Austro-Prussian war without Salic Law?

[PoeFacedKilla]

i've noticed on this forum, that when one person posts something about a topic; their tends to be about 20 more threads pop up asking similar questions. So i decided to ask a question that i haven't yet seen on this site.
(although i'm sure it has been asked)

What if, through some means, Queen Victoria comes to rule Hanover like her ancestors did?

Assuming there is still a 7 weeks war, what happens to Hanover?
Does it (in union with the UK) remain neutral?
Or does it join in on the side of Prussia, or Austria?
How does this effect German unification?

[scholar]

Originally Posted by PoeFacedKilla

How does this effect German unification?

As long as the British have every intention to keep Hannover in much the same way they would have every intention to keep Ireland at the time, there wouldn't be a German Unification. Rather, the British would want as many small disorganized states surrounding it as possible. Them being friendly to the British because of Prussian Hostility only makes the notion of keeping them around the more valuable.

That said, weren't Anglo-Prussian relations at this time fairly decent? If so, in case of a war between Prussia and Austria I would assume neutrality on Britain's part.

[wolf_brother]

It'd be a huge assumption to believe that the Austro-Prussian War still occurs as per OTL with a POD nearly a century before hand.

[Emperor Constantine]

Originally Posted by wolf_brother

It'd be a huge assumption to believe that the Austro-Prussian War still occurs as per OTL with a POD nearly a century before hand.

It wouldn't necessarily be a century before hand. Salic law would probably be changed under George IV or William IV, there hadn't been a female heir for the Hanoverians before that. I'd imagine that Prussia wouldn't invade Hanover, as the Crown Princess's mother is the ruler. However with no Salic law the Prussians could try to claim Hanover for Crown Princess Victoria, similar to the hundred years war. If this doesn't happen, I'd see Hanover to German Unification like Luxemburg was to the German Confederation, part of Germany, but with a different ruler.

[Derek Pullem]

But it is likely that the 1848 revolutions would occur which would probably mean that Hannover gets a liberal constitution (much as Oldenburg did next door). Bismarck would still be interested in extending Prussian influence but I can't see how he could get past Hannover / Uk (and therefore how he could bully Oldenburg also)

If the Austro-Prussian war happened then I don't see the result changing - Britain would stay out and Prussia would actually have more troops available to defeat the Austrians.

Likewise I can't see why the absence of Hannover / Oldenburg would prevent a successful conclusion to the Franco-Prussian war if it proceeded as OTL.

An alt-WW1 would be interesting however. BEF to Hannover rather than France? HSF based in the Baltic? No Schleisen Plan?

[Rich Rostrom]

Originally Posted by PoeFacedKilla

i've noticed on this forum, that when one person posts something about a topic; their tends to be about 20 more threads pop up asking similar questions. So i decided to ask a question that i haven't yet seen on this site.
(although i'm sure it has been asked)

What if, through some means, Queen Victoria comes to rule Hanover like her ancestors did?

Highly improbable. The Salic Law had been in place for centuries and was not going to be overturned.

Who would want it to be lifted? The British political elite found the connection to Hanover annoying and inconvenient. Britain had no interest in Hanover - no authority, no revenue, nothing. It was a personal possession of the monarch, which Britain therefore had to deal with.

The separation of Hanover at Victoria's accession was welcomed in Britain; it passed to her father's younger brother, her uncle Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland.

However, that separation could have been avoided in several ways, all of them involving a male heir to both crowns. Victoria could have been male, or her father could have lived longer and fathered a son. Or Victoria might never have been born or died young (so Cumberland succeeds in Britain as well).

Assuming there is still a 7 weeks war, what happens to Hanover?
Does it (in union with the UK) remain neutral?
Or does it join in on the side of Prussia, or Austria?
How does this effect German unification?

The British connection to Hanover will force Bismarck to be cautious. He can't stomp Hanover the way he did OTL. Or at least can't assume he can. OTOH, if "Victor" as King of Hanover jumps into a war, Britain isn't going to intervene automatically.

It becomes a question of who is perceived as starting the war (between Hanover and Prussia). Prussia's actions may be seen as intolerable to Hanover, without being an explicit casus belli. Britain really doesn't want to get involved in German affairs. OTOH, Britain cannot stand by while Prussia tromps all over her King, even if not in his British role.

If Hanover has to fight, Britain will, reluctantly, back them.

Or maybe not. In which case Hanover gets crushed as OTL, and relations with Britain will be semi-poisoned for quite a while. It's interesting to note that OTL, Prussia's crushing of Hanover, ruled by Victoria's cousin, didn't bother her much; her daughter was married to the Prussian Crown Prince.

[kasumigenx]

Originally Posted by PoeFacedKilla

i've noticed on this forum, that when one person posts something about a topic; their tends to be about 20 more threads pop up asking similar questions. So i decided to ask a question that i haven't yet seen on this site.
(although i'm sure it has been asked)

What if, through some means, Queen Victoria comes to rule Hanover like her ancestors did?

Assuming there is still a 7 weeks war, what happens to Hanover?
Does it (in union with the UK) remain neutral?
Or does it join in on the side of Prussia, or Austria?
How does this effect German unification?

If the Direct Capetians survived more longer, the Salic law would be less followed in Europe.

[Emperor Constantine]

The only reason I can really think of for lifting Salic law is to keep Cumberland from the throne. I mean he wasn't popular in Britain but I think he was popular in Hanover so IDK. Hanover had an liberal constitution under William IV so they'll probably keep it. In OTL her husband Prince Albert supported a liberal united Germany, even sending a plan to the Frankfurt parliament during 1848, so maybe with Britain still controlling Hanover the plan would be listened to. Early unified Germany, anyone? As for the Austro-Prussian war, it was the King of Hanover that forced the issue by refusing the Prussian demand that Hanover should observe an unarmed neutrality. I doubt Victoria would not pick Austria over Prussia.

[Monty Burns]

Originally Posted by Rich Rostrom

Or maybe not. In which case Hanover gets crushed as OTL, and relations with Britain will be semi-poisoned for quite a while. It's interesting to note that OTL, Prussia's crushing of Hanover, ruled by Victoria's cousin, didn't bother her much; her daughter was married to the Prussian Crown Prince.

I think there's a decent probability that Anglo-Prussian relations wouldn't be that bad either. As you already stated, the British found the connection to Hannover annoying. Prussia cutting that connection by force is bad, but at least one got rid of that thing...

In any case, I doubt that with the British monarch on the Hannoverian throne the Prussians would act as IOTL. Quite probably the whole starting point would be butterflied away to some extent: Would Britian allow its monarch to join a war against Denmark over Schleswig-Holstein?

But even that is too far away. The interesting point, as stated above, would be when Britain gets more involved in 1848. I would assume great pressure on the monarch to support liberalization and a constitution also in Hannover.

[Barbarossa Rotbart]

There is just one problem. Hanover could not abolish the Salic Law alone, because it was part of the law of succession of the Guelphs of which two cadet branches did exist at that time (Hanover and Brunswick).
After the end of House Brunswick in 1884 House Hanover should have inherited the Duchy of Brunswick, but Wilhelm II did not want an dethroned enemy of Prussia back on a German throne.
I believe that Victoria could have only become Queen of Hanover if House Brunswick had died out before 1837.