Vive la Bourgogne, Vive La France!

There wouldn't be any need to raise those Grafs to Duke. The title "Elector" was largely seen as a superior rank to any German title, and so holding the electorship was an automatic promotion above the non-elector nobility of Germany. There would be no need to equality of ranks between the electors either, since as electors they all held equal rank.

Pretty much why the Count Palatine of the Rhine was equal in rank to two electors who were kings, though in reality the situation was more complicated.

Yes. I just thought it looked neater :D
But I guess the new German Reich would want to maintain the appearance of being the legitimate HRE
 
Hmmm, I forgot to ask who the French HRE Electors would be.

My guesses:
King of France - replacing Bohemia
The Count of the Rhine - ie whoever France makes Count
The Duke of Brittany
Duke of Savoy
Archbishop of Cologne
Archbishop of Trier
Archbishop of Rheims or perhaps Liege?

Since the French King controls 5 of these the election is practically guaranteed each generation until the HRE is made hereditary.

I'm not sure it would work like that. If you start electing French titles as hereditary electorships, you are de facto announcing that France is part of the HRE, even though the HRE is now just a sliver of territory after being cut off from the remnant "Kingdom of Germany". Conversely, it should be seen in Europe now as a French territory, and the French wanting to annex themselves into it would be seen as a bizarre move - a bit like England passing the Acts of Union 1542 (the Welsh Acts, which merged Wales into England) and then proceeding to institute a load of Welsh governmental devices into England and running England like it were Wales. Rather, the King of France would keep the HRE entirely separate from France, though obviously retaining its title himself - he would probably award himself a territory in the HRE so as to make himself an elector, as it is possible to be the Holy Roman Emperor without ever having a vote yourself. Then he would let the Germans vote on the title themselves after appointing several electors to territories which were likely to be pliable. The use of bribes (elector votes were traditionally won by just plying the electors with expensive gifts and money) and the threat of military action would then confirm that it would always be installed onto the King of France until a couple of centuries down the line, when the French would likely decide that the time was good for announcing the end of the elections and making the title officially hereditary.

Also, I'm not sure the Savoyards would like to be included in this. Yes, they were often at the French mercy and were frequently placed under military occupation when they disagreed with the French in foreign policy. However, they retained nominal independence, and being technically independent on paper was still worth ten times what the actual ability to run your own affairs was. It would be political suicide for them to agree to any such French deal as it would be tantamount to declaring themselves part of France - a bit like Scotland in the 1300s just saying "you know what, enough is enough. We're tired of fighting. Let's just lay down our arms and agree to become the vassal of England" without so much as a fight over it.
 
I'm not sure it would work like that. If you start electing French titles as hereditary electorships, you are de facto announcing that France is part of the HRE, even though the HRE is now just a sliver of territory after being cut off from the remnant "Kingdom of Germany". Conversely, it should be seen in Europe now as a French territory, and the French wanting to annex themselves into it would be seen as a bizarre move - a bit like England passing the Acts of Union 1542 (the Welsh Acts, which merged Wales into England) and then proceeding to institute a load of Welsh governmental devices into England and running England like it were Wales. Rather, the King of France would keep the HRE entirely separate from France, though obviously retaining its title himself - he would probably award himself a territory in the HRE so as to make himself an elector, as it is possible to be the Holy Roman Emperor without ever having a vote yourself. Then he would let the Germans vote on the title themselves after appointing several electors to territories which were likely to be pliable. The use of bribes (elector votes were traditionally won by just plying the electors with expensive gifts and money) and the threat of military action would then confirm that it would always be installed onto the King of France until a couple of centuries down the line, when the French would likely decide that the time was good for announcing the end of the elections and making the title officially hereditary.

Ah yes that makes sense! Didn't have my brain switched on!
The King of France would therefore probably hold the Countship of the Rhine.
What do you think would be the other nonFrench Electors?
 
Ah yes that makes sense! Didn't have my brain switched on!
The King of France would therefore probably hold the Countship of the Rhine.
What do you think would be the other nonFrench Electors?

Hard to say. For such a tiny territory there probably wouldn't be seven electors. In truth, now that I'm looking at a map, west-of-Rhine Germany is so tiny it might just be annexed wholesale to France and the HRE would just be considered one of the French Kings' automatic titles, as if it were a mere courtly honour. But perhaps:

The three archbishoprics annexed (Mainz, Trier, Koln)
The County Palatine (in personal union with France)
Principality of Nassau

and if you really wanted two more then perhaps

Duchy of Zweibrucken
perhaps the Duchy of Lorraine, except the Duke would likely refuse, not wanting to be bound further to France
if not Lorraine then perhaps Julich, if it could be seperated from Berg which was on the other side of the Rhine.



Incidentally, I'll point out I added a second paragraph to my last post while you were replying to it.
 
Yay, I thought this was dead, I hope not. Anyway, I don't think that the French HRE will even have nominal Electors, Mirza Khan made it pretty clear that the title of Holy Roman Emperor and everything west of the Rhine was given to the French Kings. So, I don't think there would even be a nominal election.
I really do hope this continues,
Scipio
 
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