How powerful could the Vasa dynasty become?

Thanks. I'm native speaker of Russian, yes. Though I dislike the "popadantsy" aka smartass ISOT bordering self-insert fiction, I'll give this a try (the only time I wrote ISOT fiction was a ASOIAF ISOT thing of historical person, and I never got to translating it into English (it is in Russian)).
 
The Vasa dynasty only ruled Sweden and Poland, and the latter very briefly. There was also the possibility of Vasa claiming the Russian throne, and at one point Erik XIV also pursued to marry Elizabeth I of England, perhaps being able to extend the Vasa dynasty to the English throne.

Did the Vasa dynasty have potential to spread even further? I could imagine the Vasas ruling some German kingdoms, but could the Vasas ever become as powerful as say, the Habsburger dynasty or the Hozenhollern?

Vasa England could be a possibility, but the problem with Eric XIV is how can he remain sane, for any foreign policy plans such having an illegitimate daughter marry Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich of Russia, or having a marriage with Elizabeth. I'm toying with more of stalemate in the Northern Seven Years with a few more Swedish victories myself.
 
Thanks. I'm native speaker of Russian, yes. Though I dislike the "popadantsy" aka smartass ISOT bordering self-insert fiction, I'll give this a try (the only time I wrote ISOT fiction was a ASOIAF ISOT thing of historical person, and I never got to translating it into English (it is in Russian)).

As I said, most of what I saw in this genre is plain terrible both from a purely literary point of view (authors tend to think that an idea is more important than language) and as far as the fantastic part is going: things like fundamental changes in technology are plain foolish (unless written by Mark Twain) and the same goes for re-writing history along the pseudo-patriotic lines (like Russian victory at Tsushima) but, as far as I'm concerned, probably the worst was a book in which Duke of Courland ("popadanets") is, among many other things, starts dictating fashions to ... Louis XIV. At that point I stopped reading. :)

In the "John of Meklenburg" cycle the hero is adopting to the existing reality rather than other way around. He is introducing minor changes in military tactics (mostly reasonably contemporary) and does not go beyond "inventing" the most primitive form of a bayonet (not even the socket model) and unification of the field artillery.
 
the worst was a book in which Duke of Courland ("popadanets") is, among many other things, starts dictating fashions to ... Louis XIV. At that point I stopped reading. :)
This was a thing that actually made its way to the publisher? But then... much crap on Samizdat keeps me thinking that it's only my laziness/getting "writer ADHD" after writing a dozen of chapters or so keeping me from earning good money.
 
This was a thing that actually made its way to the publisher? But then... much crap on Samizdat keeps me thinking that it's only my laziness/getting "writer ADHD" after writing a dozen of chapters or so keeping me from earning good money.

IIRC, this book was published, just as numerous others of the genre. Not sure if the authors are making good money with most of the crap being available for free on internet so stick to your job, whatever it is. ;)
 
At least in theory this schema could work providing (a) Karl Phillip lived longer, (b) converted into Orthodoxy, (c) his acceptance meant return of Novgorod and most of other Muscovite areas hold by the Swedes, (d) Swedish commitment to help in inevitable war against the Commonwealth, (e) his willingness to adopt the Russian habits.

Wasn't the main/only reason for Carl Philipp not going because his mommy said he couldn't? Sidestep Kristine of Holstein-Gottorp (his mom) and he might be willing to do it. Otherwise, Gustaf Eriksen is the most likely option - he's in Russia at the turn of the century, and he's practically officially engaged to Xenia Borisovna Godunova. Sigismund III made a deal with Yuri Otrepyev (aka False Dmitri no. 1) to arrest and detain Gustaf. So, if things still go south for Otrepyev/Dmitri, and Gustaf is married to Xenia, we might see a Eriksen Waza ruling Moscow, a Johansen Vasa ruling from Warsaw and a Carlsen Vasa in Stockholm. Now, if we could just get all these guys to get along, that would be awesome.

EDIT: Actually, now that I think of it, apparently when some guy became tsar during the time of troubles (it might have been Feodor III it might have been Mikhail Romanov, ICR) there was talk of him marrying either a daughter of the king of Poland or the sister of the duke of Holstein. So, if Gustaf-Xenia can betrothe their eldest son to one of Sigismund's daughters or Carl's daughter (depending on when the son is born) it might at least make peace between two of the branches.
 
Wasn't the main/only reason for Carl Philipp not going because his mommy said he couldn't? Sidestep Kristine of Holstein-Gottorp (his mom) and he might be willing to do it.

He was born in 1601 so by the time of the Zemski Sobor that elected Michael Romanov he was 12 years old and hardly in a good position to sidestep his mother or to make independent decisions. OTOH, a foreign boy, if he is ready to convert, could be a viable candidate exactly because of his age: he would grow under the local influence and for the next few years would be just a convenient puppet. And if his election means return of the areas occupied by Sweden, even better.


Otherwise, Gustaf Eriksen is the most likely option - he's in Russia at the turn of the century, and he's practically officially engaged to Xenia Borisovna Godunova.

Link to Godunov dynasty could be a handicap rather then advantage.

Sigismund III made a deal with Yuri Otrepyev (aka False Dmitri no. 1) to arrest and detain Gustaf. So, if things still go south for Otrepyev/Dmitri, and Gustaf is married to Xenia,

One of the 1st things "Dmitry #1" did after being crowned was to rape Xenia and to make her rather openly his concubine. So Gustaf would have a very short time span for marrying her and a very little chance for saving her.

we might see a Eriksen Waza ruling Moscow, a Johansen Vasa ruling from Warsaw and a Carlsen Vasa in Stockholm. Now, if we could just get all these guys to get along, that would be awesome.

We might see a lot of things but Xenia was not a heir to the throne and her brother was just killed. It is highly unlikely that the people implicated in his assassination would be excessively eager to proclaim as a Tsar anybody linked to Godunov family.

EDIT: Actually, now that I think of it, apparently when some guy became tsar during the time of troubles (it might have been Feodor III it might have been Mikhail Romanov, ICR) there was talk of him marrying either a daughter of the king of Poland or the sister of the duke of Holstein. So, if Gustaf-Xenia can betrothe their eldest son to one of Sigismund's daughters or Carl's daughter (depending on when the son is born) it might at least make peace between two of the branches.

Such a marriage was highly unlikely because on one side you have staunch Russian Orthodoxes and on another either fanatic Catholics or equally fanatic Lutherans. Of course, "unlikely" is not the same as "impossible", especially in the case of a relatively minor figure like a duke of Holstein.
 
Another awesome way for the Wasas to extend their powerbase - Anna Wasa was betrothed to the elector of Brandenburg, but then the elderly gentleman changed his mind and married Eleonore of Prussia instead. Now, if Anna were to marry the elector, it might remove the match between Gustav II Adolf and Marie Eleonore of Brandenburg from the table. The Carlsen and Johansen Vasa were in general at sixes-and-sevens, so even though Anna would be Maria Eleonora's step-grandmother, I could see the Swedes saying thanks but no thanks to the offer. The only other proposal for Gustav II I can find is to the Winter Queen, Elizabeth Stuart (but that would be unlikely for similar reasons - her mother was a Danish princess and Sweden and Denmark were at war). But it might mean that he marries elsewhere.

Then of course there's the matter of Anna Wasa's children (if any). She's older than most (35yo in 1603), but her mother was a year older when she married (36 in 1562), and was still popping out kids six years later (namely Anna), so I think there's a shot for one (maybe two) kids before Anna becomes a widow at age 40 (if her husband dies on schedule). Anna's kids would be next in line for the Polish throne should her brother's issue go extinct as OTL, but in the 1620s when those kids would marry no one can know that. The king of Poland might use them as proxies (especially a daughter, since he has none of his own until the late 1610s), or the elector of Brandenburg (Anna's stepson) might, depending on his relationship with his stepmother.
 
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