La Rochelle becomes an independant city-state

Hi everybody,

Is there a POD, maybe during the french wars of religion, that allows La Rochelle, one of the stronghold of french protestants, to become an independant city-state ?

Thanks by advance for your brilliant thoughts
 
Hi everybody,

Is there a POD, maybe during the french wars of religion, that allows La Rochelle, one of the stronghold of french protestants, to become an independant city-state ?

Thanks by advance for your brilliant thoughts

Short answer : no.
Long answer : If the POD is the wars of religion, no king would allow an harbour, propably opening to english navy and army to exist.
Before that, as a creation from Aquitain dukes, and continued to be an important harbour for Plantagenets and Lancaster, as for Valois, nobody would allow that.
Maybe, as OTL, allowance to trade with anyone even during war, but no more.

Basically, you can have a certain autonomy of the city, especially regarding commercial features, but not an independence. As the city was really existing only when feudal features were stabilized, i don't think that any POD could do that if it's not changing massivly England, France and Aquitaine.
 
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