Sweden as a major power following the Great Northern War

Full partitions of PLC would not be in Sweden's interest. Sweden can't expand deep into Polish territory (Charles X tried and failed). Best thing Sweden could do is to take Baltic ports and impose tarrifs on Polish trade. Partitions would benefit Sweden's rivals-Prussia and Russia, who also wanted Baltic coast (Pomerania/Royal Prussia and Livonia/Ingria)

You are talking about post-GNW Sweden. It already lost almost all Livonian ports related to the Polish or Lithuanian trade. The only thing it can try to do is to capture Danzig but who will let them?
 
It seems that you seriously believe that at this time the PLC's main problem was August. :cool:
This is question about Swedish wank, death of Augustus at this point would make things for Sweden easier, no need to chase August all the way to Saxony.
And no, I don't think Swedish pawn Leszczyński was any better.
 
Honestly I think seeing Sweden rebuilding it's greatness would be more interesting than just handwaving a victory in the Great Northern War.
 
Honestly I think seeing Sweden rebuilding it's greatness would be more interesting than just handwaving a victory in the Great Northern War.
While more interesting, it is near impossible unless we take the Sweden -> Scandinavia route (which, according to the OP, is off limits, but I think it really is the only way for Sweden to remain a recognized Great Power). Russia is far too powerful without some miracle happening that leads to Russia significantly weakening, and possibilities for colonies in the New World have since dried up. The only other path I could possibly see to Sweden regaining relevance is go back to its roots of intervention into the Holy Roman Empire, this time on the Austria side, though. Maybe if they're lucky, they can take quite a chunk off of Prussia.
 
Many people controbuted to its deterioration-Jan Zamoyski, Jan Kazimierz, Ludwika Maria. But it doesn't change fact, that August made the things worse provocing Swedish invasion.

List of the kings who made things worse is going to be a long one and August most probably would not even be on the top of it. ;)
 
While more interesting, it is near impossible unless we take the Sweden -> Scandinavia route (which, according to the OP, is off limits, but I think it really is the only way for Sweden to remain a recognized Great Power). Russia is far too powerful without some miracle happening that leads to Russia significantly weakening, and possibilities for colonies in the New World have since dried up. The only other path I could possibly see to Sweden regaining relevance is go back to its roots of intervention into the Holy Roman Empire, this time on the Austria side, though. Maybe if they're lucky, they can take quite a chunk off of Prussia.

Sweden may not return to be as dominant as it was from 1645-1721. But it could return to be a great power, and Sweden could honestly have done a lot to become a minor Great Power like Prussia (which until the 19th century was less important than Sweden had been under its greatness) in the 18th century. But the Swedish political system, which was pretty much a corrupt oligarchy ensured that Sweden was unable to make the necessary reforms and investments. Denmark which had half the population of Sweden and lacked the vast resources of Sweden had in the 18th century a significant larger army and navy. Sweden could easily have had a army rivaling the Prussian one in size..
 
Now that I'm at a PC instead of a tablet, let's start with my suggestion.

The POD are that Ulrika Eleonora fall down a bunch of stairs in 1710, this makes a potential coup against Charles Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp much harder. So he's crowned king (as Charles XIII) after Charles XII dies, this mean Swedish Absolutism continues. Sweden get pretty much the same peace, Charles XII likely lose Holstein-Gottorp also or he keep it and lose all of Swedish Pomerania[1], I lean toward Swedish Pomerania being kept.

After the War ends, Charles XIII begin to rebuild Sweden afterward, he likely marry someone else (I would suggest Princess Charlotte Amalie of Denmark), no idea what happens to russian succession, but I suspect Anna Petrona marry another minor German prince or duke. Charles XIII likely seek peace with Denmark, if he plans to regain the Baltic duchies that's necessary, of course later in his reign, he may end up seeing that's hopeless and a major target of Swedish expansion becomes Norway, but there lack a clear opportunity. In general he push higher domestic taxes to restablish the old army, but he likely also invest heavily in manufacturing and agricultural advances, invites foreigners to settle the empty forests etc.

The result being that Sweden by 1730 are able to field a significant army again (80.000 man seem pretty realistic), through still smaller than under the "Great Power Era". Charles XIII lives longer without travelling all around Europe, As the Austrian Succession War hit, France offer to fund a Swedish conflict with Russia. But Charles XIII look at a map and decides that it seems a pretty horrible idea. But there's another target, and Charles enter the war and invades Prussia, he makes a agreement with the Maria Theresa that she will allow him to gain all of Pomerania, the Saxons decides to go after East Prussia, as they can see that Prussia are suddenly the weak animal in the flock. The Swedish army entering the war in 1741 do in fact rival the army's size in the "Great Power Era"

Prussia end up losing Pomerania to the Swedes and Magdeburg, Kobutt and East Prussia to Saxony. Instead of Silesia, Austria lose Milan.

Sweden now have all of Pomerania, while not the greatest territory, it still have as 50-75% population as Norway or Finland, and it offer Sweden a large territory which the Swedish king can raise taxes without domestic protests. But it also remove Prussia as a factor in North Germany, which open the region up to a Swedish-Danish-Saxon rivalry. Charles XIII dies in 1749 leaving a adult but young son as new king. His son show himself a mediocre but competent king, and he continues his father reforms and expansion of army and navy. Sweden also begins to invest in colonial adventures, and buy a few sugar islands.

The Sweden leaving the Austrian Succession War I describe here are again a great power, it doesn't dominates as earlier, but it also have fewer enemies making ready to attack it. It's a Sweden where French, Austrian, Russian and British envoys negotiates for it to enter diufferent conflict. It have a significant army and it have four different paths to seek territorial expansion.

1: War with Denmark over Norway, but there's also a potentiale for a union.
2: War with Russia over the Baltic provinces.
3: Expansion in North Germany.
4: Partition of Poland.

[1]Sweden was allowed to keep a territory in Germany at the insistance of France, because they was co-guarantor of the Westphalian Peace, even if it was pretty much a joke at that point, but if Sweden lost that position, it would be harder for France to keep its.
 
This is pretty unlikely since the Swedish Empire had less economic base than the combined core 3 scandiavian coutnries. In other words, a history with a continued Kalmar union has its Danish king stronger than a history with the Swedish king winning a Northern War. If Kalmar Union had little potential even without Swedish dissent (consensus of a talk months ago), why would Sweden end up a great power by keeping lands like Pomerania (which isn't bad, but small)?
 
Sweden now have all of Pomerania, while not the greatest territory, it still have as 50-75% population as Norway or Finland, and it offer Sweden a large territory which the Swedish king can raise taxes without domestic protests. But it also remove Prussia as a factor in North Germany, which open the region up to a Swedish-Danish-Saxon rivalry.
Do you mean that both Pomerania and Brandenburg become Swedish? Just Pomerania seems not to be very big or resourceful,but with all of Brandenburg, and perhaps Mecklenburg too, then we might be heading somewhere, although even that would not seem game-changing when comparing with the real great powers.
 
Do you mean that both Pomerania and Brandenburg become Swedish? Just Pomerania seems not to be very big or resourceful,but with all of Brandenburg, and perhaps Mecklenburg too, then we might be heading somewhere, although even that would not seem game-changing when comparing with the real great powers.

No I only mean Pomerania, by German standards Pomerania was a empty wasteland with the only thing of value being Strettin, but by Scandinavian standards it's a very fertile region, the best thing it could be compared to in Sweden would be another Skåneland. What's better are that the fact it clings to the coast offer that it could easily be integrated with Sweden. Also while I don't expect Sweden being able to assimilate the region, I could see significant Swedish settlement as the region as the lack of natural defenses often effected the population negative in case of war. As for Brandenburg the loss of Pomerania, East Prussia and Magdeburg would transform it from the second strongest German state to the fourth after Austria, Saxony and Bavaria in that order, it would barely be ahead of Hanover.
 
Also while I don't expect Sweden being able to assimilate the region, I could see significant Swedish settlement as the region as the lack of natural defenses often effected the population negative in case of war.
I would guess that such a limited area, if kept during the following centuries, then most probably would have become linguistically Swedish after a while if the government had applied policies to that purpose, but I might be wrong.

On the other hand, if Stettin is an important port, I do not see how Sweden could hold it if the neighbor to the south really wants it, similar to Finland and the Baltic provinces against Russia.
 
I would guess that such a limited area, if kept during the following centuries, then most probably would have become linguistically Swedish after a while if the government had applied policies to that purpose, but I might be wrong.

On the other hand, if Stettin is an important port, I do not see how Sweden could hold it if the neighbor to the south really wants it, similar to Finland and the Baltic provinces against Russia.
I doubt it will become Swedish speaking, but we will likely see a significant Swedish minority, as Pomerania become a target if Swdish surplus population.

As for Strettin, there's no Russia in the other side, there's a very much weaken Branenburg, which are nowhere close to Sweden in power.
 
I would guess that such a limited area, if kept during the following centuries, then most probably would have become linguistically Swedish after a while if the government had applied policies to that purpose, but I might be wrong.

On the other hand, if Stettin is an important port, I do not see how Sweden could hold it if the neighbor to the south really wants it, similar to Finland and the Baltic provinces against Russia.

I'd say you are wrong, simply due to the fact German would remain the language of the traveler and commerce as Pomerania is surrounded by German speaking territory which she frequently interacts with
 
I'd say you are wrong, simply due to the fact German would remain the language of the traveler and commerce as Pomerania is surrounded by German speaking territory which she frequently interacts with
I am talking about the 1850 to 1950 period, with schools in Swedish and administration in Swedish, and as was the case back then, punishments for those not using Swedish (horrible :( ). And they are switching from a Platt dialect to another standard language anyway, High German or in this case Swedish, both of them not extremely distant from their dialect. They are not part of Germany here, they are a part of the centralised Swedish state.
 
I will take a liberal starting point(time) for this TL. Liberal in the sense that my POD will be in the Napoleonic era, some time after the Great Northern War.

Following the Napoleonic wars Norway is integrated closely with Sweden or annexed directly into Sweden.

Norway having a smaller population than Sweden is always going to be dominated by Sweden.
Norway population in 1801 was 883 thousand.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Norway
The Swedish population on the otherhand was 2347 thousand in 1800, this means that the Swedish population was 2,6 times as large as the Norwegian population.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Sweden

Swedens greater population and the larger Swedish speaking population also means that Norwegian will be the language that loses ground. Universities would be more concentrated in Sweden. Norwegian students would likely take up some Swedish language innovations back to Norway. Norway might get a Swedified elite.

If Danish is pushed out of Norway in favor of Swedish then over time be might see some lingusitic Swedification of Norway.

The language in eastern Norway might also be impacted and influenced by Swedish. Eastern Norwegian has more in common with Swedish and is closer geographically and economically than other areas of Norway to Sweden, it is therfore likely to be the most affected area of Norway.
scandinavian-dialects-map-re-pinned-by-europass-the-scandinavian-countries-of-europe.png


Perhaps more of Norways emigration flows could be directed overseas, instead of colonizing northern Norway. This might allow northern Norway to be more influenced by Swedish language and demography.

Have this greater Sweden encompassing both OTL Sweden and Norway experience greater natural population growth aswell as a postponed demographic transition compared to other European countries. This ATL Sweden could also recieve immigrants to strengthen it's demography and economy. More people often means a larger potential economy.

Then have Sweden have similar low levels of corruption as in OTL
 
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