Buba
A total creep
Imagine that you are SI'ed into Mary of Burgundy, the Heiress of the Burgundian inheritance.
Once Daddy Dearest (Charles the Bold) does his "suicide by Swiss infantry" act you grab the reigns of power, do the "heads, spikes, walls" PR thing (or maybe aim for Mary the Impaler moniker?) to impress upon the nobles and top burghers who calls the shots.
You neither wish to marry Maximilian Habsburg nor do you care about the exclave of County of Burgundy (not to be confused with DUCHY of Burgundy) and confusingly known as Franche-Comte. You use the Franche-Comte to pay for Habsburg aid against the French crown. The Habsburgs (like 100% of ruling/noble houses) are greedy for land and the County abuts their holdings in Alsace.
In this POD the hatched part in the south is gone thus making your lands a single lump (well, almost).
You only have the yellow and northern hatched bits (maybe the northern purple part? Or at least Gft. Boulogne. A girl can dream ...).
You focus on the Netherlands and wish to expand. Handwaving away any mental issues you might have if male in previous life you need to marry and pop out a few babies.
There are two fine male specimens available, both heirs of neighbouring German principalities. Both roughly your age. One currently married but will be widowed and heirless very soon.
First hawt! hunk:
So, we have Julich-Berg, green on the map, Hzm. Julich and Hzm. Berg, two pieces of land separated by the Bishopric of Cologne. Julich, the western part, is contiguous with your holdings (borders on Limburg and southern Geldern).
Beefcake no.2:
This other candidate is heir to Kleve-Berg (the fromer better known as Cleves to English speakers). Blue on the map - Hzm Kleve and Gft. Mark. Again two pieces of land, with the western part contiguous with your domains (borders on both parts of Geldern).
Bonus - his nickname is "babymaker", earned for siring sixty or so bastards, thus of proven fertility.
Both dark and light yellow lands are yours, no split into United and Spanish Netherlands yet (sorry, could not find better map).
You cannot wed both, polyandry being frowned upon at that time and place.
Personally I'm undecided, seeing strong pros for either.
Coal deposits - which will become relevant in 400 years time - are in both Kleve and Julich. Hence a toss up.
Kleve should be easier to absorb, being culturally mixed and speaking a similar dialect. Eliminates an unseeming wedge splitting Geldern in two.
Nevertheless pretty much the same applies to Julich. Reinforces encirclement of the Bishopric of Liege.
Both come with those pesky beyond-the-Rhine bits.
Thoughts?
Once Daddy Dearest (Charles the Bold) does his "suicide by Swiss infantry" act you grab the reigns of power, do the "heads, spikes, walls" PR thing (or maybe aim for Mary the Impaler moniker?) to impress upon the nobles and top burghers who calls the shots.
You neither wish to marry Maximilian Habsburg nor do you care about the exclave of County of Burgundy (not to be confused with DUCHY of Burgundy) and confusingly known as Franche-Comte. You use the Franche-Comte to pay for Habsburg aid against the French crown. The Habsburgs (like 100% of ruling/noble houses) are greedy for land and the County abuts their holdings in Alsace.
In this POD the hatched part in the south is gone thus making your lands a single lump (well, almost).
You only have the yellow and northern hatched bits (maybe the northern purple part? Or at least Gft. Boulogne. A girl can dream ...).
You focus on the Netherlands and wish to expand. Handwaving away any mental issues you might have if male in previous life you need to marry and pop out a few babies.
There are two fine male specimens available, both heirs of neighbouring German principalities. Both roughly your age. One currently married but will be widowed and heirless very soon.
First hawt! hunk:
William IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Beefcake no.2:
John II, Duke of Cleves - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Bonus - his nickname is "babymaker", earned for siring sixty or so bastards, thus of proven fertility.
Both dark and light yellow lands are yours, no split into United and Spanish Netherlands yet (sorry, could not find better map).
You cannot wed both, polyandry being frowned upon at that time and place.
Personally I'm undecided, seeing strong pros for either.
Coal deposits - which will become relevant in 400 years time - are in both Kleve and Julich. Hence a toss up.
Kleve should be easier to absorb, being culturally mixed and speaking a similar dialect. Eliminates an unseeming wedge splitting Geldern in two.
Nevertheless pretty much the same applies to Julich. Reinforces encirclement of the Bishopric of Liege.
Both come with those pesky beyond-the-Rhine bits.
Thoughts?
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