What if Prussia is ISOT from the eve of the 1st Silesian War (1 Dec., 1740) to 1 Dec., 1640, during
Jul 25, 2024 18:56:49 GMT
stevep likes this
Post by raharris1973 on Jul 25, 2024 18:56:49 GMT
What if Prussia is ISOT from the eve of the 1st Silesian War (1 Dec., 1740) to 1 Dec., 1640, during the latter 30 Years War?
Frederick II, "the Great" - but not just yet, on this date is mobilized and ready to issue an ultimatum to Austria to hand over Silesia and then to invade the province by December 11th.
The political pretext in 1740 was citing a Hohenzollern legal historic claim, contesting the pragmatic sanction after the death of Holy Roman Emperor Austria and succession of Maria Theresa. Suddenly plunged back to a Germany, HRE, Europe, world, of 100 years earlier, some of those specific factors and pretexts are irrelevant, but what still is relevant is that Frederick still wants Silesia for his Brandenburg-Prussian state, he has an Army ready to seize it, and Germany and the HRE is in the midst of multi-sided war.
In his first ten days, preparing to launch an assault on Austrian Silesia, Frederick and the Prussians will soon discover at the frontiers that things are quite different. Villages are often deserted and in disarray, there are ragtag national and troops about, riders report from border towns of refugees and roving mercenary bands looting, disturbing and robbing formerly tranquil farms, estates, and market towns.
This forces Frederick to dispatch Army detachments, and diplomats to the frontiers to repel and punish invading and trespassing troops, and to raise Landwehr militia from among the free population to patrol borders to control and halt refugee movements and enforce quarantines against spread of disease.
Diplomats/emissaries are dispatched to warned Swedish troops north, west, and south of Brandenburg territory to not trespass, with Frederick probably agreeing to anti-Habsburg alliance and payments in return for the Swedes staying out.
I imagine Frederick, while trying to keep his territories and their productive base intact and unravaged, would seek to use his technological an tactical advantages to pick off enemies one at a time and impose terms, starting with acquisition of Silesia from the Habsburgs. Despite wanting to keep their troops off his lawn, Frederick is likely to find anti-Habsburg common ground with the Swedes and the French and their other Protestant clients in Germany and Netherlands.
However, he scarcely has any sincere commitment, ideological or religious, to the overall Protestant cause in the religious wars. His religion is the Prussian Army and State, no more, no less.
How else do you see him politicking, and running campaigns in the year ahead, and what do you think an alternate Peace of Westphalia, ending this timeline's 30 Years War will look like in this altered timeline? Especially in terms of what "extra" he can obtain for Prussia. Would he able to obtain, or even seek, the HRE Crown, or the destruction of overarching institutions, while fighting for it, or would those be outside his interest, while focuses strictly on gaining real estate of value for himself and his heirs, within HRE boundaries, and possibly outside it, like in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth?
Frederick II, "the Great" - but not just yet, on this date is mobilized and ready to issue an ultimatum to Austria to hand over Silesia and then to invade the province by December 11th.
The political pretext in 1740 was citing a Hohenzollern legal historic claim, contesting the pragmatic sanction after the death of Holy Roman Emperor Austria and succession of Maria Theresa. Suddenly plunged back to a Germany, HRE, Europe, world, of 100 years earlier, some of those specific factors and pretexts are irrelevant, but what still is relevant is that Frederick still wants Silesia for his Brandenburg-Prussian state, he has an Army ready to seize it, and Germany and the HRE is in the midst of multi-sided war.
In his first ten days, preparing to launch an assault on Austrian Silesia, Frederick and the Prussians will soon discover at the frontiers that things are quite different. Villages are often deserted and in disarray, there are ragtag national and troops about, riders report from border towns of refugees and roving mercenary bands looting, disturbing and robbing formerly tranquil farms, estates, and market towns.
This forces Frederick to dispatch Army detachments, and diplomats to the frontiers to repel and punish invading and trespassing troops, and to raise Landwehr militia from among the free population to patrol borders to control and halt refugee movements and enforce quarantines against spread of disease.
Diplomats/emissaries are dispatched to warned Swedish troops north, west, and south of Brandenburg territory to not trespass, with Frederick probably agreeing to anti-Habsburg alliance and payments in return for the Swedes staying out.
I imagine Frederick, while trying to keep his territories and their productive base intact and unravaged, would seek to use his technological an tactical advantages to pick off enemies one at a time and impose terms, starting with acquisition of Silesia from the Habsburgs. Despite wanting to keep their troops off his lawn, Frederick is likely to find anti-Habsburg common ground with the Swedes and the French and their other Protestant clients in Germany and Netherlands.
However, he scarcely has any sincere commitment, ideological or religious, to the overall Protestant cause in the religious wars. His religion is the Prussian Army and State, no more, no less.
How else do you see him politicking, and running campaigns in the year ahead, and what do you think an alternate Peace of Westphalia, ending this timeline's 30 Years War will look like in this altered timeline? Especially in terms of what "extra" he can obtain for Prussia. Would he able to obtain, or even seek, the HRE Crown, or the destruction of overarching institutions, while fighting for it, or would those be outside his interest, while focuses strictly on gaining real estate of value for himself and his heirs, within HRE boundaries, and possibly outside it, like in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth?
