Magnus I Waza

Divergence from OTL starts with Magnus, Duke of Östergötland (born 1542), third surviving son of Gustav Vasa having different personality. ITTL he doesn't suffer from menthal illness, is more cunning, ambitious and religiously indifferent and keeps side of his brother John, Duke of Finland, instead of being loyal to Eric. So in 1562, when John tries to convince him to marry Anna Jagiellon (IOTL John Vasa wanted to marry Anna's younger sister Catherine, but their brother Sigismund Augustus wanted older Anna to marry first, so John convinced Magnus to join his trip to Lithuania and marry Anna, marrying older sister Magnus would 'unblock' younger Catherine, enabling John to marry her. IOTL Magnus eventually resigned from this marriage plans under Eric's pressure) Magnus sees it as big chance to elevate his status. Anna is almost 20 years older than him, but as third son born in Swedish noble family, elevated to royal status just in previous generation, this is still attractive marriage option, that gives him some hopes to get Polish and Lithuanian thrones in the future, after death of childless Sigismund Augustus.
So in late June 1562, John and Magnus meets in Gdansk and then brothers go east, to Lithuania, where they meet Sigismund. Marriage negotiations are successful. John promises his would-be brother-in-law money and support against Moscow, in October 1562 in double wedding ceremony two Vasa brothers marry two Jagiellon sisters in Vilnius. John achieved his goal, but spend all his money and seriously enraged not only his brother, king Eric XIV, but also another monarch-Ivan IV of Moscow also wanted Catherine's hand. John and Magnus could expect serious troubles back home, if not some lucky (for them) accident. King Eric was enraged by his brother's action, which, in his eyes, was treason. Eric's European marriage plans all failed, when his two younger brothers would marry princesses. Few days after double Vasa-Jagiellon marriage, Eric was imagining his brothers being tortured, it was his last tought, at the same moment his horse stepped on the hole, Eric fell from horseback and broken his neck. John and Magnus, informed about Eric's death, came to Sweden as fast as possible during storm season. John takes throne after deceased older brother, while Magnus returns to his duchy in Östergötland. With earlier start of John's reign, Sture family would avoid murders and First Great Northern War, known from OTL, would not happen in the same configuration as IOTL-John would ally with Poland and Lithuania against Moscow, Ivan IV would need to seek for alliance with Denmark (so there would be reverse of OTL alliances). Meanwhile in 1563 only child of Magnus and Anna is born-daughter named Isabella.
 
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Divergence from OTL starts with Magnus, Duke of Östergötland (born 1542), third surviving son of Gustav Vasa having different personality. ITTL he doesn't suffer from menthal illness, is more cunning, ambitious and religiously indifferent and keeps side of his brother John, Duke of Finland, instead of being loyal to Eric. So in 1562, when John tries to convince him to marry Anna Jagiellon (IOTL John Vasa wanted to marry Anna's younger sister Catherine, but their brother Sigismund Augustus wanted older Anna to marry first, so John convinced Magnus to join his trip to Lithuania and marry Anna, marrying older sister Magnus would 'unblock' younger Catherine, enabling John to marry her. IOTL Magnus eventually resigned from this marriage plans under Eric's pressure) Magnus sees it as big chance to elevate his status. Anna is almost 20 years older than him, but as third son born in Swedish noble family, elevated to royal status just in previous generation, this is still attractive marriage option, that gives him some hopes to get Polish and Lithuanian thrones in the future, after death of childless Sigismund Augustus.
So in late June 1562, John and Magnus meets in Gdansk and then brothers go east, to Lithuania, where they meet Sigismund. Marriage negotiations are successful. John promises his would-be brother-in-law money and support against Moscow, in October 1562 in double wedding ceremony two Vasa brothers marry two Jagiellon sisters in Vilnius. John achieved his goal, but spend all his money and seriously enraged not only his brother, king Eric XIV, but also another monarch-Ivan IV of Moscow also wanted Catherine's hand. John and Magnus could expect serious troubles back home, if not some lucky (for them) accident. King Eric was enraged by his brother's action, which, in his eyes, was treason. Eric's European marriage plans all failed, when his two younger brothers would marry princesses. Few days after double Vasa-Jagiellon marriage, Eric was imagining his brothers being tortured, it was his last tought, at the same moment his horse stepped on the hole, Eric fell from horseback and broken his neck. John and Magnus, informed about Eric's death, came to Sweden as fast as possible during storm season. John takes throne after deceased older brother, while Magnus returns to his duchy in Östergötland. With earlier start of John's reign, Sture family would avoid murders and First Great Northern War, known from OTL, would not happen in the same configuration as IOTL-John would ally with Poland and Lithuania against Moscow, Ivan IV would need to seek for alliance with Denmark (so there would be reverse of OTL alliances). Meanwhile in 1563 only child of Magnus and Anna is born-daughter named Isabella.

Sounds interesting. Erik avoids being Sweden's mad king, plus the unpopularity that results from his marriage to Karen Mansdotter. I liked what @Space Oddity did with Magnus in his TL, where TTL's Magnus sides with Johan against Erik and then with Erik against Johan... but your idea is equally fascinating.
 
I wonder what excuse would Danes use to justify DOW against Sweden? In August 1563 Danish envoys accused Eric, that he added Danish Lions to his personal Coat of Arms and that he urged brother of Danish King to betray his country. Frederick of Denmark would find some reason for war likely despite Eric's death, he wants Kalmar Union back and Sweden and Denmark had conflict of interest in Livonia.
 
I wonder if ITTL it is a chances for happy end for sad story of certain guy from my region-Polish nobleman, count Jan Tęczyński, who in 1562 accompanied Johan Vasa on his trip to Poland and Lithuania and then back to Finland wanted to marry Johan's sister Cecilia. In September 1563 he decided to came to Sweden to ask Eric for her hand, but his ship was captured by Danes and he died 3 months later in Danish prison. Later he became legendary as example of man, who is ready to make mad things for love (like, being mere nobleman, asking King of Sweden for his sister's hand). ITTL war could be delayed, Jan Tęczyński could get to Stockholm and then ask Johan for his sister's hand, with what results?
 
I wonder if ITTL it is a chances for happy end for sad story of certain guy from my region-Polish nobleman, count Jan Tęczyński, who in 1562 accompanied Johan Vasa on his trip to Poland and Lithuania and then back to Finland wanted to marry Johan's sister Cecilia. In September 1563 he decided to came to Sweden to ask Eric for her hand, but his ship was captured by Danes and he died 3 months later in Danish prison. Later he became legendary as example of man, who is ready to make mad things for love (like, being mere nobleman, asking King of Sweden for his sister's hand). ITTL war could be delayed, Jan Tęczyński could get to Stockholm and then ask Johan for his sister's hand, with what results?

Wasn't the only reason behind Cecilia's marriage OTL because she was caught in her future brother-in-law's room with him with no trousers on? And they wished to prevent a scandal, so they found a husband for her pronto.
 
So you Think Johan would agree for this marriage? Johan (and ITTL also Magnus) knew Tęczyński well from his trip to Vilnius and back.
 
He might be more open to the idea, than say, Erik was. But it might also be with gritted teeth that he goes through with it.
In the long term such marriage could benefit Vasas (senator family with blood relations to them) but Johan and Magnus are married to sisters of Polish King already, so they would not see any need of such marriage. But considering fact, that Eric already agreed for it in 1561, Johan rather would not oppose.
 
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So we have another marriage in Vasa family, Jan Tęczyński, youngest Polish senator, would be Johan's new brother-in-law.
 
I wonder what excuse would Danes use to justify DOW against Sweden? In August 1563 Danish envoys accused Eric, that he added Danish Lions to his personal Coat of Arms and that he urged brother of Danish King to betray his country. Frederick of Denmark would find some reason for war likely despite Eric's death, he wants Kalmar Union back and Sweden and Denmark had conflict of interest in Livonia.

The Nordic Seven Years War was a product of the dissolution of the Kalmar Union and the inherent rivalry between the two kingdoms. Other justifications were, IIRC, a dispute over the claim to Laponia, piracy in the Baltic and a castle on either Ösel or Dagö (the name of which escapes me ATM).
 
Johan Vasa under influence of his Catholic wife looked for a way to reunite Lutheranism and Catholicism and wanted Church of Sweden to be very 'High Church', with liturgy resembling Catholic one, his brother Karl, whose religious views were close to Calvinism, opposed it (and would oppose ITTL), ITTL irreligious Magnus would not mind it. Johan's kids ITTL would be born, when their father is King of Sweden, not prisoner in Gripsholm Castle, but he'll likely still raise them as Catholics (may change opinion few years later), like IOTL he would seek for alliance not only in Poland but also in Spain (he wanted Spanish support against Denmark). He also wanted to get lands in Naples, which once belonged to Bona Sforza and now were under Spanish rule.
 
So Nordic Seven Years War would still ends with exhaustion of both sides. Swedish-Muscovite conflict would be rather limited during that years, because for Sweden main concern would be Danes, for Moscow-Lithuanians. In meantime three children of Johan and Katarzyna would be born:
-Sigismund (born 1564)
-Johan (born 1566)
-Anna (1568-1570)
 
With childless death of Sigismund Augustus on 7 July 1572 male line of House of Jagiellon was over, also King's nephews, whom he wanted to make his successors-Sigismund Hohenzollern and John Sigismund Zápolya, predeceased him. John Vasa as Swedish king was required to be Lutheran and to reside in Sweden, while his sons were still kids, in such situation, Magnus, Duke of Östergötland, seemed to be the best candidate to succeede his brother-in-law. Due to his ties to Jagiellons his candidature had wide support in Poland and Lithuania. Magnus learned Polish from his wife and was ready to convert to Catholicism. Among his most vocal supporters were Jan Baptysta Tęczyński, husband of Cecilia Vasa, and his cousin, Jan Zamoyski, Royal Secretary, opponent of Habsburg candidate. For Johan, situation was troublesone, he wanted Polish throne for one of his sons, but they were still too young, letting Magnus to run for Polish crown, he risked, that his own sons would lost chance to get the throne in the future. Magnus had no sons with Anna and no hope to have more children with her. OTOH Johan needed alliance with PLC against Muscovy, and if not Magnus, then Austrian Archduke would win and block road to the throne for Johan's sons.
 
With Valois and Bathory butterflied away, Jan Zamoyski would likely not rise to such position like IOTL, two interregnums and 10 years long reign of Bathory (who didn't even speak Polish and relied on Zamoyski in PLC domestic policy). Zamoyski was spokesman of lesser nobility, before he became powerful magnate himself, combined office of Chancellor and Hetman, despite fact, that at beginning of his career he opposed cumulation of several offices in one hand, and his great ambitions caused plenty of troubles for PLC (especially his idea of making office of highest army commanders-hetmans, given for life, so hetman quickly became more political than military figure, could not be replaced by new one even if is 80 years old and gravelly ill, almost blind or captured by enemy). ITTL King Magnus would likely promote his brother-in-law, Tęczyński, so Zamoyski's career would slow down, which is very good thing.
 
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