some other reasons why a (partially) unified Germany *could* have come into existance...
1) just as Pommern, Köln and Prussia are inherited by Brandenburg and Bohemia was offered to Friedrich V (the winterking).. they were definately not purely due to marriages and the like, a lot of it was politics and religion (better to be ruled by x then suppresed by catholics)
on both sides of the 30 years war it was very possible that a line of rulers could die out (illnesses, plunderings, fighting) and that the country would then be offered to one of that side of the religious division who could protect the people
this could definately have led to a further unification of northern (or southern) Germany.
2) the Habsburgs taking a more decisive stand earlier on in the religious strife, actually going to war around say 1560 to try and suppress protestantism, this could have led to the unification of the northern German principalities.. or to the complete governance of northern Germany by various loyal (ie. Catholic) southern german states (or only Habsburg
)
3) Outside threat #1 the Ottoman Empire not only besieging, but also TAKING Vienna and extending its rule INTO the HRE. This would have called for a more unified attempt to protect the integrity of the HRE, not a unification iniated by one state, but rather the unification of the german states behind a ruler who was seen as the one having the best chance to beat back the Ottomans
4) Outside threat #2 France aiming for southern Germany (most likely) and actually having some success (......see #3)
5) other possible outside threats, though OE and FRA have the best "shot"
6) a stroke of luck (or skill) makes one of the german states the envy of the rest of the world (or at least the german states) for example by claiming large parts of the new world, acquiring a great merchant empire, soundly beating OE or France etc etc..
with the other german states BEGGING to be part of it (trading rights, colonial charters, just being ruled by the "liberator of Constantinople" )
will probably try to make at least some events covering any or all of these possibilities
(or just some trigger conditions and event structures)
1) just as Pommern, Köln and Prussia are inherited by Brandenburg and Bohemia was offered to Friedrich V (the winterking).. they were definately not purely due to marriages and the like, a lot of it was politics and religion (better to be ruled by x then suppresed by catholics)
on both sides of the 30 years war it was very possible that a line of rulers could die out (illnesses, plunderings, fighting) and that the country would then be offered to one of that side of the religious division who could protect the people
this could definately have led to a further unification of northern (or southern) Germany.
2) the Habsburgs taking a more decisive stand earlier on in the religious strife, actually going to war around say 1560 to try and suppress protestantism, this could have led to the unification of the northern German principalities.. or to the complete governance of northern Germany by various loyal (ie. Catholic) southern german states (or only Habsburg
)3) Outside threat #1 the Ottoman Empire not only besieging, but also TAKING Vienna and extending its rule INTO the HRE. This would have called for a more unified attempt to protect the integrity of the HRE, not a unification iniated by one state, but rather the unification of the german states behind a ruler who was seen as the one having the best chance to beat back the Ottomans
4) Outside threat #2 France aiming for southern Germany (most likely) and actually having some success (......see #3)
5) other possible outside threats, though OE and FRA have the best "shot"
6) a stroke of luck (or skill) makes one of the german states the envy of the rest of the world (or at least the german states) for example by claiming large parts of the new world, acquiring a great merchant empire, soundly beating OE or France etc etc..
with the other german states BEGGING to be part of it (trading rights, colonial charters, just being ruled by the "liberator of Constantinople" )
will probably try to make at least some events covering any or all of these possibilities
(or just some trigger conditions and event structures)