Me and a friend were doing some thinking one day, contemplating the idea of a stronger H.R.E, and therefore a stronger Germany.
Things started out simple enough: what if a wealthy & charismatic politican arose from obscurity and became Holy Roman Emperor.
After more research, gaming, and imaginitive thinking, we thought up this:
After a few P.O.D's, the Russians conquer Poland-Lithuania, the H.R.E/Austria owns the Elsaß, and Savoy owns Corsica and Sardinia from since the early 1700s. Out of this, in 1756, a man is born. A man that will change the world; his name is Johann Strohwald, but all will come to know him as "Vandox".
After attending a university in Vienna, Johann changes his name to simply "Vandox" and weds his longtime love, Maria Luise van Mueller in 1775. They produce a son in 1776, Vandox II. He serves in the Army of the Dutch Republic as a Captain during the Fourth Dutch War, but resigns in 1785. He becomes a politican, creating an ideal of german-roman nationalism, but with many kew differences to later National Socialism of the 1920s. by 1789, he is good aquaintances with the 7 key Electors of the H.R.E, and is in correspondence with many of those who have a minor say in the electorate. After forging a family tree that linked him to various minor nobles, and paying the Electors large amounts of money, he was elected after the death of Emperor Joseph II, in the year 1790.
Almost immediately, he called a Reichstag at Vienna, and submitted a draft for a new Reichsbeschaffenheit or Imperial Constitution. After some revisions, which both added to and took away from the Emperor's power, it was ratified by the council. It summarily stated:
“The Emperor shall be elected from a council of 9 secular rulers and five ecclesial archbishops. In addition, elected senates of the capitols of the Elector-States have a voice in the Imperial succession. The Habsburgs, formerly Emperors, shall hold the hereditary title of Imperial Chancellor. Austria’s lands are now formally joined with the Empire, and the dukes and kings of the land shall recognize the Emperor as the supreme ruler and overlord of the Empire, and as the highest authority of the land. An imperial army and navy shall be permanently established to defend against the enemies of the Empire. There shall now be German Unity, as we are all German Brothers!”
though some of these points were objected by one or more electors, no one argued that the compromise would give Germany the stability it needed.
After a series of somewhat costly wars, 1790-1796, the H.R.E offically annexed all of Prussia, conquered Switzerland, re-established Poland and Lithuania, conquered all the Italian peninsula, conquered the Dutch, conquered Spain, expanded Hungary down to southern Bulgaria and Albania, and expanded Poland all the way to St.Petersburg.
These wars were incredibly costly, both in money and life, but none were costlier up to that point than the next campaign: France. In early 1796, Imperial troops crossed the Rhine, through the Alsace, and into France. From January 17th to December 2nd, 1796, German troops armed with breech-loading rifles, and led by Prussian Field Marshal von Blucher and Savoyard General Napoleon Buonoparte, fought for control of France against a numerically superior enemy: the French Republic. Superior Imperial training and technology prevailed, however, but with heavy casualties. Nearly 200,000 dead or dying, yet twice as many Frenchmen were killed.
1797 was a semi-peaceful year, with the Danubian War and Russo-Imperial War ending in early March. It is a year of technological wonders: the repeating rifle is invented, and the Imperial Army subsequently puts various designs under testing, finally choosing a simplified "Schutzen" rifle, which essentially is just a conversion of the current muzzle- and breech-loading weapons in service. The Corsican Napoleon is promoted to Field Marshal and made military governor of France.

-coming soon: the Anglo-Imperial War(1798-1801)-

The Anglo-Imperial War (1798-1801)
After defeating the Russians and Ottomans in war, and creating the buffer states of Hungary(sub-governed by Austria), Poland(sub-governed by Prussia) and Lithuania(sub-governed by the Teutonic Knights). France was made protectorate under the governance of Savoyard Field Marshall Napoleon Buonaparte (in this ATL, Genoa held onto Corsica, and sold it to Savoy). The Kingdom of Iberia, a subsidiary of Austria, run by a Habsburg King, also served as an outpost of trade for the Empire. The Imperial Navy was bulit uo, but was still a third the size of Britain's thousand-ship fleet. Yet, the combined Spanish and Swedish armadas, and the Danish North Sea Fleet, gave the H.R.E the naval power it needed to counter Britain's if war ever arose. In early 1798, this seemed highly unlikely. But, British arrogance against the H.R.E and violence against the Irish (a mostly Catholic people, and Vandox is a staunch Catholic). After the Pope demanded an end to hostilities in Ireland, and Britain still listened not, Vandox was called upon to end British aggression in Ireland.
In mid-May of 1798, a hundred Spanish, German, and French ships crowd the English Channel and take down the British coastal fleet, though with heavy losses. Around 100,000 Imperial troops, plus artilllery, support services, and 240 Teutonic Knights, land on British soil, commanded by a Prussian Field Marshal, Gebhard von Blucher. Blucher's initial successes prompted the H.R.E to make and alliance an economic agreement with the burgeoning United States in late 1798, which forced the British to attack the U.S via Canada. Nearly 50,000 Imperial "advisors" and large caches of weapons reached American shores, to resupply the American forces. By early 1799, the Americans gain the Pacific Northwest area of Canada, and the Russians, pulled in by the forced alliance with the Empire, attack Britain from Alaska, but with little success.
Back in England, the Imperial forces have captured Wales and large parts of Northern England, by November of 1799. There dared not go to London, though. This changed, however, when 110,000 extra reinforcements arrived in early December, and von Blucher attacked London itself. After a week of fighting, the Imperial army seemed on the verge of collapse, with about 25,000 men left in the Invasionary Force. Then, about 100,000 reinforements linked up with them at London, and they continued the Siege in earnest, finally knocking the walls down with artillery on December 25, 1799, twenty days after the siege of London began.
The American forces in Canada managed to capture several British Great Lakes outposts in Quebec, and Ontario. By 1800, however, the americans had been repulsed from Canada, and the British could fully set thier sights on home.
Imperial forces pushed England's armies up tp the old Hadrian's Wall of Roman times, and there they agreed to an armistice. The treaty was signed at York on November 18, 1801; it reads:
"South of the wall shall be occupied by the Imperial forces, but shall function autonomously until 1845 as a republic. North of the wall, Scotland and lower Northumbria, shall be administered by the British King, with the Stuart family serving as co-rulers of Scotland, and the English Hanoverians serving as administrators of British colonies. No British colonies shall be ceded to the Empire or any other nation, and shall stay in the possession of the British crown. Hanover shall be returned to British ownership. Upon the year of 1845, all lands south of Hadrian's wall shall be returned to the crown of Britain. The isle of the Eire, or Ireland, shall remain in German Imperial hands until deemed unfit to hold, when they will be ceded to the British Crown.
Signed, November 18 of the year 1801,
Vandox I, Holy Roman Emperor
George III, King of Britain"

Though not the best outcome for Britain, it certainly wasn't the worst. George III knew that they could have been destroyed completely.
The subsequent treaties of Manchester, which ended the Anglo-American part of the war, and of Krakow, which ended the Russo-Danish-Swedish war on Britain, and of Madrid, which ended Spanish aggression on Britain.
The world was shocked, and quite rightly so. The nation that had only a decade before been disunited and shattered was now the most powerful nation in Europe. A peace lasted from 1801 until 1812, but that is a different campaign, one to be told another day...

1812-1815
The Second Russo-Imperial War
Continued Russian agression and threats against Sweden and Lithuania prompted Vandox to attack Russia via Poland. For three years, many thousands died in the march to St. Petersburg, and then the march on Moscow. Both cities were sacked, but with massvie casualties on both sides.
Nearly one million perished total, and over 2 million were wounded on the Russian side alone. By the end of the war in July, 1815, public support for it was shot, yet the German and Italian peoples never wavered in thier faith in Vandox as thier ruler. They knew he was only defending his ally.

Anyone?
Ideas, anything?
Comments?
Suggestions?

anyone?
comments, or a timeline suggestion?

Vandox would have to fight France, Britain, Russia and the Ottomans and the same time because they would understand the threat and join together to resist. They would defeat Vandox and then resume fighting amongst themselves.

not really. he does this at seperate periods, and has a hell of a lot of resources to do so, after conquering italy and switzerland. this provides a hell of a lot of manpower, which he uses to attack the ottomans, then russia, and finally france. he maintains good relations with britain until mied-may of 1798. the thing is, the imperial government sponsors weapons programs, and because of this, they develop breechloaders by mid-1795, and repeaters by late 1797. Its not too hard to imagine. just think of a german napoleon.

Any ideas for how this would effect Music, Popular Culture, the Future?
Because i have that the H.R.E survives up 'till 2006.

Okay. heres a pic of Vandox in oldenday clothings:
http://sciforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4073&stc=1

what the f***?
the hell, i attached the fucking image. what the fuck is wrong with this damn thing?

Give me a tract about the Crimean war I would find that more interesting maybe even debate it . And a question have you been known to consume alchohol in the morning Sir ?

no, i dont drink.
actually, the Crimean War ties into this later on.
after Vandox I dies in 1840, his son Vandox II becomes Emperor, and in 1841-45 the US and Russia have a conflict about Alaska. The US wins.
Russia feels quite pissed about this, and whines about it. After Vandox II dies in 1850 (b.1776), his son Vandox III is elected Emperor, and 1852, Russia attacks the Ottoman Empire for similar reasons as OTL. H.R.E gets involved after Russia attacks Poland, Sweden, and Hungary, allies of the Holy Roman Empire.
War goes similar to OTL, except Russia penetrates into the Balkans a bit more, and they also get to Krakow in Poland.

and why are you so against the HRE?

http://sciforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4073&stc=1
finally got it to work, somehow.

I don't know why you're arguing with people, Mr. Hapsburg, with alternate historical fiction, you can make anything work! Hell, if some nation is too powerful at the time, just "give" them a good case of the plague or something, kill off about half of 'em. Many things can happen in FICTION, and all of it in YOUR control.

Baron Max

huh.
damn.
ive been concentrating too much on making this plausible.
okay.
ill just post somemore images, later on.

Okay, here's a map of Europe at the beginning of 1798. Before the Anglo-Imperial War.
The orange are sub-controlled by the Habsburg Reichskanzler.
http://www.sciforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4087&stc=1

And the beginning of 1846, after Britain is returned to the British.
http://www.sciforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4088&stc=1

no, i dont drink.
An imposter as only an Atistocrat or a degenerate would drink in the morning .

and why are you so against the HRE?
Because I am the assasin of Franz Josef - Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and the slaughterer of Czar Nicholas II of Russia and family .

NO DIALOGUE WITH HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE CITIZENS

o.....k....ay......

i'm surprised no-one's asked about the name "Vandox"

really, what the hell?
im surprised noone's asked me about it...

Who gives a shit , you made your entrance onto Sciforums the joke is over how about not wasting forum space with vapid threads and start debating issues .

what joke, you maniacal pooberry?
im serious about this.
i want people to debate this. they're not.
start to. now.

What are you, a six year-old?
If we don't, will you throw yourself
down on the floor and kick your feet?

This thread is closed.