against the triple alliance he could never have won in the end. The Czarina would have had to die several years early and here idiot son would have had to survive a likely coup attempt to prevent the crushing of the Prussian upstart.
 
ASB, against the triple alliance he could never have won in the end. The Czarina would have had to die several years early and here idiot son would have had to survive a likely coup attempt to prevent the crushing of the Prussian upstart.

Hm, if I recall correctly Peter III was quite pro-Prussian that Tsarina Elizabeth dying early would give Prussia a break, but then again that's so ASB it hurts.

Prussia as a world power? Give me a break.

I know, right? Who would dare challenge the Habsburgs for their dominance of Central Europe, the Wettins of Saxony-Poland? :rolleyes:
 
Hm, if I recall correctly Peter III was quite pro-Prussian that Tsarina Elizabeth dying early would give Prussia a break, but then again that's so ASB it hurts.

Absolutely. I mean, even if he's pro-Prussian, would he spoil the victory over personal feelings? The Russian-Polish exchange of eastern Polish provinces against formerly Brandenburgian East Prussia where significant for the years to come, it weakened Poland internally by the increased German and protestant population so it became easier prey for the Russians until the finally chose a Hapsburg king.
 
Without Prussia and Hannover falling, imagine how much the British would have got in the peace settlement with someone like Pitt in the government. They already got French India in our timeline - here they'd likely scoop up not just New France, but also Senegal, Cuba, Guadelope et al, if the British were half decent in negotiating a peace treaty.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
Without Prussia and Hannover falling, imagine how much the British would have got in the peace settlement with someone like Pitt in the government. They already got French India in our timeline - here they'd likely scoop up not just New France, but also Senegal, Cuba, Guadelope et al, if the British were half decent in negotiating a peace treaty.

Hard to imagine New France being British. For that matter, if Prussia had somehow survived and the British emerged with an even bigger victory in the Seven Years War, we might have a British Empire as the most powerful force in the world, rather than the four-way split we have today.

Can anyone imagine English as the primary language of the world? Ha!
 
Hard to imagine New France being British. For that matter, if Prussia had somehow survived and the British emerged with an even bigger victory in the Seven Years War, we might have a British Empire as the most powerful force in the world, rather than the four-way split we have today.

Can anyone imagine English as the primary language of the world? Ha!

Well, the Anglophiles think that's their ultimate aim - not something the Francophiles like, considering that France is still the greatest power.
 
Maybe in this timeline, the British would have held on to all those countries east of Canada (Massachusetts, New York, etc.). I get all those places mixed up. Which was the one that had the revolution last year? I think that was North Carolina. They'd probably be better off if they hadn't declared independence in the early 1940s, ruining the peace that existed everywhere else in the world.
 
Maybe in this timeline, the British would have held on to all those countries east of Canada (Massachusetts, New York, etc.). I get all those places mixed up. Which was the one that had the revolution last year? I think that was North Carolina. They'd probably be better off if they hadn't declared independence in the early 1940s, ruining the peace that existed everywhere else in the world.

You're right. Those nations wouldn't have been stupid enough to leave an empire as successful as the British were set to be in this scenario. They'd probably be one of the favoured nations in some sort of London-centred World Federation.

Also, with Britain this strong, they'd have probably intervened to stop the Bourbon union happening. Maybe the House of Braganza would have survived a lot longer in an independent Portugal too?
 
You're right. Those nations wouldn't have been stupid enough to leave an empire as successful as the British were set to be in this scenario. They'd probably be one of the favoured nations in some sort of London-centred World Federation.

Also, with Britain this strong, they'd have probably intervened to stop the Bourbon union happening. Maybe the House of Braganza would have survived a lot longer in an independent Portugal too?

Independent Portugal? That might have continued briefly, but eventually they'd fall to Spain. Especially with a not-so-strong France that wouldn't invade Spain in World War I.
 
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