Elector or King

Karl Emil, Erbprinz of Brandenburg died in 1674 at Straßburg of dysentery. Karl was far removed from his hump-shouldered younger brother in personality whom Friedrich the Great described as "great in little [things], little in great". He was spirited, quick-tempered and always in favour of war and the hunt - much like his dear old dad, the Great Elector.

If Karl Emil were to survive that dysentery attack at Straßburg, would he still crown himself king of Prussia? And if he did, would he do so with or without imperial consent? (Note: he seems like the sort who would either not care as much about it as his brother, or who would do it whether the emperor (who would most likely be his brother-in-law) said yes or no). Would the arts and sciences still have such a great influence in the electorate as they had under Friedrich? And how might the relation between Austria and Brandenburg be if he does marry Maria Anna Josefa of Austria (OTL Hereditary Princess Palatine)?
 
From Walter Henry Nelson's The Soldier Kings: A History of the House of Hohenzollern:

...She [Dorothea of Holstein-Glücksburg] almost turned out to be the apotheosis of the wicked stepmother. Karl Emil still lived when she married his father; strong, obstinate and willful, he was not one for her to push around...

...Being the weakest child, frail, seemingly helpless, he [Friedrich I] was pampered, at least by Luise Henriëtte, the gentle kindhearted electress. She encouraged him to be studious as he grew older, had him carefully taught music and drawing. After all,, he hardly seemed fit for anything else, least of all the martial pursuits of the Hohenzollerns. Even Karl Emil, a rough and somewhat boorish boy, was affectionate and kind to Friedrich; [in short] his life might've been pleasant and peaceable enough had not both his mother and brother died...

So, Karl Emil might end up being an earlier version of Friedrich Wilhelm I if he is as boorish. Though I do find the idea interesting. And something someone said of him in another thread was that: "he liked battles like he liked parties, the more the better". So, he might be Friedrich Wilhelm I as far as finances and the arts and sciences are concerned, with a dash of Carl XII's bellicose nature.

And Brandenburg might have more success claiming the Silesian duchies the Hohenzollerns claimed and Austria refused to surrender.

...The deliberations occured three years before the Great Elector's death; he was sixty-five years of age, tired, in no mood to quarrel, and ready to settle for something at least [Schwiebus] (a small parce of land contiguous to Brandenburg near Frankfurt a.d. Oder in exchange for the Silesian duchies; it was a matter for of the Elector accepting Schwiebus or getting nothing at all)...

Also, Vienna was offering Schwiebus with one hand to Berlin, and bargaining to Friedrich I to cede it back to them the minute he succeeded. It took seven years after his accession for him to sell it back to them. So, Karl Emil might motivate his father to press for the Silesian inheritance.
 
From Walter Henry Nelson's The Soldier Kings: A History of the House of Hohenzollern:





So, Karl Emil might end up being an earlier version of Friedrich Wilhelm I if he is as boorish. Though I do find the idea interesting. And something someone said of him in another thread was that: "he liked battles like he liked parties, the more the better". So, he might be Friedrich Wilhelm I as far as finances and the arts and sciences are concerned, with a dash of Carl XII's bellicose nature.

And Brandenburg might have more success claiming the Silesian duchies the Hohenzollerns claimed and Austria refused to surrender.



Also, Vienna was offering Schwiebus with one hand to Berlin, and bargaining to Friedrich I to cede it back to them the minute he succeeded. It took seven years after his accession for him to sell it back to them. So, Karl Emil might motivate his father to press for the Silesian inheritance.

The phrase is mine, and I consider him pretty much a Friedrich Wilhelm I before Friedrich Wilhelm I. In fact, I think that Silesian lands will be included into any marriage negotiations with Vienna. Karl will probably see them as a dowry of his wife.
 
The phrase is mine, and I consider him pretty much a Friedrich Wilhelm I before Friedrich Wilhelm I. In fact, I think that Silesian lands will be included into any marriage negotiations with Vienna. Karl will probably see them as a dowry of his wife.

Sorry if I plagiarized, I couldn't remember where I'd seen it:eek:

And that's assuming he still marries his Austrian wife rather than someone else? And also, the Vasa kings of Poland tried to wring one or two duchies in Bohemia from the Habsburgs that had also been promised in marriage contracts to successive archduchesses but never delivered.
 
Sorry if I plagiarized, I couldn't remember where I'd seen it:eek:

And that's assuming he still marries his Austrian wife rather than someone else? And also, the Vasa kings of Poland tried to wring one or two duchies in Bohemia from the Habsburgs that had also been promised in marriage contracts to successive archduchesses but never delivered.

Depends on stubbornness, and unlike Wladyslaw Vasa Karl Emil would not have his hands full with domestic issues.
 
I think as far as stubbornness the Hohenzollern had their fair share of pig-headedness/bullishness/mulishness. Even Bismarck described Wilhelm I as stubborn on several occasions - so I think it's perfectly within reason that Karl Emil would claim those duchies either jure uxoris or voiding that issue altogether, just go to war because he has a better claim.

But, it makes for interesting thought to see that even after Friedrich I crowned himself king in Prussia, his half-brothers remained mere margraves of Brandenburg. I think Karl would do the same, maybe his brother would be prince in Prussia, but IMHO considering Karl and Friedrich disliked Dorothea and Dorothea disliked them, I think he would draw the line at Friedrich and his heirs.

Another interesting thing to see would be the relations between Berlin and Vienna. OTL the Archduchess wasn't politically meddlesome, but with a different husband (who will probably have a mistress (much like his brother), though whether he will make use of her services IDK) she might be spurred on to do so by her half-brother.
 
I'm still thinking of what to do with the Archduchess' dowry in Appolinis et Dianae, though TTL with quick landgrab of 1680ies Austrians will be a little more... willing to part with the duchies when Karl becomes an Elector in 1689 and starts demanding his rightful property from his brother in law.
 
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