PC: Prussian victory in the 7 years war

Anyway Prussia can win the 7 years war rather than a status quo ante bellum

What territory would Prussia take

What would be the impact
 
The odds are really against the Prussians. They are fighting Russia, Austria and France. They did really well to get the status quo ante bellum - we call it the "Miracle of the House of Brandenburg" for a reason...
 
Saxony, Austrian Silesia, Swedish part of Pommern. If they win even more decisivly then Friedrich II had plans to annex part of Bohemia - I dont remember which but it was in the North Western part.
 

raharris1973

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Anyway Prussia can win the 7 years war rather than a status quo ante bellum

What territory would Prussia take

What would be the impact

Easily. The opposing coalition just needs to not form or to screw up more. The gains Prussia would be seeking most would be northern Saxony and the Polish corridor, for contiguous expansion.
 
The most obvious way is for Elizabeth's health to decline faster. Say she has a stroke in 1759 rather than 1761. That would put Peter on the throne two years early, and leave Prussia facing only Austria and France. Still difficult, but not insurmountable.
 
Saxony, though after the looting the Prussians did there it would be a problematic place in the way that Silesia wasn't ("This eagle has only one craw, he'll not want to eat so much."). For example, what Quintus Icilius did at, or to, Hubertusburg . . .

Jülich and Berg, next to Cleves and Mark, out on the Rhine.

Swedish Pomerania.

Every German prince seemed to have claims on a number of territories. It was almost as bad as the Texan accused of being a land-grabber, who said, "I don't want all of Texas, just the part that joins on to my part!"
 

raharris1973

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Would Prussia even be able to take the Polish corridor given Poland-Lithuania wasn't a part of the war

Probably, for the reason that Koprulu stated (weak army) and also because its neutrality was compromised by Russians walking all over it to get at Prussia.

Of course it could also be hard to justify. Especially as one of the simpler PoDs for allowing the Prussians to really win on the continent is to have the Russians just sit out the war entirely.

Jülich and Berg, next to Cleves and Mark, out on the Rhine.

Swedish Pomerania.

Those are decent alternatives, at the expense of the weaker category of enemies.

As for Saxony, while it was looted, Fred might have confidence he could turn it into a revenue producing holding after a decade or so of peace and efficient administration.
 
In a word........NO!. Frederick CANNOT win the German theatre. It was a pre-emptive war from the start and an uphill slot the entire time. The array of resources deployed against him is just too great. Austria is much better prepared this time and both his primary opponents were determined that his states power and influence be utterly and completely DESTROYED, particularly the Tsarina. He and Prussia were saved by fluke circumstance only. Even the Tsarina's death would probably not have prevented Prussia's defeat, if her successor had been anyone but Peter and simply stayed the course, defeat was all but assured in the coming Spring and was what Frederick himself had resigned himself to.

I go as far to suggest that had France and Britain concluded peace a year earlier and left the conflict, Frederick is defeated by Fall of '61. Losing his British subsidies would cripple his ability to continue to wage an effective defensive campaign.

So no, Prussia cannot gain anything from the war but mere survival.
 
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raharris19ost: 16855612 said:
Easily. The opposing coalition just needs to not form or to screw up more. The gains Prussia would be seeking most would be northern Saxony and the Polish corridor, for contiguous expansion.

If the coalition doesn't form there is no war to begin with. It was the whole motivation for Frederick's pre-emptive move into Saxony before their military was expanded.
 

raharris1973

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Remaining allies with France instead?

I've always been inclined to think Prussia could do a lot better this way. Others have disagreed from time to time, saying this underrates the numerical advantages of the Russians and Austrians, especially with English subsidies behind them.
 
I've always been inclined to think Prussia could do a lot better this way. Others have disagreed from time to time, saying this underrates the numerical advantages of the Russians and Austrians, especially with English subsidies behind them.
The Austrian and Russian troops will be more than offset by French numbers.Meanwhile,I have trouble thinking Britain can rally a meaningful army like OTL based on recruiting from the German states—given Prussia’s in it.
 
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