Friedrich (OTL Friedrich I of Prussia) wasn't the eldest surviving son of the Great Elector. Eldest was Karl Emil, who died at war with French. So if he married and managed to produce a son before his death, the internal affairs of Brandenburg would be indeed interesting.
Maria Anna Josefa could die withouth surviving children like IOTL (or at least without sons) thus Karl Emil could remarry.
Yes, he was. IOTL. ITTL she marries the heir to Palatinate, Karl Philip. So there is a need to search for another bride for Karl Emil ITTL. And Magdalena Konstancja is perfect for this purpose.
I think You decided to marry Maria Anna Josepha to Charles Philip of Palatinate. Even if Zygmunt IV has such a personality, he would still face troubles with House of Envoys.
Still, Zygmunt III dealt with it way better than his sons, who, beside being fools themselves, were surronded by idiots like Ossoliński.
Yes, indeed but this won't be enough in a long time (short-term gains would be obvious). I didn't write about surviving Karl Emil. I thought about him marrying and having children, but still predeceasing his father.
Not enough for what? For PLC keeping power status? That waa never possible in long run. But should be enough for survival. Improved demography and economy also is frequently overlooked factor-bigger population, better educated (because they have money to afford education for their sons) elites, that enables creation of proffessional administration (something that already starter IOTL, and without ruin of GNW would start earlier). That would make difference. PLC would be harder to swallow, and even if it happen, it would cause much worse digestive problems for those who eaten it.
I'm afraid that it won't be enough to survive too. Even in case of existence of all these advantages, noble republic is serious disandvantage itself and even if a King is stripped from all his power it is doubtful if nobility would be able to manage to keep such a large country in order alone. I disagree. Saying that it was impossible for PLC to keep It's power status in a long run is determinism.
With Wittelsbachs being de facto hereditary rulers of PLC in age of legitimism partitions and disinheriting rulling dynasty, intermarried with Habsburgs, would not be the same thing as doing the same thing to mr. Nobody like Poniatowski, even if it means that PLC exist only as Russo-Austrian protectorate.
This is why reforms in PLC never happened and Polish nobility had to be exterminated by partitioners to calm situation, and why defensors of 3rd May Constitution faced country-wide guerilla of angry nobles
This is why reforms in PLC never happened and Polish nobility had to be exterminated by partitioners to calm situation, and why defensors of 3rd May Constitution faced country-wide guerilla of angry nobles
The status quo was far more favorable to the magnates than under a new constitution or new reforms and since they were extremely powerful on their own and had the ability to call in foreign support in “defense of their traditional privileges/liberty”, the reforms never got done and when they did it triggered the Commonwealths end. Even the majority of the Szlachta supported reforms and opposed large magnate families but by then it was too late.
This. And there was opportunity wasted by Augustus II to reduce power of magnates after Lithuanian Civil war, when lesser nobles defeated Sapieha family, but PLC had another problem then-Swedish invasion provoced by Augustus.
"Some support" existed in PL even for absolutism and for vivente rege election of Duke of Conde.
