The High Countries: Lorraine, Alsace, and Burgundy

The three areas share some similarities to the Low Countries, having most of their lands as part of the Holy Roman Empire and originating from the remnants of Lotharingia/Middle Francia. French influence over the region eventually led to their incorporation into the country.

Would it be plausible for the region to become united and stay an independent entity Belgium-style with a Oïl and German-speaking population, perhaps as a buffer state between the two powers? If so, what PoD would allow for its existence? At the minimum, the polity includes the Duchy of Lorraine, the Three Bishoprics, the Duchy of Bar, Strassburg, the Decapol, the Sundgau, and the County of Burgundy(Franche-Comté). Bonus points if the Duchy of Burgundy is included.
 
The three areas share some similarities to the Low Countries, having most of their lands as part of the Holy Roman Empire and originating from the remnants of Lotharingia/Middle Francia. French influence over the region eventually led to their incorporation into the country.

Would it be plausible for the region to become united and stay an independent entity Belgium-style with a Oïl and German-speaking population, perhaps as a buffer state between the two powers? If so, what PoD would allow for its existence? At the minimum, the polity includes the Duchy of Lorraine, the Three Bishoprics, the Duchy of Bar, Strassburg, the Decapol, the Sundgau, and the County of Burgundy(Franche-Comté). Bonus points if the Duchy of Burgundy is included.

So basically Lotharingia. Well for one for it to survive it would need to be larger, probably have Flanders, and have more competent leaders. As an era it is actually quite suited to being a very strong country, due to the fact that it is basically all on River, which is good for centralisation. So really I can see if the leader is somehow able to overcome the problems inherent in the Carolingian State, and its neighbours don't, it could dominate the two for long enough that it survives. But it is unlikely to have two languages, it would have to just have one, in the long run.
 
Perhaps give Phillip of Rouerge a younger brother? He'll inherit the Duchy of Burgundy, County Palatine of Burgundy, County of Auvergne, and County of Boulogne. The last being the only low county in his possession. Then the Burgundian focus can be on Upper Lorraine and the southern Arelat counties. Humbert might even willed the dauphinate to him.
 
Maybe if the Congress of Vienna decides not to restore the Kingdom of France to its old borders in 1815? Instead, the old 1648 borders of the Westphalian Peace are restored, more or less, and a strong buffer state is created between France, in this scenario still viewed with suspicion, and the south German states - and as this Burgundy/Lorraine/Upper Lotharingia would immediately be the strongest Middle Power, i.e., not Austria or Prussia, it would serve well enough as 'strong buffer state' by German Confederation standards. And over time and many nationalist unrests later, it is realized that the only way to keep the state together is to balance ethnic-French and ethnic-German interests, so it begins to form an own identity between the two.
 
If Nicolas d’Anjou, Duke of Lorraine (1448-1473) had married as was planned Mary of Burgundy, their line would have united pretty much all territories from Burgundy to the North Sea. However, said descendence is also next in line to the French throne after the Valois-Angoulême. You would need both branch to survive in order to end up with two distincts states. Otherwise, it would be the proverbial « big blue blob ».
 
Perhaps give Phillip of Rouerge a younger brother? He'll inherit the Duchy of Burgundy, County Palatine of Burgundy, County of Auvergne, and County of Boulogne. The last being the only low county in his possession. Then the Burgundian focus can be on Upper Lorraine and the southern Arelat counties. Humbert might even willed the dauphinate to him.

I'm assuming you mean Philippe of Rouvres, cause he had a sister who was betrothed to Amadeus VI of Savoy, but the engagement was later broken and she entered a convent. So, in theory, we could see Savoy gaining all of these territories. Plus dauphiné could be an interesting block.
 
I'm assuming you mean Philippe of Rouvres, cause he had a sister who was betrothed to Amadeus VI of Savoy, but the engagement was later broken and she entered a convent. So, in theory, we could see Savoy gaining all of these territories. Plus dauphiné could be an interesting block.
Yeah, not sure where I got Rouerge from!
Savoy would be interesting as they nearly obtained the Dauphinate OTL with Peter back in the late 1200s.
 
Of the entities in the region, Burgundy has a choice about which way to expand- north into a Lotharingia-style state as in OTL or south in an Arles-style state. If it wanted to it can attempt to recreate the ungodly borders that were Middle Francia, but I doubt a state like that would last particularly long.

The High Countries might be divided into two states: Lorraine-Alsace in the north with closer ties and ambitions on the Low Countries and maybe even the Rhineland (Trier and Luxembourg having been part of Upper Lotharingia), while a Burgundy to the south with closer ties to Savoy. For Lorrain, how might it gain Alsace as well as remain independent of a covetous France? The same can be said of Burgundy-Savoy.
 
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