Hohenzollern-Hapsburg Union

Is there any way the houses of Hohenzollern and Habsburg could have united, maybe by marriage, so you'd have a combined Austro-Prussian Empire? Maybe later it would be Austro-Prussian-Hungarian Empire.
The POD might be either long before 1700 or after 1914. If they're both Catholic, it might be a dystopia, but what if both are Protestant?

All you have to do is check the geneaological tables (so you don't have to propose a preposterous WI where you change the sex of a historical figure) and you'll probably find a male and female candidate from each house that will be close enough in the respective lines of succession to end up as King or Kaiser. I think it would be really hard to work an ATL especially when the problem of religion is added in. The consort would have to change their religions when they marry. Old Franz-Josef had some peculiar habits relating to social standings so I wonder exactly what he thought of the Hohenzollerns. I believe he wouldn't shake hands will anyone was lower than a count, but that may be wrong. Did he consider them a sort of upstart dynasty when compared to the House of Habsburg?

I don't quite know what makes you think both being Catholic would make it a dystopia. I don't quite consider a Protestant coming to the throne of Austria a definite - actually fairly unlikely. If the HRE had continued I would give the WI a greater chance.

<i>I don't quite know what makes you think both being Catholic would make it a dystopia.</i>

A large empire, representing one religion, dominating Europe...the idea of a Catholic dystopia in Europe has often been suggested before, I figured somebody else would mention it if I didn't. Of course a Protestant dystopia might be just as likely.

<i>I don't quite consider a Protestant coming to the throne of Austria a definite - actually fairly unlikely.</i>

definite what? Looks like a sentence fragment.

<i>If the HRE had continued I would give the WI a greater chance.</i>

So Napoleon falls off his horse, never becomes prominent. Maybe, for whatever reason, France, England and Holland ally with each other and the German states feel threatened?

With the Butterfly Effect, one can postulate lots of different births and new bloodlines. But does that make it too easy?

sunsurf said:

<i>I don't quite consider a Protestant coming to the throne of Austria a definite - actually fairly unlikely.</i>

definite what? Looks like a sentence fragment.

Click to expand...

Actually when I look at it again it looks worse than a sentence fragment.

Theres also the Salic Law to take into account. Its unlikely that there will be a Habsburg female successor to the throne while there are any male heir or successors possible. I think its likely you can have the Houses related, that a Habsburg-Hohenzollern prince succeeds his father to either the throne of Prussia or Austria, but the kingdoms would most likely remain seperate.

A Habsburg-Hohenzollern Union may bear the seeds of its own destruction by civil war within it. There will be an intense rivalry between Berlin and Vienna. One could consider that this would create just another AH Empire, with its dual parliaments, but on a grander scale.