Well, on a suggestion in the Map Thread, I'm going to make a full TL out of my mini-TL. Which is, actually, a revamp of one of my older TL's, which I won't go into detail about. Suffice it to say, my old TL was crap-ass. This one is far more plausible and realistic.
Now, what I mean by "A Visual Timeline", is that each main entry will terminate with a map summarising the global situation.
However, before going into detail on the timeline itself, I shall give a brief opening biography on the main, central character of the story: John Charles, Duke of the Saale.
Charles was born at Halle an der Saale, the second son of Duke Johann Joseph of the Saale, on August 1, 1756. He was given the baptismal names John Charles Joseph Michael. He was raised at the court of his father's small but wealthy duchy in Halle. From 1774 to 1778, he attended the University of Weimar, studying law; it was there that he met Anna Helena, Countess of Wegen. They married and had their first child in 1776.
After obtaining a law degree, Charles lobbied for a position in the Duke of Saxe-Weimar's privy council. However, in late 1778, the War of the Bavarian Succession broke out and he decided to volunteer for the Imperial regiment from the Upper Saxon Circle. Though the war was brief and nearly bloodless, he saw some skirmish action in Saxony. The war ended in 1779; the same year, his elder brother, Michael Joseph, died of typhus. In 1780, Charles was discharged from service and he inherited the duchy in June upon his father's passing.
During the 1780's, he served as a member of the privy council for the Duke of Saxe-Weimar, delegating the administration of his own duchy to his father's advisers. He was quickly swept into the world of princely politics in Germany. He was introduced to the greatest and highest princes of the Empire; furthermore, he began touring central Germany, making patriotic speeches in many cities. His experience in the brief war showed him that, indeed, the German statelets could unite for a common cause, under the right leadership and conditions. To this end, he advocated making the Imperial throne hereditary in the House of Habsburg, centralising the Imperial government, and other liberal reforms. His extraordinary oratory gathered him a large following, even among the small princes.
In 1783, he was introduced to the Emperor, Joseph II, and to the Archbishop of Mainz, Friedrich Karl Joseph von Erthal, two of the most powerful men in the Empire. He quickly became a close friend and confidante of both of them, as well as the Emperor's brother, Peter Leopold, Grand Duke of Tuscany. As the decade rolled on, he convinced even these men of his patriotic ideals, as well as continuing his regular speeches in Germany. His ambition grew, and he thought that perhaps, he could become the chief adviser of the Emperor, and his heir. However, an event would occur in December of 1789 that would radically alter his ambition and his goals.
(The next post will actually begin the TL proper)