The Year is 1757 and at a place called Leuthen, the Prussian Army was facing off against an Austrian Army twice their size. In command of the Prussians, Frederick II, who in another life would have been called the Great for his masterful victory in the 7 Year's War, but who in this life was on the verge of losing everything. He had commanded his army to roll up the Austrians at their weakest point and was maneuvering to that effect, but he did not count on a Saxon Army of some 15,000 to arrive and spoil the surprise under Prince Frederick Christian of Saxony. The Saxons had arrived in a Rush and had little heavy artillery to bring with them, however the speed of their advance and the fact that they had caught the Prussians mid maneuver served to tilt the balance of the Fighting in Favor of Saxony.
The Austrians under Prince Charles of Lorraine heard the commotion from behind the low hills where the Prussians were maneuvering and realized the Prussian plan. Charles moved to shore up his right flank and by the time the Saxon attack had spent itself, the Austrians were moving in.
Frederick, with Saxons to his front and Austrians to his rear, was enveloped and, in a fit of melancholy, fell on his sword rather than witness the destruction of his Army. This left Prussia to the care of his 13 year old Son, Frederick William. With the Prussian Army Destroyed in Silesia and Frederick I dead. The Saxons and Austrians moved to Join the Russians in Brandenburg.
The Campaign in Brandenburg was short and only lasted till April 1758, when the final resistance was crushed at Berlin. Prussia it seemed, was out of the war, and indeed, possibly reduced to a Rump State.
With Britain's Main European Ally Crushed, France was now able to commit more men to various Colonial Theaters in India and North America, if only just. This Influx of Men was sufficient to induce the Mughal Empire to declare war on Britain in India as well as, and this was perhaps more significant, prevent the Fall of Fort Louisborg at the Mouth of the St Lawrence in June. A Final Naval Battle took place off Cape Breton Island in August, where Louisborg was situated which was inconclusive as the Guns of the Fort were able to add their firepower to the smaller french fleet, forcing the British Fleet to return to Acadia, though Britain did manage to seize possessions in the French Caribbean, including the Vital Coffee and Sugar producing Colony of Saint Domingue.
However with Prussia crushed and the French Gaining ground in the Ohio Country, Britain was forced to sue for peace in August of 1758.
The Treaties that followed were merciless on defeated Prussia, but also benefited Britain. In a Cunning Stroke of Diplomacy, Britain managed to get France to Cede their territory in the Ohio Country in exchange for the Return of Saint Domingue and the French Caribbean, thus largely fulfilling their original war aims, though everyone agreed to Status Quo Ante in India. Prussia on the other hand was mauled. Saxony recieved Cottbus and a strip of land to connect Saxony to Poland-Lithuania from Prussia, East Prussia went to Russia, and Silesia went back to Austria, reversing the Treaty of Aix La Chappelle of 1748. Bavaria, for her small contribution of only 4,000 Troops was to recieve financial Compensation from Prussia Only. Prussia herself was reduced to the Electorate of Brandenburg, leaving the Hohenzollerns worse off than at the start of the War.
Meanwhile Russia presented an offer of a Trade to August III and the Polish Sejm, they would Trade the relatively well developed lands of East Prussia for The Duchy of Courland. After some deliberation, the Sejm agreed and called on August to Ratify the treaty, which he did. East Prussia was promptly integrated into the lands of the Polish Crown, though with some grumbling by the Germans who lived there. This was mollified by August Granting them Sejm Seats in September of 1759.
The Peace would last for 5 years. . .until August III, Elector of Saxony, King of Poland, and Grand Duke of Lithuania died. The Familia and the Russians Wanted Stanislaw August Poniatowski for King, the newly instated Junker Sejmjiks and Austrians wanted the newly crowned Frederick Christian I of Saxony. This Required Frederick Christian to travel to Warsaw, and thankfully this travel allowed him to miss getting infected with smallpox, as he would in another life, dying shortly thereafter.
Frederick Christian Traveled with an Austro-Saxon Army, Stanislaw August traveled with a Russian one. It seemed as though military conflict would determine the Kingship of Poland-Lithuania. This was not so, thankfully. For though the Russians had spent close to 2.5 Million Rubles in bribes to elect the Tsarina's Lover, Poniatowski, the Austrians, Junkers, and Saxons combined their efforts and managed to outspend the Russians. With the monopoly on force not limited to one candidate, money was the deciding factor, and there were simply too many factions behind Frederick Christian.
In the End, the Wettins would retain the Throne of Poland Lithuania. Frederick Christian was a reformer by heart, and he knew that his new Kingdom was weakened by policies left over from 200 years ago. He also knew that he would need time to reform his new Kingdom. His Father's Excess spending on his court in Saxony also could not be continued under his reign. He wanted a stable, Prosperous Kingdom. For that, he would need time, and for that, he would need allies.
Frederick Christian approached his Cousin, Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria for an Alliance and outlined his plans for her. Maria Theresa Agreed that she needed a Strong Ally in the face of Russia, which was always a rival to Austria, even though they had both been on the Same Side in the War. She agreed to the Alliance and would back Frederick Christian's Play in Poland in exchange for a favorable trade treaty and some minor border revisions. Frederick Christian agreed to her conditions.
Soon he would begin to enact the first of his reforms, his aim was for enough revenue to be generated from these for further reforms to be enacted. For now he would stick to small things like economics, so that he could build up a base of support in the Sejm, but his eventual goal was to get rid of Liberum Veto and institute a 3/4ths majority requirement for any veto to be raised. These were rules often associated with the calling of a Confederated Sejm, and so would not be too foreign for the nobles, still he expected trouble. Better to work up to that with smaller reforms first. . .