What if Gustav Adolf II doesn't die at Lutzen?

He had a plan that three armies would converge on Wienna, so he rushes towards Wienna with his armies, leads a charge in a battle and is killed in the next battle instead
 
Haha, this is like the fiftieth WI about Gustavus... Still, it's always interesting. Say Wallenstein doesn't inform Pappenheim in time because of faulty reconnaissance and Swedes win, Gustavus survives and the Catholic army is crushed. A lot of German mercenary captives would of course switch sides. Bavaria would end up ravaged and firmly under Swedish control with Bohemia in grave danger. IMO the Emperor would have to ask for peace within a year after a couple more smaller defeats. Then Gustavus could achieve his dream of becoming an Emperor but not the Holy Roman Emperor. He wanted to proclaim himself an Emperor of Sweden and Denmark above the Sound straits, as an Emperor to counter the HRE with a league of Protestant German states under his protection, primarily Brandenburg and Saxony. They would be nominally be loyal to the Swedish Emperor but would have almost complete independence, something maybe like the HRE in its final stages. I see the Swedes losing the Imperial title to the Prussians sometime in the early 1700s due to standard demographic reasons, though even Prussia as we know it might be butterflied away and Sweden could be stronger in the long run. Sweden would also get probably all of Pomerania as Brandenburg would be inferior and to weak to challenge Swedish claim. But they wouldn't get Bremen-Verden as it was OTL taken from the Danish prince in the war of 1643-1645. Thus, they get all of Pomerania. Plus Wismar.
Gustavus could possibly father one more child. If it's a son the Imperial succession is secured. If a daughter then Karl Gustav von Wittelsbach could be married to Cristina and be an Emperor while she is the Queen of Sweden in her own right. Though I'm not sure would she have kids, that second daughter of Gustavus could have future progeny with some powerful Protestant prince. If Gustav has no one else but Christina there is still a younger brother of Karl Gustav, named Adolf Johan who could have children. He would be the heir as his family were actually the closest Vasa relatives of Gustav and Cristina.
There would be a string of wars across Europe after TTL shorter TYW with France probably ending its support for Gustav but they could ally again if necessary. Or become greatest enemies, it depends on the situation. I guess the Danes and the Poles would quickly attack Sweden but it would be useful. They can use their position and power to crush them both and if a victory is strong enough, take Scania, Halland, Blekinge, Bohuslan and maybe Bornholm together with Jamtland and Herjedalen, Bremen and Verden in Denmark though it depends on small details such as who controlled it at them time though if its in 1640 its plausible, but I'm not sure about all of Norway... It might take another war...besides, if they want all these gains you need to have the Swedes allied with the Dutch. OTL the Dutch broke their alliance with the Danes because they raised the Sound tolls. Have the Danes join the war, start losing and then raise the tolls to get more money for the war effort. Then the Dutch ally with the Swedes and later Swedes can help them against France, something like the OTL Triple alliance with England. Oh and against Poland they would definitely take Courland (compensate the Duke Kettler with some money) and cities like Gdansk and other that control important rivers (Neva, Daugava, Wisla, Oder, Elbe and Weser-altogether a huge income).
The effect on colonies is also important. If set up properly, New Sweden could fare better than OTL. Especially with royal encouragement. Immigrants would not just be Swedes but also Finns, a few Estonians and Curonians, some Danes and Norwegians, couple English merchants and sailors, a decent number of Dutch, especially if they are allies and plenty of Germans, looking for new opportunities and fleeing from the war devastation at home. Oh and French Huguenots eventually. It could result in Swedes actually being not the most numerous nation in their own colony. Apart from New Sweden, they could sail into Hudson's bay if they are feeling adventureous and settle up there at the same time the English did. From there it's easy to move into Ontario and Manitoba and Swedes are no strangers to cold. From there the Great Lakes and OTL Minnesota are not far away and OTL a lot of Swedes moved to Minnesota IIRC. All that before 1700. And of course the Swedish Gold Coast (a beautiful name:D) and couple islands in the Carribean who knows? But it would of course be less populated that the Dutch or English colonies...However it could also affect New Netherlands and Louisiana so the USA are probably butterflied.

Anyway, hope any of this helped and it wasn't too much. Thanks for reading all this :(
 
Then Gustavus could achieve his dream of becoming an Emperor but not the Holy Roman Emperor. He wanted to proclaim himself an Emperor of Sweden and Denmark above the Sound straits, as an Emperor to counter the HRE with a league of Protestant German states under his protection, primarily Brandenburg and Saxony. They would be nominally be loyal to the Swedish Emperor but would have almost complete independence, something maybe like the HRE in its final stages. I see the Swedes losing the Imperial title to the Prussians sometime in the early 1700s due to standard demographic reasons, though even Prussia as we know it might be butterflied away and Sweden could be stronger in the long run.
Is it plausible to have another Western Roman Emperor in this Early Modern Era, i.e. before the inflation of Emperors at around 1800? Besides, these states are all too small and weak to serve as base for an Empire. An extended Swedish Kingdom annexing Pomerania and Mecklenburg, while dominating Brandenburg, Lüneburg and Saxony, and later merging with these too, might seem reasonable. Silesia and Bohemia are also close for consideration.


If a daughter then Karl Gustav von Wittelsbach could be married to Cristina and be an Emperor while she is the Queen of Sweden in her own right.
A successful union with a Lutheran Lithuania could be achieved if we do not have that OTL Wittelsbach Swedish King, or if he is reined in somewhat in his ambitions.
 
He wouldn't be a Western Roman Emperor but a Swedish Emperor, owning everything Sweden had in 1658 plus entire Pomerania (and Bremen-Verden), Courland, maybe Polish Livonia and, as you said eventually even perhaps Lithuanian Lutherans. Brandenburg, Saxony (both Electorate and the Ernestine duchies), all Brunswick lands, Mecklenburg, Holstein, Munster, Osnabruck and other small areas I forgot would all be under nominal Swedish authority, bound to help the King both financially and militarily. Saxony would also get Lusatia and maybe some of the Hohenzollern nobles could get parts of Silesia. All that would be included. It's not like HRE but it's still a decent Empire. However, Gustav was quite reckless and could be killed in some other battle in Germany or later fighting against Danes or Poles. That could end things quickly
 
He wouldn't be a Western Roman Emperor but a Swedish Emperor,
But the idea of "Emperor" at the time, was still of the successor of Rome. Even the immensely mighty kingdoms of France and Spain were not ruled by Emperors, but by Kings. If Gustavus Adolphus was to be Emperor, it would have to be of the Holy Roman Empire, and he would have to be chosen as such by the German Electors, an event that actually would seem reasonably plausible given some successes on this timelines battlefields.

I get hung up on the title, if you get my meaning. The Turkish ruler was Emperor, but he did hold the lands of Eastern Rome. The Moghuls in India, and the rulers of China, were also Emperors in this time. The Russian ruler was in transition to be regarded as Emperor, due both to connection with lost Byzantium, and to the vast tracts of land he controlled, and later expansions.
 
Several of the Electors were protestants, were they not? Perhaps we might even see an earlier toning down of the religious particulars. He did become more understanding of the papists after warring in southern Germany, and nowadays, even the top catholics have stated that there is no religious difference between Lutherans and Roman Catholics.
 

Driftless

Donor
If Gustavus Adolphus survives Lutzen, then the Swedes/Protestants likely maintain the battlefront initiative. That loss of initiative led to the disaster at Nordlingen; which really threw the Protestant cause on it's heels.

What was Gustavus' intended tactical plan as followup to the fight at Lutzen? Where did he hope to press next & when?
 
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