WI Elector of Saxony becomes Holy Roman Emperor in 1519?

Charles I of Spain and Francis I of France tried to outdo each other in voluminous bribes in the Imperial election of 1519. Charles, whose income was augmented by Spain's silver mines in the Americas, in the end had deeper pockets. Charles could count on the vote of the King of Bohemia, his brother-in-law; Francis had bought the Elector of Trier; up for grabs were the Electors of Mainz, Brandenburg and the Palatinate. Although full details of the election were never revealed, it is possible that the Electors sought a way out of their dilemma by electing as Emperor the Elector of Saxony, but he turned them down. In the end, Charles was elected unanimously, though with some misgivings by the Elector of Brandenburg.
WI the electors chose Frederic III Elector of Saxony as a compromise candidate and he didnt turned down the crown offered to him?
How is this altering History? Any thoughts?
 
Well, OTL Frederick turned down the Imperial Crown. At that point he was already known as "Frederick the Wise", and walking away from the throne was certainly the wise move at that point! Winning that election would have brought him a number of bitter enemies and heavy burdens without giving much but empty glory in return.

If he did take it... well, OTL he only lived another six years, dying in 1525. So one suspects Charles and Francis would both try again.

One obvious change: there'd be some differences in the early history of Protestantism, with a reform-friendly Emperor on the throne. It's possible that Protestantism might be, at least for a while, kept within the church as a reform movement -- condemned by the Pople, but legitimate in the Empire.


Doug M.
 
One obvious change: there'd be some differences in the early history of Protestantism, with a reform-friendly Emperor on the throne. It's possible that Protestantism might be, at least for a while, kept within the church as a reform movement -- condemned by the Pople, but legitimate in the Empire.


Doug M.



Well Frederic III was Pope Leo's X candidate for the crown... Had he accepted it Leo would have pressed him hard to hand over Luther to the Inquisition... If Frederic didnt comply to the Papal order he might end up excommunicated and HRE under interdict...
 
Well, Leo liked him because he was devout -- he'd made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem -- and also because he seemed less dangerous than either Francis or Charles. (Which, considering what happened a bit later with Imperial troops and Rome, was probably a correct assessment.)

As of 1519, it wasn't yet obvious that he was a Prot-symp. That wouldn't become clear until [googles] a year later, 1520, when he would refuse to execute the Papal bull requiring him to hand over Luther.

-- I see two possibilities here, both interesting.

One, Emperor Frederick decides that an Emperor can't toy with heresy in the same manner as a mere Elector. He tells Luther to cool it, and when Luther doesn't, removes his protection. Luther is taken to Rome and burned.

Two, Frederick stays just as sympathetic to Luther as iOTL. (This seems IMO more consistent with the Frederick of history. Other hand, the Frederick of history would never have accepted the crown, so we're assuming a different personality.) This brings him into pretty direct conflict with Rome pretty fast. Also, with Imperial protection, there's no need to mess around with the Wartburg and such -- Luther's ideas spread even faster than iOTL. But! As noted, this TL might hold out the possibility of a compromise, or at least of Lutheranism being contained within the church for longer.


Doug M.
 
Well, it's not like that hadn't ever happened before. It would be interesting to find out what role if any Luther's career to that point had in the decision-making of the Pope and Frederick around that particular election.

This imperial election as the departure point of a timeline is particularly interesting because it's before the Habsburgs acquire Bohemia (and with it Silesia, Moravia and Lusatia) so there's not as much of a constitutional and balance-of-power argument to be made against the Habsburgs (and also the Habsburgs do not get that crucial Bohemian vote).

And also, I'm not certain the exact dates at which the Electors of Brandenburg and the Palatinate "go renegade" and embrace Luther, but I'm certain it's after this point. So we're really talking about a very fluid state of affairs.

But if he stays a supporter of Luther and Emperor I don't see how his son John the Constant gets elected in 1525/6. And the idea of grandson Frederick getting elected King of the Romans is nothing short of hilarious. More likely one ends up with Saxony levelled.

Although, if you want to play with the Ernestine Wettin family tree, many things become possible.

Well Frederic III was Pope Leo's X candidate for the crown... Had he accepted it Leo would have pressed him hard to hand over Luther to the Inquisition... If Frederic didnt comply to the Papal order he might end up excommunicated and HRE under interdict...
 
But if he stays a supporter of Luther and Emperor I don't see how his son John the Constant gets elected in 1525/6. And the idea of grandson Frederick getting elected King of the Romans is nothing short of hilarious. More likely one ends up with Saxony levelled.

Although, if you want to play with the Ernestine Wettin family tree, many things become possible.

Actually John of Constant was his brother... not his son... Frederic III died unmarried if i am not mistaken...
 
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