Having followed these boards since quite a long time and motivated by the recent events in Catalonia, I've decided to design an alternate history scenario that gives Catalonia independence on 11 September 1714, the very day the Siege of Barcelona was won in OTL and thus marks the loss of autonomy Catalonia mourns about until today.
I'm not Spanish nor Catalan - I just have a huge interest in this area and in the Catalan culture. Also, I am not a history expert. So I'll gladly take any advice or constructive criticism. Be honest. I have no problem with someone ripping apart this construct of thoughts, because this is how I can learn from it.
If this proposed beginning isn't rejected from the beginning on, I'd like to extend the timeline in a history-book style. My main field of interest lies in politics, not military affairs, so expect a focus towards the first one. Wars will be briefly described, but I'm afraid I won't be able to give you detailed battleplans or technological backgrounds.
So here it is, my timeline attempt that would render Catalonia independent:
--
The war of the Spanish Succession erupted on 1 November 1700, when the Habsburg King Charles II of Spain died and did not leave a universal heir behind. There were many claims to the prestigious title of the Kingdom of Spain, but the two aspirants who were backed by European powers represented the two perhaps most powerful dynasties at that time: the house of Bourbon and the House of Habsburg.
The very close relations the deceased Charles II had to both the King of France, Louis XIV, and the archduke of Austria, Charles, raised fears of a Franco-Spanish superstate, or, in the latter case, the re-emergence of Charles’ V European empire. Indeed, the two main contestants for the Spanish throne were Philip, Duke of Anjou and grandson of Louis XIV, and Archduke Charles of Austria, the second son of Emperor Leopold I. Both heirs carried the likely risk of a European super-state which would significantly alter the balance of power on the continent.
When Charles II eventually breathed his last breath, he determined the Bourbon Philip, Duke of Anjou, to be his universal heir. Despite a Franco-British agreement and widespread fears of French dominance on the continent, he seized the throne, and through his aggressive trade policy against the Dutch and the English, he slowly triggered the War of the Spanish Succession.
Although initially lukewarm for supporting Charles’ claim to the throne, and facing an opposing Parliament, the English King William III negotiated the Treaty of Den Haag in 1701 which was signed by England, Austria and the United Provinces. It recognized Philip’s claim to the throne, and, in turn, allotted Austria the Italian territories and the Spanish Netherlands to the United Provinces.
Not soon after, however, Louis XIV recognised the son of William III’s precedessor James II as the king of England. This action alienated the English further and was the final step towards the War of the Spanish Succession.
The war was fought in many places, most notably the Low Countries, Bavaria (which aligned itself with France and the Bourbon dynasty) and Spain itself. The reader certainly will be bored by displays of extensive battles and tactical considerations. What matters, is the outcome, although great praise has to be given to the Duke of Marlborough, who led the British Army during the entire campaign, and Villars.
The Catalan Corts, which enjoyed great autonomy, stood up in favour of Archduke Charles, and Austrian troops landed in Barcelona in 1705. In the same year, Leopold I died and passed on the imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire to his eldest son, Joseph I. Fears of a Spanish-Austrian superstate, however, remained contended, as the new Emperor produced two male heirs: Leopold Joseph (*1700) [point of divergence] and Maximilian Leopold (*1702). The war waged back and forth during the year, and, as neither side able to set the decisive blow, soon after the battle of Barcelona, which was besieged for more a year by loyal Spanish troops. The Allied soldiers won on November 11, 1714 and ended the siege. They did not, however, use this momentum to continue the war. Almost all war parties were exhausted after the constant waging and decided to negotiate the peace terms at a major conference in Strassbourg.
The parties gathered, ie. Great Britain (which was formed during the war), France, the United Provinces, Austria and Bavaria, agreed on the following terms:
• Philipp, Duke of Anjou, would remain King of Spain. He and his successors, however, would be excluded from the French line of inheritance, and vice versa.
• Austria would gain the Italian territories formerly held by Spain.
• Britain would gain Gibraltar.
• Catalonia was to become independent from the Bourbon’s rule and be ruled by Archduke Charles of Austria, the Alliance’s favoured claimant to the Spanish throne. Catalonia’s borders were as in OTL plus the Balearic Islands.
• the Spanish Netherlands were to be split between France and the United Provinces.
In the War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718-1720) , Britain, France, the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch Republic fought together against a resurgent Spain that sought to regain Catalonia and Southern Italy. Spain’s ambitions, however, were quickly buried after a surprisingly clear victory for the Quadruple Alliance and Philip V had to concede defeat. The Alliance, once again, gave their assurances of help to Catalonia in case of another aggression from Spain.
Catalonia itself retained its domestic influence against their foreign King, Charles III of Habsburg, through the old institution of the Corts Catalanes, a powerful assembly of the Catalan nobility, clericals and military. Charles III had to concede important rights to them, such as the annual budget and the levy of troops. This made Catalonia, with its long tradition of the strong Corts, the second state after Great Britain, to maintain an independent and influential institution in the era of absolutism.
The legitimate heir of the Austrian Archduke Joseph I, Leonard Joseph inherited his father’s titles and became Emperor Leopold II in 1722. Catalonia remained closely aligned to Habsburg, whereas the Franco-British alliance forged by the Quadruple Alliance was no longer upheld. In 1733, the Bourbon Pact (Pacte de Famille, Pacto de Familia) was signed and thus a long-lasting alliance between the two Bourbon kings of France and Spain established. The small kingdom of Catalonia remained a painful thorn in their back as it barred the dynasty from exerting governance all along the Mediterranean coast from Malaga to Marseille.
Stanislaw Leszczynski was crowned King of Poland for the second time following the Polish War of Succession (1733-1737) in which Habsburg and Russia sought to maintain their influence in Poland by supporting August III of Saxony but ultimately failed.
---
I am aware that this short text covers a quite long periode, and that the pivotal conference isn't drescribed in detail. I thought I could leave the specific happenings at the conference leave up for discussion.
However, the more we advance into the modern era, the more detailed my chapters should become.
I'm not Spanish nor Catalan - I just have a huge interest in this area and in the Catalan culture. Also, I am not a history expert. So I'll gladly take any advice or constructive criticism. Be honest. I have no problem with someone ripping apart this construct of thoughts, because this is how I can learn from it.
If this proposed beginning isn't rejected from the beginning on, I'd like to extend the timeline in a history-book style. My main field of interest lies in politics, not military affairs, so expect a focus towards the first one. Wars will be briefly described, but I'm afraid I won't be able to give you detailed battleplans or technological backgrounds.
So here it is, my timeline attempt that would render Catalonia independent:
--
The war of the Spanish Succession erupted on 1 November 1700, when the Habsburg King Charles II of Spain died and did not leave a universal heir behind. There were many claims to the prestigious title of the Kingdom of Spain, but the two aspirants who were backed by European powers represented the two perhaps most powerful dynasties at that time: the house of Bourbon and the House of Habsburg.
The very close relations the deceased Charles II had to both the King of France, Louis XIV, and the archduke of Austria, Charles, raised fears of a Franco-Spanish superstate, or, in the latter case, the re-emergence of Charles’ V European empire. Indeed, the two main contestants for the Spanish throne were Philip, Duke of Anjou and grandson of Louis XIV, and Archduke Charles of Austria, the second son of Emperor Leopold I. Both heirs carried the likely risk of a European super-state which would significantly alter the balance of power on the continent.
When Charles II eventually breathed his last breath, he determined the Bourbon Philip, Duke of Anjou, to be his universal heir. Despite a Franco-British agreement and widespread fears of French dominance on the continent, he seized the throne, and through his aggressive trade policy against the Dutch and the English, he slowly triggered the War of the Spanish Succession.
Although initially lukewarm for supporting Charles’ claim to the throne, and facing an opposing Parliament, the English King William III negotiated the Treaty of Den Haag in 1701 which was signed by England, Austria and the United Provinces. It recognized Philip’s claim to the throne, and, in turn, allotted Austria the Italian territories and the Spanish Netherlands to the United Provinces.
Not soon after, however, Louis XIV recognised the son of William III’s precedessor James II as the king of England. This action alienated the English further and was the final step towards the War of the Spanish Succession.
The war was fought in many places, most notably the Low Countries, Bavaria (which aligned itself with France and the Bourbon dynasty) and Spain itself. The reader certainly will be bored by displays of extensive battles and tactical considerations. What matters, is the outcome, although great praise has to be given to the Duke of Marlborough, who led the British Army during the entire campaign, and Villars.
The Catalan Corts, which enjoyed great autonomy, stood up in favour of Archduke Charles, and Austrian troops landed in Barcelona in 1705. In the same year, Leopold I died and passed on the imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire to his eldest son, Joseph I. Fears of a Spanish-Austrian superstate, however, remained contended, as the new Emperor produced two male heirs: Leopold Joseph (*1700) [point of divergence] and Maximilian Leopold (*1702). The war waged back and forth during the year, and, as neither side able to set the decisive blow, soon after the battle of Barcelona, which was besieged for more a year by loyal Spanish troops. The Allied soldiers won on November 11, 1714 and ended the siege. They did not, however, use this momentum to continue the war. Almost all war parties were exhausted after the constant waging and decided to negotiate the peace terms at a major conference in Strassbourg.
The parties gathered, ie. Great Britain (which was formed during the war), France, the United Provinces, Austria and Bavaria, agreed on the following terms:
• Philipp, Duke of Anjou, would remain King of Spain. He and his successors, however, would be excluded from the French line of inheritance, and vice versa.
• Austria would gain the Italian territories formerly held by Spain.
• Britain would gain Gibraltar.
• Catalonia was to become independent from the Bourbon’s rule and be ruled by Archduke Charles of Austria, the Alliance’s favoured claimant to the Spanish throne. Catalonia’s borders were as in OTL plus the Balearic Islands.
• the Spanish Netherlands were to be split between France and the United Provinces.
In the War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718-1720) , Britain, France, the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch Republic fought together against a resurgent Spain that sought to regain Catalonia and Southern Italy. Spain’s ambitions, however, were quickly buried after a surprisingly clear victory for the Quadruple Alliance and Philip V had to concede defeat. The Alliance, once again, gave their assurances of help to Catalonia in case of another aggression from Spain.
Catalonia itself retained its domestic influence against their foreign King, Charles III of Habsburg, through the old institution of the Corts Catalanes, a powerful assembly of the Catalan nobility, clericals and military. Charles III had to concede important rights to them, such as the annual budget and the levy of troops. This made Catalonia, with its long tradition of the strong Corts, the second state after Great Britain, to maintain an independent and influential institution in the era of absolutism.
The legitimate heir of the Austrian Archduke Joseph I, Leonard Joseph inherited his father’s titles and became Emperor Leopold II in 1722. Catalonia remained closely aligned to Habsburg, whereas the Franco-British alliance forged by the Quadruple Alliance was no longer upheld. In 1733, the Bourbon Pact (Pacte de Famille, Pacto de Familia) was signed and thus a long-lasting alliance between the two Bourbon kings of France and Spain established. The small kingdom of Catalonia remained a painful thorn in their back as it barred the dynasty from exerting governance all along the Mediterranean coast from Malaga to Marseille.
Stanislaw Leszczynski was crowned King of Poland for the second time following the Polish War of Succession (1733-1737) in which Habsburg and Russia sought to maintain their influence in Poland by supporting August III of Saxony but ultimately failed.
---
I am aware that this short text covers a quite long periode, and that the pivotal conference isn't drescribed in detail. I thought I could leave the specific happenings at the conference leave up for discussion.
However, the more we advance into the modern era, the more detailed my chapters should become.