Board Thread:Timeline Discussions/@comment-4923787-20130202175501/@comment-32656-20130519042333

Everything north of the Alps, yes.

Only the lowlands in the west of otl Switzerland. At most a third.

No, they could not be "pushed" into it.

Only way things could change would be if the Pope adjusts things slightly, and it snowballs over time. He'd be deposed if he just up and did anything.

Pope John XII was Abelric's son, and inherited his title/power. When he becomes Pope at 18, he controls all power in Rome. His father had also died the year before.

King of Italy an the HRE title were either separate under different rulers, or held by the same person, depending on the date. Can't offer titles they either cannot have or already had. Or, for that matter the Pope cannot grant.

Any fighting with the Normans south of the Papal states came later, and had nothing to so with any rulers north of it. Heck, the "dispute" was because the Pope declined to recognize the Kingdom to the south. There is no way the HRE would consider intervention at all, in the very unlikely event the Pope asked for it for that reason. Their otl actions were because the Sicilians supported an antipope - and the Sicilians defeated the Pope and HRE forces.

Could possibly work.