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Thread: The Margraviate of Brandenburg

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    Default The Margraviate of Brandenburg

    The Margraviate of Brandenburg and Duchy of Prussia


    National Information
    Government: Hereditary Monarchy
    Capital: Berlin and Königsberg
    Population: 600,000
    Religion: Ruling Calvinist (Reformed) minority, officially tolerated Lutheran majority
    Alliance: The Protestant Union




    Government
    The House of Hohenzollern:
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    Elector Prince (Kurfürsten):
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    George William, Margrave of Brandenburg, Duke of Prussia


    Religion: Calvinist



    Heir-apparent (Kurprinzen)
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    Frederick William of Brandenburg




    Privy Council:
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    Chancellor (Kanzler):
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    Friedrich Pruckmann


    Religion: Calvinist
    Political Views: Radical Militant - Supports the international Protestant cause, and closer ties with the Rhineland-Bohemia, the United Provinces and Sweden


    Court Preacher (Hofprediger):
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    Johannes Bergius

    Religion: Calvinist
    Political Views: Unity Militant - Believes Lutherans and Calvinists should set aside their differences to unite against their common enemy - the Papist "Romans".


    Influential Persons of Note:
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    The Duchess of Prussia:
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    Anna of Prussia and Jülich-Cleves-Berg


    Religion: Lutheran
    Political Views: Anti-Habsburg Moderate - Seen as the defender of the Lutheran cause in Brandenburg; unlike many influential Lutherans, strongly opposes the Habsburg and Catholic faction in Imperial Politics
    Position: Mother of George William, former Electoress (Kurfürstinnen) of Brandenburg


    Count von Schwarzenberg
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    Adam Graf von Schwarzenberg


    Religion: Roman Catholic
    Political Views: Pro-Habsburg Reactionary - Leader of the Imperialist faction in the Brandenburg Estates, influential with conservative Lutheran nobles, supports closer ties with Saxony and Austria
    Status: Reichsgraf; Knight of the Johanniterorden, a Lutheran branch of the Knights Hospitaller, based in Brandenburg, which still accepts the authority of the Roman Catholic Knights of Malta



    Society and the State
    Military:
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    Militia:
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    In the late 16th century Maurice of Nassau began a series of Military Reforms in the United Provinces. Maurice sought to harness the cohesion of professional mercenaries while firmly subordinating them to political control. Count Johann VII of Nassau-Siegen had served under Maurice in the Dutch war before the truce, and became enthused with the Dutch concept of military (and societal) discipline.

    He decided to apply Dutch concepts of military discipline to the existing traditional German Militia by enrolling young, unmarried men and requiring that they train every sunday under the supervision of professional drill-sergeants; They would be led in battle by the drill sergeants and any local gentry with military experience.

    All elements of this "territorial defense system" were in place in Nassau by 1595, and were adopted by the Protestant princes around 1600. Initially, the territorial nobles refused to allow their tenants to participate in the Militia, but an eventual compromise was reached. The Estates would pay for the Militia's weapons and beer, and would pay the drill sergeants' wages. In return, the Prince would have to recruit only from tenants on his own land.

    By the time the Protestant states had militarized the "territorial defense system" in most states consisted of Infantry from the Militia, which in most states was made up of one in ten able-bodied males, or 2.5% of the total population, and Cavalry furnished by the territorial nobles and Estates as the traditional "Feudal Levy," which would usually equal a tenth of the combined force.

    Gustavus Adolphus adopted this system, and then enhanced it to the point of actual conscription. Few other Princes even tried to do so, let alone succeeded, but he proved it could be done.

    Standing Army:
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    Brandenburg's peace-time standing army, like most Protestant Princes in the area, consists mostly of it's militia, with a very few professional mercenaries and bodyguards to supplement it. Brandenburg's numbers 15,000 Militia foot, and 1,500 Feudal Horse, along with a few hundred mercenaries in Cleves-Mark. On paper, this is a sizeable force, but in practice it's usefulness was questionable. The most that can be expected of the Militia as it stands is defensive operations - but it has weapons and manpower, which are a start.

    Cleves-Jülich:
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    WIP



    Economy:
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    Trade Centers:
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    WIP

    Debt:
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    WIP

    Industry:
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    WIP



    Politics:
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    The Estates:
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    WIP

    Religion:
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    The Reformation spread to Brandenburg in the 1530s, although it's first Lutheran Elector, Joachim II Hector, did not officially convert until 1555. Elector John Sigismund converted to Calvinism in 1613. When he attempted to arrange the conversion of the populace under Cuius Regio, Eius Religio, there were serious protests, and his wife backed the Lutherans, so he decided that both the Reformed and Lutheran church would be tolerated in his realm. He allowed his family to remain Lutheran or convert as they wished. George William, his heir, chose to convert. Many other members of the Electoral family did not.

    For the most part, at the time of George William's ascendance to the Electorate, the peasants and a sizeable majority of the Nobility in Brandenburg and Prussia were Lutheran, while the Burgers (Merchants, Academic Scholars and city-dwelling craftsmen and artisans), the higher Court Aristocracy surrounding the Electoral family and the majority of the Elector's subjects in Cleves-Mark were Calvinist.

    The Lutheran camp was divided into reactionary hardliners who adopted the Book of Concord and desired to follow John George of Saxony's example of non-intervention and spurning the international Protestant cause, led by Adam Graf von Schwarzenberg, and moderates who, while unwilling to convert to Calvinism, did not whole-heartedly adopt the Book of Concord and had strong anti-Imperial tendecies, following the example of Duchess Ana of Prussia and the conciliatory Johannes Bergius.

    Regional Concerns:
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    The Baltic:
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    WIP

    Cleves-Jülich-Mark:
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    WIP





    Diplomacy
    Dynastic Ties:
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    Bohemia:
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    Elisabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Electoress of Brandenburg



    Religion: Calvinist
    Status: Wife of George Frederick - Sister of Frederick V, King of Bohemia, Elector of the Rhineland Palatinate


    Sweden:
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    Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Queen of Sweden


    Religion: Lutheran
    Status: Sister of George Frederick - wife of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden


    Saxony:
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    Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia, Electoress of Saxony


    Religion: Lutheran
    Status: Aunt of George Frederick - wife of Elector John George of Saxony




    Diplomatic Obligations:
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    Protestant Union:
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    Brandenburg was a founding member of the League of Evangelical Union (Protestant Union, Union of Auhausen) in 1608


    Oaths of Fealty:
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    As Prince of Brandenburg, subject of the Holy Roman Emperor

    As Duke of Prussia, vassal of Poland




    Diplomatic Relations:
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    Allies:
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    TBD


    Friendly:
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    Rhineland/Bohemia

    United Provinces

    Sweden

    Protestant German States

    Poland

    France


    Neutral:
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    Saxony

    Habsburg Austria

    Denmark




    Unfriendly:
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    The Papacy

    Spain

    Catholic German States

    Bavaria


    At War:
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    None
    Last edited by Wolfgang von Zweibrücken; March 02, 2010 at 04:11 PM.




    "That war is a terrible thing I agree, but it is not so terrible that we should submit to anything in order to avoid it. For why do we all vaunt our civic equality and liberty of speech and all that we mean by the word freedom, if nothing is more advantageous than peace?" — Polybios, Historiai, IV.31

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