Austria’s Better Version Of Germany | Alternate History

For centuries, the central European lands belonging to the German people have remained a disunited and decentralized medley of free cities, duchies, principalities, and kingdoms, to name a few. And through it all, despite their similarities, the one thing holding these several states together has been the guidance of a strong and capable leader.

Once upon a time these states, making up what was known as the Holy Roman Empire, owed their dedicated allegiance to an Emperor, one bearing the divine authority of the church, and rightful claim to the throne of the original Roman Empire. The states had their local rulers, and a great deal of autonomy, but the Emperor reigned supreme, resolved internal disputes, and kept the empire united.

Charlemagne had been the empire’s original founder, having established the realm in the year 800, but it wouldn’t be until the rule of Otto the Great nearly two centuries later that its German character truly took hold, so much so that the empire’s official title would be changed to “The Holy Roman Empire of The German Nation” later down the line.

There existed a delicate balance of power between the Emperor, the Church, and the Princes of the individual states. Disagreements between the Emperor and the Pope in the 1070s would see both test the limits of their power, with the Pope ultimately excommunicating or expelling the Emperor from the Church, cancelling out his divine authority, and releasing the princes from their oath of loyalty…