The Reformation, and Germany...

I'm working on my timeline again, and I'm currently working on the chapters dealing with Emperor Philip (OTL Philip the Fair, who died in Spain) in the aftermath of an Italian War which ended in the 1520s. He has largely delayed any diet dealing with Martin Luther to focus on his campaigns in Italy -- however, it was the unrest stemming from this delay, along with the so-called Peasant Wars which forced Philip to conclude a peace with France in 1525. It is at least favorable to him -- the Sforza are restored in Milan, although he betrays his ally, the King of Spain by forcing him to restore Upper Navarre to the Kingdom of Navarre (It was never lost ITTL; Navarre remained a Castilian protectorate, although now it is rather a French one, and the capital has been moved to Pau nevertheless). Philip thus has some reputation as being a neutral arbiter, although many regard him as a bumbling fool in regards to diplomacy, alienating many possible allies (England and Spain, mostly).

I'm wanting the TL to have a unified (at least, as unified as it can be at the time) Germany. Philip is going to have to be savvy in regards to Luther. He really has no enemies amongst the princes -- even the most Pro-French (and typically Lutheran/Reformed) have no problem with the Emperor himself, just his politics. He sympathizes with Luther and is distrustful of Rome, especially following the Italian Wars ending -- The Medici Pope Clement XII essentially brokered a separate peace with the French. Thus Philip has a bone or two to pick with Rome... but he isn't willing to make a complete break.

So, what can Philip do to help unite the Princes to support his ideas for a more unified Empire (essentially based around the 1495 Imperial Reforms). Some Princes supported Philip during the Italian War with money, and or troops... they feel that he owes them, and he perfectly willing to compromise in such a situation. I assume he can broker some support by doing something about church properties, especially in favor of the low nobility and knights who supported the Reforms IOTL... but is it possible for him to come to any agreement that binds the Empire closer together, is acceptable to both Catholics and Reformists, and at least keeps the Habsburgs themselves as Catholics?
 
Gonna bump this up... anyone got any ideas?

Thinking on it more, it seems impractical for Philip to be able to broker any sort of compromise that would please both the Protestants and the Catholics. After all, Augsburg was basically hated by both the Protestants and Catholics and satisfied no one. If the Emperor is pandering to one side and then turns to pander to the other side, he's going to end up making both sides of the religious spectrum upset. Getting rid of church properties (see the monasteries, especially those of the notorious Prince-Abbacys) to favor the lower nobility seems the best course in doing something, but would certainly upset the Catholics. The Emperor is going to need some sort of support base and I think that the lower nobility and knights, especially those without land are the ones to do this.
 
Well, the 1526 Reichstag dismissed the Edict of Worms. It was only the 1529 Reichstag that re-empowered it. I'm presuming that's the rough window where any machinations would take place.
The 1526 decision was pretty much a (temporary) solution to the problem; it left it up to each individual state whether the Edict of Worms (which banned reformation) would be valid in their territory.

The Emperor is going to need some sort of support base and I think that the lower nobility and knights, especially those without land are the ones to do this.

Actually, it's not as bad as it looks; he could gain a simple majority in the decisive council, the Kurfürstenrat. That council consisted of three (catholic) clerical members, and four secular members. One of the secular members was John of Saxony, who led the Protestation of Speyer in 1529 against the above decision, and Friedrich II of Palatinate, who didn't subscribe then, but was banned for introducing the reformation in his country 10 years later. The other two were the Kurfürst of Brandenburg, who also introduced reformation 10 years later, and the King of Bohemia.

The latter is pretty much the kingpin of the scheme, as his personal fate depends on your timeline (which i haven't read in full yet). After all, the King of Bohemia was Philip's and Joanna's son (!) Ferdinand, newly elected to the post in 1526.
Thus, if he has both Ferdinand and John of Saxony "in his pocket", he only needs to convince Friedrich II of Palatinate and Joachim I of Brandenburg. The first shouldn't be that hard, but the latter is a HUGE problem, as Joachim I was a bitter enemy of the reformation - despite his wife being lutheran. Having him removed would surely help things along, if you can swing it...
 
Thanks, Kato. Philip would definately have no problem convincing the Electors of the Palatinate and Saxony. Ferdinand is also King of Bohemia in my TL, succeeding his brother-in-law as he did IOTL, and also serving as his father's representative in the Habsburg hereditary lands, which Ferdinand stands to inherit upon the passing of his father. Charles himself will rule in the Netherlands as Emperor.

My TL, however, has no Edict of Worms, the 1525 will be the first Diet has called in his reign. Philip went straight to war with France and was concerned with those matters, essentially putting the matter of the Reformation and other domestic concerns on the backburner until the French were driven out of Italy.

I can see Philip agreeing in principal to letting the Princes choose their religion, and that of their subjects, as long as they remain loyal to the House of Habsburg. He would in return probably support some limited reforms concerning Church benefices and lands. I don't see Philip having many centralizing tendacies -- indeed, the more 'unified' Germany of this TL would quite constitutional, the Emperor limited by the council and Reichstag to an extent. In return, he might be able to gamble on some of the 1495 reforms that his father desired -- such as perpetual peace between the princes, and establishment of a penny tax to support a common army.

The Elector of Brandenburg is indeed a serious issue -- although he was a vehement Catholic, perhaps he could be swayed to the side of the Imperial Party with the promise of territory? Philip could promise the secularization of Magdeburg to join Brandenburg, or perhaps even some sort of cession from the crown of Bohemia, such as Lusatia or one of the Silesian duchies?
 
The Elector of Brandenburg is indeed a serious issue -- although he was a vehement Catholic, perhaps he could be swayed to the side of the Imperial Party with the promise of territory?

I doubt it. That man actually wrote in his will in 1534 that his successors should always keep Brandenburg catholic (no one cared about that though, and reformation was introduced in Brandenburg five years later). He was responsible for anti-jewish pogroms in his country, and his pro-lutheran wife had to flee the country in 1528.
 
Top