WI: The Hanza Survived

[Fex]

What if the Hanza was not only able to survive but grow as well. Everything within the line I drawn is what they aquire through the ages and maintain through the present day. They might have conquered more but lost that again later in other wars that didn't go so well or were forced to sell. (colonies not included for all I know they still have those)

 

[Rognvald]

The Hansa wasn’t really a nation; it was a group of mercantile cities with closely related commercial interests. They had no real interest in “conquest”, engaging in war to set up or maintain trade monopolies. Most of the important Hanseatic cities remained part of the Holy Roman Empire.

So you would have to entirely change the concept of the Hansa in order for it to adopt some sort of national identity, desire to wage war, and force its members to follow policy (as Hanseatic cities were free to enact League policy or not).

 

[Koprulu Mustafa Pasha]

The Hansa as a Trade League can survive... maybe challenge the Portuguese in the Spice Trade?

 

[Fex]

@Rognvald maybe the trade league, like Koprulu mentions, overtime becomes a nation and any land claimed outside the league is from a defensive war? I am not a history buff so I can only guess.

 

[Rognvald]

The Hansa as a Trade League can survive... maybe challenge the Portuguese in the Spice Trade?

It would be a tall order for the Hansa to survive as a trade league. You’d have to prevent the rise of Sweden, the strengthening of ducal/princely authority in the HRE, the Protestant Reformation, the advances of the Dutch and English, and the empowerment of the Ottomans (who indirectly affected Hanseatic trade).

@Rognvald maybe the trade league, like Koprulu mentions, overtime becomes a nation and any land claimed outside the league is from a defensive war? I am not a history buff so I can only guess.

The Hansa had one goal, and that was money. You’d need to somehow make the city fathers of the various cities put nation-building over money, which is nigh impossible because as soon as they declare independence and try to step out of Imperial authority (after getting buckets worth of privileges from His Imperial Majesty) they are likely to be pillaged by princes looking to loot their coffers.