WI: Francis I elected as Holy Roman Emperor?

Was he an elector?

That would be fnny regardless, would probably have interesting effects on Europe, with the Spanish Netherlands going French.

That might lead Spain to modernise or to crumble earlier. Dutch Americas?
 
I don't see how Francis I becoming Emperor is going to give France the Spanish Netherlands. It doesn't seem to me like much of Spain's Power actually came from The Empire, all that provided was diplomatic legitimacy for Spanish gains in Italy, but that's just Milan. Spain already has The Netherlands and Naples as recognized possessions.

It's not like winning the Imperial Throne will actually give Francis a massive Imperial Army he can call up. This is especially true because even if Francis I wins, the election is going to be contested with Charles being an Anti-King, likely with some major support.

The actual wars will still be mostly just Spain vs France and Spain proved repeatedly that their Armies in this period were just better than France's. If Imperial States do commit forces to support France's Army it will probably be matched by other States committing forces to support Spain.
 
I don't see how Francis I becoming Emperor is going to give France the Spanish Netherlands. It doesn't seem to me like much of Spain's Power actually came from The Empire, all that provided was diplomatic legitimacy for Spanish gains in Italy, but that's just Milan. Spain already has The Netherlands and Naples as recognized possessions.

It's not like winning the Imperial Throne will actually give Francis a massive Imperial Army he can call up. This is especially true because even if Francis I wins, the election is going to be contested with Charles being an Anti-King, likely with some major support.

The actual wars will still be mostly just Spain vs France and Spain proved repeatedly that their Armies in this period were just better than France's. If Imperial States do commit forces to support France's Army it will probably be matched by other States committing forces to support Spain.
The Spanish Netherlands would be more that Charles V would be less powerful if he wasn't Emperor, leaving more space for France.
If Belgium becomes french, the Spanish now have limited availability of good artillery while the French get it, as well as Antwerp and solid pressure on Amsterdam
 
But "Belgium" was still Burgundy, and in the hands of Charles V- if Charles doesn't have the HRE, he still has Austria and Spain. While a chunk of the Empire chafed at fighting France for Hapsburg benefit, it doesn't follow that they'd fight for the French against the Hapsburgs. Francis I would have spent an awful lot of money for little more than headaches.
 
Francis I would have spent an awful lot of money for little more than headaches.

And if Charles is smart enough to not give out the actual bribe money to his electors unless he wins, then he will be in a much, much, much stronger position compared to OTL (where he basically bankrupted himself through that election), and may well win big victories early on.
 
Hypothetically, through luck, or (limited) Ottoman intervention, let's say France wins the war and secures the imperial throne. What are the longterm implications?
 
By way of his sister (Marguerite of Navarre) Francis was briefly tolerant of Protestantism. It didn't last long OTL- (placards denouncing the Mass in 1534 ended his toleration) But as Emperor he'd have had to deal directly with the German Protestants. It's possible Cuius regio,eius religio could have come about as a political settlement sooner than 1555 (possible,maybe not likely) had an Emperor Franz I kept that "open" mind. In theory, he could have been open minded as Emperor, yet still hard on heretics in France. Even the alliance with Suleiman is still possible (directed against Charles V).
 
Actually even the German Prince-Electors showed some form of proto-nationalism. They preferred the native Habsburg dynasty over the foreign house of Valois. It wasn't the first time, the house of Luxembourg, very friendly towards France, was also elected in favour of a member of the Royal House of France.

@Tanc49: the Burgundian Netherlands (and Franche Comté) was the remnant of the Valois-Burgundy inheritance, the Royal Marriage Maximilian of Austria and Mary of Burgundy was even considered a 'love match'. And the house of Habsburg did absorb a lot of the Burgundian inheritance, most prominently the Order of the Golden Fleece.

Anyway I'm sceptical Francis would have been elected, he was perfect though to leverage the Habsburgs into paying more bribes.
 
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Francis as Emperor will be able to take Milan, a Charles who is not Emperor will be likely totally disinterested to Germany and possibily will gave the full possesion of the Austrian inheritance to his brother Ferdinand as wedding gift. Netherlands will stay in possesion of Charles as Sardinia, Naples and Sicily because he inhereited the first from his father and the other three from his maternal grandfather. If Charles had two sons maybe he will left the Netherlands to the younger, and if Netherlands is the main possession of his ruler will stay united under the Habsburg
 
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