WI: All of Germany goes Lutheran

kernals12

Banned
The reformation started in Germany thanks to Martin Luther. Before long, many German princes adopted this new faith. However, in the Rhineland and Bavaria, they remained catholic. So what if all the Princedoms in what is now Germany went Protestant?

This would have enormous impacts on the 30 years war

Also, I would assume having one religion makes it easier to unify the country.

And there's probably a domino effect from this
 
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The reformation started in Germany thanks to Martin Luther. Before long, many German princes adopted this new faith. However, in the Rhineland and Bavaria, they remained catholic. So what if all the Princedoms in what is now Germany went Protestant? I would assume having one religion makes it easier to unify the country.
So many forget, Austria is also part of old traditional Germany. They are expelled after their defeat at the hands of the Prussians in 1866. So a larger part of Germany other than the Rhineland and Bavaria remain Catholic. And at the time, Austria was the dominant force in not just Germany,(Holy Roman Empire) but also of Central, and at times, all of Europe. All of Germany, other than the Northern part, becoming Lutheran is not as easy as it sounds. And if it becomes a "Holy War', as it had before, don't forget, Catholic Hungarians and Catholic Poland also may choose sides with their fellow Papists.
 

Philip

Donor
However, in the Rhineland and Bavaria, they remained catholic

Or returned to Catholicism during the Counter Reformation.

I would assume having one religion makes it easier to unify the country.

The Calvinists and Anabaptists might have something to say. Even so, I doubt that a common religion would cover up the political desires of the German dynasties.
 

kernals12

Banned
So many forget, Austria is also part of old traditional Germany. They are expelled after their defeat at the hands of the Prussians in 1866. So a larger part of Germany other than the Rhineland and Bavaria remain Catholic. And at the time, Austria was the dominant force in not just Germany,(Holy Roman Empire) but also of Central, and at times, all of Europe. All of Germany, other than the Northern part, becoming Lutheran is not as easy as it sounds. And if it becomes a "Holy War', as it had before, don't forget, Catholic Hungarians and Catholic Poland also may choose sides with their fellow Papists.
The Duke of Bavaria at the time, William IV, was initially sympathetic to the reformation.
 

kernals12

Banned
Or returned to Catholicism during the Counter Reformation.



The Calvinists and Anabaptists might have something to say. Even so, I doubt that a common religion would cover up the political desires of the German dynasties.
I said it would make it easier, not easy.
 
Either/or is fine. I just assumed that if they were going to pick a protestant faith, it would be the one that originated in Germany.

The problem is Protestantism was so attractive to the nobility of Germany specifically because it dident require ideological uniformity or submission to an Imperial church; it fit into their notion of "German Freedoms" far better than Catholicism. You'd need a greater propagation of ideas like the Scandinavian idea of "Religious Freedom is Athiesm" coming into play... which it suppose could be the case if the Danes (In their role as Dukes of Schewig and Holstein) became a power broker/lynchpin of the political faction of Protestant Princes
 

kernals12

Banned
The problem is Protestantism was so attractive to the nobility of Germany specifically because it dident require ideological uniformity or submission to an Imperial church; it fit into their notion of "German Freedoms" far better than Catholicism. You'd need a greater propagation of ideas like the Scandinavian idea of "Religious Freedom is Athiesm" coming into play... which it suppose could be the case if the Danes (In their role as Dukes of Schewig and Holstein) became a power broker/lynchpin of the political faction of Protestant Princes
If it worked in the North, why wouldn't it work in the South?
 
If it worked in the North, why wouldn't it work in the South?

One big factor was the Wittlebachs and Habsburgs, as a family, both held considerable secular power via having their families ascending the Church hierarchies, that the Habsburg relations in Spain was aligned religiously and politically with the Papacy, and the south in general had a greater concentration of church governed (rather than secularly governed) lands. They were the beneficiaries of Catholic uniformity.
 

kernals12

Banned
One big factor was the Wittlebachs and Habsburgs, as a family, both held considerable secular power via having their families ascending the Church hierarchies, that the Habsburg relations in Spain was aligned religiously and politically with the Papacy, and the south in general had a greater concentration of church governed (rather than secularly governed) lands. They were the beneficiaries of Catholic uniformity.
So what if Ferdinand I had converted?
 
So what if Ferdinand I had converted?

Then he likely has to play a Game of Thrones with the other members of his family and loses. And if the Habsburgs don't look like they're going to be loyal to the church you can expect the ecclesiastical electors to vote for somebody else who will be in the next Imperial elections... and somebody is going to be more than happy to make that power grab. And without extra Imperial resources, Austria is going to have far less power to project into Germany, especially with the Turks still knocking at the gates
 
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