So, an idea just popped into my head. Back in Ye Olde Days of 911, the Carolingian line of kings died out and in doing so the Kingdom of East Francia passed into the hands of Conrad I, a stem duke of Franconia elected by his peers. This event set in motion the foundations of the Kingdom of Germany and later the Holy Roman Empire. No duke attempted to set up an independent kingdom, and Conrad's rival Arnulf of Bavaria didn't declare independence but rather sought to claim the crown of East Francia.
Now, suppose things went a little differently. Suppose that instead of electing a new king in Conrad, that the East Frankish dukes elected to go their own way, with each founding a kingdom in their region?
In OTL, Charles the Simple of West Francia was denied kingship over the East Franks, resulting in a war that drove Reginar, Duke of Lotharingia to the West Frankish side. The reign of King Conrad I was also quite messy, with several of his supposed vassals contesting his authority and rising up in rebellion, falling out amongst each other and Magyars on the eastern borders making things quite difficult.
How different might those events have passed? Could the East Frankish dukes-turned-kings thwart their West Frankish cousins and retain their independence? How might the individual petty kingdoms fare, including Bavaria and Saxony which were on the front lines of the Frankish political sphere? Obviously there's no Holy Roman Empire to form via the Ottonian dynasty, so what happens in Italy?
Thanks in advance for any comments!
Now, suppose things went a little differently. Suppose that instead of electing a new king in Conrad, that the East Frankish dukes elected to go their own way, with each founding a kingdom in their region?
In OTL, Charles the Simple of West Francia was denied kingship over the East Franks, resulting in a war that drove Reginar, Duke of Lotharingia to the West Frankish side. The reign of King Conrad I was also quite messy, with several of his supposed vassals contesting his authority and rising up in rebellion, falling out amongst each other and Magyars on the eastern borders making things quite difficult.
How different might those events have passed? Could the East Frankish dukes-turned-kings thwart their West Frankish cousins and retain their independence? How might the individual petty kingdoms fare, including Bavaria and Saxony which were on the front lines of the Frankish political sphere? Obviously there's no Holy Roman Empire to form via the Ottonian dynasty, so what happens in Italy?
Thanks in advance for any comments!