Polish-Lithuanian-Swedish-Russian Commonwealth

From 1592 to 1599, Sigismund III Vasa, king of Poland-Lithuania, seized the Swedish throne, establishing a personal union between the two nations. Sigismund was overthrown, partially due to his insistence on establishing Catholic institutions in Sweden.

Around the same time period, from the 1570s to 1650s, several attempts were made to establish a union with Russia/Muscovy, although none ever succeeded. Sigismund III also made a bid for the Russian tsardom, but Boris Godunov won out.

Is it possible for these unions to all succeed, creating a Poland-Lithuania-Sweden-Russia? If so, what impacts would it have on European (and Asian, or even American) politics?
 
From 1592 to 1599, Sigismund III Vasa, king of Poland-Lithuania, seized the Swedish throne, establishing a personal union between the two nations. Sigismund was overthrown, partially due to his insistence on establishing Catholic institutions in Sweden.

Around the same time period, from the 1570s to 1650s, several attempts were made to establish a union with Russia/Muscovy, although none ever succeeded. Sigismund III also made a bid for the Russian tsardom, but Boris Godunov won out.

In OTL Wladislaw had a much better shot at least to get both the PLC and Tsardom: his candidacy was officially supported by the "7 boyars" government and quite a few people considered it as a reasonably good one providing he is going to convert. Until his dear father stepped into the mess by claiming throne for himself and made it even messier with the following loss of the Polish cause (after election of Michael Romanov Wladislaw tried to capture Moscow but was repelled). The main problem was religion: Tsardom would not accept a Catholic ruler and I doubt that the PLC at that time would accept the Orthodox one. Ditto for a Catholic king of Sweden.

Swedish-Russian union was possible at least twice:

1st time during the Time of Troubles when junior brother of Gustav Adolph was one of the candidates on the Russian throne. In OTL he died young but if he lives longer and makes it into the Russian throne then there is a potential opening after GA's death and/or Christine's abdication. The same problem Lutheran/Orthodox.

2nd time - XVIII century. Duke of Schlezwig-Holstein is a heir of both Russian and Swedish throne but due to the Lutheran/Orthodox issue he is made heir aparent of the Russian empire and his uncle inherits Sweden.

In all cases to have a union you need to do something about religion.
 
Top