WI: Francis I becomes HREmperor

I know there have been many threads made about this, but as the roman numeral "I" is too short to search, they are hard to find. So what if, in the 1519 election, Francis I is elected Holy Roman Emperor (say he bribed in the correct way, paying after election).

Would this mean that France would become a part of the Holy Roman Empire? Or would Francis rule the two states separately? How would the Reformation change, with a Lutheran sympathizer on the throne? etc....
 
I know there have been many threads made about this, but as the roman numeral "I" is too short to search, they are hard to find. So what if, in the 1519 election, Francis I is elected Holy Roman Emperor (say he bribed in the correct way, paying after election).

Well, in this TL is this the only POD? Charles V still has all the same territory, just with no Imperial title?

Would this mean that France would become a part of the Holy Roman Empire? Or would Francis rule the two states separately? How would the Reformation change, with a Lutheran sympathizer on the throne? etc....

Francis I was a Lutheran sympathizer in as much as sympathizing with Lutherans was destabilizing to Charles Hapsburg.

In this TL Charles Hapsburg may find within himself a sudden and deep support for so-called "German Liberties". In fact, I'm envisioning Charles Hapsburg backing a coalition of princes fighting for "German Liberties".
 
Yes, but one important question is whether ITTL Charles is also king of Castille-Aragon (Spain) and if so the problems with the comuneros and the germanias would make him chosing between the spanish heritage and the austro-burgundian one.

Charles would probably keep Spain and cede his brother Francis the problems with the emperor.
 

Susano

Banned
As I always say the Fuggers are overrated in this anyways. Charles V di dfeel the need to pay for his election, yes, but IMO even if he didnt it is in no way ensured Francis would be elected. Charles was the Habsburg, after all, and at that time already all Emperors were Habsburg.
 
I'm willing to accept the POD that Francis I is slightly more intelligent in his bribery and manages to get elected HRE. The question is what then happens in Germany. In OTL Charles was already viewed as a foreigner, he spoke French as his native language and spent much of his youth in Paris ("Paris isn't a city, it is a universe"-Charles V), in fact when he condemned Luther it was in French. But Charles was a Hapsburg and had extensive German holdings, so he was a German prince.

Francis I will be a truly foreign prince. He has no German holdings, and would have little in the way of leverage over other German princes. The already weak imperial government would probably be swept away once Luther pops up and starts the Reformation.

How will Francis as HRE affect the Valois-Hapsburg Wars that raged during this time frame? Will Francis be able to get more German allies due to his position? Does Luther's evolution change?
 
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