Union of Venice and Switzerland or some territories of the Republic of Venice with Switzerland
- Thread starter kasumigenx
- Start date
I was thinking about this because it seems that Northern Italy has certain groups that want unification with Switzerland, I was thinking if a unification of Venice and Switzerland could be a nucleus for such a union perhaps, Lombardy/Duchy of Milan can go to Switzerland instead.
Perhaps what is possible is for Switzerland to annex Aquilea and Verona rather than Venice itself which would be kept as a city state.
Perhaps what is possible is for Switzerland to annex Aquilea and Verona rather than Venice itself which would be kept as a city state.
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I can see, at best, something involving Bergamo and Brescia.
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Anyone good a good map with river crossings and mountain passes? I am wondering on the practicality of Venice actually being part of Switzerland, as well as what what it would fully entail, organization wise. If we go with the suggestion one made to have the Swiss annex some of Venetian Terraferma, or better yet for it to join the Swiss innthe same manner the Graubunden did. The Swiss might have the manpower to conquer some of the areas, though their main export was mercenaries and unless they had a steady supply of gold provided by the Swiss government, confederation, whatever, then they would likely look for work elsewhere. The Swiss may also be over-stretching themselves a bit, as the HRE, and especially the emperors bordering the Swiss everywhere (and having their dynastic namesake be located in Swiss territory), would not a want a state between them and the Italians. Perhaps we find a way that the Italians are so miffed with the Hauf or Hasp that they support the Swiss? And do we think people would see the Swiss as a single state or as a conglomeration?
It is less outrageous than the idea of annexing Verona or Aquileia, but I cannot see how the Swiss might defend them.
Aquilea and Verona aren't Venice Proper but they comprise the majority of the Mainland of Venice, Aquilea speaks Rhaeto Romance Friulian, and Ladin, perhaps we need to annex Tyrol and Trent from the Habsburgs as well before they can get them but that may not be worth it because they will lose their neutrality by doing so.
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Maybe the Old Swiss Confederacy siezes Tyrol and from there siezes parts of Venice?
Milan, Austria, or both are in the way for most of Venice's history. You'd have to get through them first before even getting from the Swiss lands to the Terraferma.
Hmmm, maybe keep Tyrol under the various Bishops as they apparently once were. Let the lands grow to have their own administrations and then maybe snatch something up around... Hmm, Reformation would probably be too late. Honestly, whether you have bishops, burgers, or barons in the area, I expect a larger power would try to snatch them up. Might be best that this Swiss conglomeration have regional groupings. They may have defense alliances and economic ones, but they wouldn’t necessarily need to become a single state early on. If you manage to get some Doges here, maybe there would be precedence for powerful local figures to take part. If the Habsburgs can be prevented from marrying into so many crowns, perhaps Further Austria as a part of this group, allowing access to the Rhine. Not that it would be the best route if you were shipping things from the coast, though I suppose back then they had much smaller ships and would mostly move metal goods or valuable items rather than cargo containers. I looked up Bergamo and it seems the founder of the Thurn and Taxis mail system came from there. Just a fun fact. What if this whole group is still part of the HRE and is given votes in the diet? Would it have its votes split between the Italian, Burgundian, and German diets? And if it was a part of the German one (at least in part), would it be part of the Swabian Circle, given it was a part of the stem duchy? Might be able to tie it together with the various other small states down there, including many cities and places that would eventually end up run by financier families.
I had a separate thread about Milan getting annexed by Switzerland...
Duchy of Milan absorbed by Switzerland
I was thinking about this because it seems that Northern Italy has certain groups that want unification with Switzerland, I was wondering if Lombardy/Duchy of Milan can go to Switzerland. @isabella
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