Maximilian I of Bavaria vs Sophia Alekseyevna

Maximilian I became the leader of the Catholic League, a coalition of German Catholic states formed to oppose Protestant expansion. He organized military and financial resources to defend Catholic interests in the Holy Roman Empire.

Maximilian I enforced strict Catholic orthodoxy in Bavaria, expelling Protestants and promoting Jesuit education. He implemented reforms to strengthen the Catholic Church's role in state affairs, making Bavaria a bastion of the Counter-Reformation.

Maximilian I commanded the Catholic League forces at the Battle of White Mountain near Prague. His troops decisively defeated the Protestant Bohemian army, ending the Bohemian Revolt and securing Habsburg control over Bohemia.

Following the defeat of Frederick V of the Palatinate, Maximilian I was granted the Upper Palatinate and the electoral dignity of the Palatinate by Emperor Ferdinand II. This significantly expanded Bavarian territory and influence.

Maximilian I participated in the Peace of Westphalia negotiations that ended the Thirty Years' War. Bavaria retained the Upper Palatinate and its electoral status, but the Lower Palatinate was restored to Charles I Louis, Frederick V's son.

Sophia Alekseyevna became regent for her younger brothers Ivan V and Peter I after the Moscow Uprising of 1682. She ruled Russia for seven years, becoming the first woman to effectively govern the country since the 16th century, with the support of the streltsy and Prince Golitsyn.

Sophia's government signed the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, confirming Russian control over left-bank Ukraine, Kiev, and Zaporizhia. The treaty also committed Russia to join the Holy League against the Ottoman Empire, shifting Russian foreign policy.

Sophia ordered two military campaigns against the Crimean Khanate, led by Prince Vasily Golitsyn. Both campaigns failed due to logistical problems and scorched-earth tactics, with the Russian army retreating without engaging the main Tatar forces, damaging Sophia's prestige.

Sophia was overthrown by Peter I, who had come of age and gathered support from loyal troops. She was forced to retire to the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow, where she was kept under guard until her death in 1704, ending her regency and political influence.