WI: Cantonalized HRE - could be a Mega-Switzerland possible?

Do you think that could have been possible under certain PoDs to expand the confederal model of the Swiss cantons to the rest (or most of) of the HRE during the 14th/15th centuries?

Would the Reformation or the Thirty Years War happened at all if the HRE would have become a sort of mega-Switzerland?
 
It is also possible that the cantons could be grouped in something like the Circles of the 16th century, but with imperial immediacy and the gradual vanish of the intermediate lords.

More like a mega-Switzerland it would look like a confederation of many switzerlands.
 
Before the 19th century, wasn't Switzerland effectively a mix of tiny, independent states? On top of that, Swiss politics were very fractious to the point where the Catholic and Protestant cantons would hardly even associate with each other (with bouts of civil war here and there).

In short, isn't it fair to say the HRE was a mega-Switzerland? Or rather, Switzerland was a miniature HRE.
 
A good exemple for implementing this model would be the Lower Countries.

It's easy to envision a confederation of free cantons such North Holland, Utrecht, Zealand, Liege, Brussels, Hainaut, South Flanders etc. This 'Circle of the Netherlands' would be at the same time confederated with the Swiss Circle (probably it would be extended to a 'Circle of Alamannia', without Vaud and Geneve, but including Swabian cantons, Liechtenstein, Vorarlberg and Valtellina) and other circles, with just the Holy Roman Emperor above them.

Maybe 13/14 circles would be enough: Saxony, Thuringia, Franconia, Lorraine, Bavaria, Austria, Bohemia-Moravia, Silesia, Pomerania, Netherlands, Alamannia/Switzerland, Burgundy and Northern Italy/Lombardy.
 
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If the implementation of this model could be ready by 1500 it would have big impact on events like the Reformation or the wars with the Ottoman Empire.

I think the Reformation either fails or takes over all the Empire, because there are no medium powers for neither boosting or halting the advance of Reformation ideals. So the OTL balance between Catholics and Protestants is unlikely in this scenario.

And regarding the wars against the Ottomans, it would depend on how the defense is organized between the confederations. If it is successful, Ottomans can be stopped as IOTL. However, Hungary would not be a Habsburg realm, so it either goes independent or, if the emancipation from the Turks is gradual, it is adapted to the HRE structure and we could get a new Circle of Hungary.
 
Switzerland and the Swiss cantons stayed independent largely because their mountainous terrain made it tough for Invaders.

Expanding Switzerland into other territories in the Alps is surely possible. Expanding into the plains is an engraved invitation for large neighbours to invade.
 
Switzerland and the Swiss cantons stayed independent largely because their mountainous terrain made it tough for Invaders.

Expanding Switzerland into other territories in the Alps is surely possible. Expanding into the plains is an engraved invitation for large neighbours to invade.

Sure, that's why keeping a sort of common Imperial army should be key for this transformation, otherwise it could not be viable.
 
This would be a rough idea for these confederations:

- Pre-1500 confederations

Kreis Niedersachsen
Kreis Obersachsen-Thüringen
Kreis Niederlande
Kreis Rhein-Hesse
Kreis Burgunden-Provenz
Kreis Schwaben-Schweiz (or Alamannien)
Kreis Elsass-Lothringen
Kreis Langbärten-Norditalien
Kreis Böhmen-Mähren
Kreis Bayern-Österreich
Kreis Brandenburg-Neumark
Kreis Pommern
Kreis Schlesien

- After-1500 new confederations

Kreis Preussen
Kreis Österreich-Westungarn
Kreis Ostungarn-Siebenbürgen
Kreis Kärnten-Venezien
Kreis Kroatien-Bosnien
Kreis Estland-Livland
Kreis Galizien
 
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