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I have been thinking about a possible TL based on the early expansion of a Teutonic empire created from a different development of the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights, and I would like to test some ideas about the main milestones of this TL.

This would be something like this:

* 14th century: some intrigues inside the Order lead to some Knights to take over the Monastic state and convert it in a dynastic one, called Kingdom of Prussia, with some vassal duchies (Kurland, Livland etc). At the end of the century, this kingdom imposes to Poland a dynastic union (so no Poland-Lithuania union).

* 15th century: the Kingdom slowly expands into Lithuania, Brandenburg and OTL Slovakia. The capital is definitively set in Marienburg (Malbork); during this century the relationship between this Prussian kingdom and the Papacy (and the HRE) becomes increasingly tense.

* Early 16th century: when Luther and co. proposes the Reformation, the king of Prussia invites them to establish there. Prussia not only embraces the Reformation, but also creates a National Teutonic Church with a sort of 'Pope' with See in Marienburg. HRE remains mostly Catholic in this case and the first war comes in. However, some HRE aristocracy betray the Catholic side and finally Prussia defeats the HRE, incorporating some Northern states where Reformation has been accepted.

* Mid 16th century: Just after defeating the HRE, the combined attack of Prussia (north) and the expanding Ottoman Empire (south) crushes Habsburg's Austria. The Prussians retain the territories north of the Danube and allow the Ottomans to invading part of Italy, including Rome. The Ottomans set a new Pope controlled by them, but he is not recognized by neither France nor Spain. The Catholicism is divided between two new anti-Popes: one in Avignon and another in Toledo. This division helps the Prussians to expand the Reformation into the rest of the Germanic sphere: as a consequence, the HRE is abolished by the end of the century and the King of Prussia becomes the first Teutonic Emperor.

* 17th century: Denmark and Sweden declare war to the Teutons, but they are finally defeated. The Teutons expell the Danes from Jutland and the King and his allies refuges in Norway. Sweden loses Ingmarland and part of Karelia. The Teutons impose them to create satellite Reformed churches. At this moment, the Catholicism in Europe is restricted to France, including some allied minor Western Germanic states, Spain-Portugal, including some Italian possessions, and the British Isles, even if there no Pope is recognized and the King controls the local churches.

* 18th century: the Ottoman Empire starts to fade. Spain takes control of all Italy until the Po river, restoring the Papacy in Rome. However only France recognizes it, while the British Isles keep several 'national catholic churches'. The Teutons push the Ottomans slowly out of the Balkans. Apart of a restored big Kingdom of Greece, the rest of the Balkans (excepting Ottoman Istanbul) are held by the Teutons. At the end of the century a war with Russia sets the definitive borders between the two powers. As the Ottomans are not a threat anymore, the capital is relocated to Wien, while Marienburg keeps the National Church See.

* Early 19th century: France and Spain declare war against the Teutons, but they are now too powerful and it ends with a severe defeat. Spain cedes Italy, which is divided south of the Po in several duchies, while France cedes all its lands east of the Rhone and north to the Seine, becoming a minor power. The Kingdom of France can't survive this and a new liberal republic is proclaimed.

* Mid 19th century: some liberal revolutions inspired in the French model shakes the Teutonic Empire. By 1870 the Empire becomes a constitutional monarchy, comprising autonomous länder composed by semi-autonomous kreis as a new and more rational internal organization.
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