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Description

In theory, the Holy Roman Empire was the primary protector of the Church, from where it derived its legitimacy, and every ruler of a Western Christian was a vassal of the Emperor. Not adhered to very much in practice, but a useful fiction. But then the Reformation and the 30 Years War happened.

In reality: The 30 Years War was not just a religious conflict in the Empire, but also had a lot of actors, some from outside the Empire, taking advantage of the war to advance their own geopolitical goals. The war ended with the Peace of Westphalia, which allowed each Prince of the Empire to decide on the official religion for their lands.

In this scenario: The war is a more straightforward religious conflict, it lasts even longer and is more destructive, and by the end there is no room for coexistence anymore. Instead a new doctrine is formulated: one faith for each empire and one empire for each faith. In essence the Holy Roman Empire is broken in two, one Catholic and one Protestant Empire. The protestants have their own issues, but this is not their story. This leaves the catholic imperial lands in the west in an awkward position between the protestant Germans and Dutch on the one hand and France on the other. With the Austrian Habsburgs more concerned with their own power base in the east, the western catholics form an alliance named the Austrasian League - named after the historical region of Austrasia which forms the core of this land. This sows the seeds for what would become the Austrasian state.

Fast forward to the contemporary era and, despite a tumultuous history, the modern state exhibits a somewhat similar shape to the original league. Land/pays is the term for the administrative divisions you see on the map.

This is the fourth in a series of maps I've made recently, after reading the book The Holy Roman Empire: A Thousand Years of Europe's History by Peter H Wilson. The first was The Three Confederations . The second was Aftermath of the 8 Years War 1848 - 1856 , set after the Empire. Third was The German Papal State: A brief history in maps .

Description

In theory, the Holy Roman Empire was the primary protector of the Church, from where it derived its legitimacy, and every ruler of a Western Christian was a vassal of the Emperor. Not adhered to very much in practice, but a useful fiction. But then the Reformation and the 30 Years War happened.

In reality: The 30 Years War was not just a religious conflict in the Empire, but also had a lot of actors, some from outside the Empire, taking advantage of the war to advance their own geopolitical goals. The war ended with the Peace of Westphalia, which allowed each Prince of the Empire to decide on the official religion for their lands.

In this scenario: The war is a more straightforward religious conflict, it lasts even longer and is more destructive, and by the end there is no room for coexistence anymore. Instead a new doctrine is formulated: one faith for each empire and one empire for each faith. In essence the Holy Roman Empire is broken in two, one Catholic and one Protestant Empire. The protestants have their own issues, but this is not their story. This leaves the catholic imperial lands in the west in an awkward position between the protestant Germans and Dutch on the one hand and France on the other. With the Austrian Habsburgs more concerned with their own power base in the east, the western catholics form an alliance named the Austrasian League - named after the historical region of Austrasia which forms the core of this land. This sows the seeds for what would become the Austrasian state.

Fast forward to the contemporary era and, despite a tumultuous history, the modern state exhibits a somewhat similar shape to the original league. Land/pays is the term for the administrative divisions you see on the map.

This is the fourth in a series of maps I've made recently, after reading the book The Holy Roman Empire: A Thousand Years of Europe's History by Peter H Wilson. The first was The Three Confederations . The second was Aftermath of the 8 Years War 1848 - 1856 , set after the Empire. Third was The German Papal State: A brief history in maps .