How to connect rivers with canals in Europe with late medieval technology?

There is an empire expanding from the Netherlands to Western Russia, the empire is enthusiatic about turning rivers into canals for transportation.

They don't care about the environment, they just need the closest thing to a railway to transport goods and soldiers around. Assuming 14th century technology and "limitless resources" how would they go about connecting, say, the Rhine to the Danube? What about the Elbe, Oder and the Vistula to the Danube? Also, what about Neman, Daugava, Volga and the Dnieper, maybe the Don too.

I know that connecting the Rhine and the Danube is possible since it has been done today, though not directly, and I'm fine with that if it makes possible to connect Germanic and Slavic territories. And more than that I do like to know how it would be done (but please explain it in layman's words).

If it's not possible, maybe because some rivers come from the Alps and other from the Carpathian Mountains or something of that nature, do elaborate on it, I do love to read about it.

Also bonus points if you can say something about the feasibility of such empire, maintaining control of such vast lands through the fast movement of troops through man-made canals.

posted over 6 years ago

Flarion‭

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