Right. Serious work in progress here... I'm trying to get the Habsburg dynasty out of any serious leadership in Europe. So far, there seem to be butterflies for the Papacy, Bohemia, Hungary and the HRE.
Our initial point of divergence deals with Rudolph IV, Count of Habsburg’s (1218-91?) wife – Gertrude of Hohenberg – losing a baby to miscarriage in the early 1250s. This baby would, in OTL, have been Matilde of Habsburg. Not only does this plunge Gertrude into a bought of postnatal depression which thoroughly butterflies her subsequent offspring but furthermore, come 1273, Rudolph is left with no bargaining chips with which to ply Louis II (1229-94), Count Palatine of the Rhine and Duke of Upper Bavaria, or Albert III, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg.
So, in TTL, when the election for the German throne takes place, not only does Albert fail to proselytise on Rudolph’s behalf, but Louis actually comes out as somewhat reluctantly supporting the claim of Otakar II (1230-96), King of Bohemia. When an assassin is captured by Louis’ men, opponents seize the opportunity to discredit Rudolph by accusing him of funding an attempt on Louis’ life. Although Rudolph denies being behind the attempt, these unsubstantiated accusations prove sufficient to tarnish his reputation and narrowly tip the election in Otakar’s favour.
Otakar is crowned as King of Germany at Aachen in early 1274. Despite this, Rudolph refuses to recognise Otakar’s kingship on the grounds that the claim of Alfonso X (1221-84), King of Castile – which had existed in opposition to that of the ‘anti-King’ Richard of Cornwall – had never been formally renounced. Pope Gregory X, whilst certainly perturbed by accusations of Rudolph’s plotting, is nevertheless reluctant to express formal support for Otakar as Holy Roman Emperor.
With Otakar’s coronation looming, Pope Gregory X manages to deftly sidestep the internal power struggles of the Holy Roman Empire by refocusing his attentions on the impending Roman Catholic council in Lyons. Pope Gregory’s increased fixation on the issues surrounding the Lyons council means that Thomas Aquinas (1225-74) is summoned to Lyons in advance of the council, in order to answer for his writings, avoiding the illness (or poisoning?) which would otherwise have killed him.
Pope Gregory reprimands him for many of his more controversial opinions but – intrigued by his treatise ‘Contra errores Graecorum’ (Against the Errors of the Greeks) – give him the task of investigating the potential for a settling of the differences in dogma and liturgical practice between the Greek and Latin churches. Having reached broadly optimistic conclusions, an increasingly enfeebled Aquinas encourages Pope Gregory X to use the Council of Lyons as an opportunity to extend an olive branch to the Eastern Church, condemning the excommunications issued by the Holy See in the Schism of 1054, and seeking an ultimate reunion. Gregory takes his advice, and the Council of Lyons paves the way for the eventual loose reunion of the two churches.
As there had been several lengthy vacancies of the Holy See in living memory, a faction of the council attendees convince Pope Gregory X to admit a change to the system of papal elections, whereby the cardinals will not be allowed leave the conclave until they have successfully elected a pope (something that will later be adopted with regards to the Electors of the Holy Roman Emperor). Having grown increasingly weak, Aquinas dies from a fever in the August, a matter of days before the end of the council’s last session.
With no marriage in TTL between Louis II, Duke of Upper Bavaria and OTL Matilde of Habsburg, Louis’ heir and namesake gets slightly more fatherly attention, becoming better at jousting than in OTL, and thus surviving the 1290 Nuremburg tournament that would have otherwise killed him. Louis II, slowly being consumed by a creeping guilt with regard to the execution of his first wife for infidelity, fills the gap of Matilde with a succession of mistresses, producing several bastard children. From the late 1280s to his death in 1294, he is seen as slowly losing his grip on reality, with council of advisors headed by his son – Louis of Bavaria (b. 1267) – taking over most of his ducal activities.
1291 sees the marriage of the fifteen-year-old Margaret of Brabant (b. 1276) to Louis of Bavaria. She gives birth to two daughters in 1292 (Anna) and 1295 (Sophie), and a son (Frederick) in 1298. Upon his father’s eventual death in 1294, Louis IV inherits the Duchy of Upper Bavaria. His attempts to mend relations with his contemporaries in Lower Bavaria are met with limited success, but moves towards the rationalisation of taxation and trade prove popular amongst the people. He dies of natural causes in 1330, and is suceeded by his son Frederick.
Dukes of Upper Bavaria:
Louis II (1253-94)
Louis IV (1294-1330)
Frederick (1330-)
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Henry of Lower Bavaria spent most of his time in quarrels with his brother, with Otakar II of Bohemia and with various ecclesiastics. When he died in February 1290, the land fell to his three sons, Otto III, Louis II, and Stephen I. The butterflied Habsburg children fail to provide a wife for Otto III, Duke of Lower Bavaria. After his death in 1312, rule over the Duchy of Lower Bavaria is consolidated by his nephews – Otto IV and Henry II (OTL Henry III). Otto also dies childless in 1334, passing the whole of Lower Bavaria to his brother, Henry II, who’s death in 1339 passes it to his son, John. John dies the following year, allowing Frederick of Upper Bavaria, by securing Lower Bavaria for himself, to unite the entire Duchy of Bavaria under his rule.
Dukes of Lower Bavaria:
Henry I (1253-90)
Otto III (1290-12)
Louis III (1290-96)
Stephen I (1290-1309)
Otto IV (1309-34)
Henry II (1309-39)
John I (1339-40)
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Following the 1340 death of John I, Duke of Lower Bavaria, Bavaria is reunified under Frederick I (b. 1298), who becomes the Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine. In TTL, Frederick’s attempts at consolidating the duchy allow the reunification to endure his death, cutting short an era of family feuds and petty squabblings that lasted 160 years longer in OTL. This relative absence of internal strife clears the way for Bavaria to regain its role as a regional centre of power within the Holy Roman Empire, ultimately acquiring the electoral dignity.
Saxony and Anhalt (1260-1307):
With no Habsburg daughter with whom Rudolph can bribe Albert II, Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg (b. circa 1247) into backing his claim on the German throne, the Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg instead marries Elisabeth, a local noblewoman, in 1276. In 1278, Elisabeth gives birth to a daughter (Agatha), but complications in the birth of the second child kill both baby and mother in 1281. As a result of this tragedy, Albert sinks into a period of prolonged depression, dying of a stress-related illness in 1296. He is succeeded by Agatha, who assumes the mantle of the Duchess of Saxe-Wittenberg.
Unfortunately, Agatha proves to be a somewhat naïve and overly trusting ruler, rapidly falling under the influence of the Princes of Anhalt in diplomatic and military affairs. She becomes the second wife of Albert I, Prince of Anhalt, in 1300. Having born him a son and heir (another Albert) in 1302, the marriage quickly sours as Agatha and Albert come to blows over politics. She dies in a hunting ‘accident’ in 1305, whereupon Albert I claims regency of Saxe-Wittenberg, attempting to incorporate it with his Anhalt territories. This sudden increase of territory is seen by Albert’s brothers as something of a threat, leading them to jointly attack his territories in 1307. This is the start of civil war.
The Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg (1260-):
As per OTL, but the chaos in Anhalt means that it is they who will be seen as the legitimate descendant of the original Saxony, and thus it is they who will obtain Elector Status when the Holy Roman Empire’s electoral process is formalised.
(1) The Election of Otakar of Bohemia, King of Germany
Our initial point of divergence deals with Rudolph IV, Count of Habsburg’s (1218-91?) wife – Gertrude of Hohenberg – losing a baby to miscarriage in the early 1250s. This baby would, in OTL, have been Matilde of Habsburg. Not only does this plunge Gertrude into a bought of postnatal depression which thoroughly butterflies her subsequent offspring but furthermore, come 1273, Rudolph is left with no bargaining chips with which to ply Louis II (1229-94), Count Palatine of the Rhine and Duke of Upper Bavaria, or Albert III, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg.
So, in TTL, when the election for the German throne takes place, not only does Albert fail to proselytise on Rudolph’s behalf, but Louis actually comes out as somewhat reluctantly supporting the claim of Otakar II (1230-96), King of Bohemia. When an assassin is captured by Louis’ men, opponents seize the opportunity to discredit Rudolph by accusing him of funding an attempt on Louis’ life. Although Rudolph denies being behind the attempt, these unsubstantiated accusations prove sufficient to tarnish his reputation and narrowly tip the election in Otakar’s favour.
Otakar is crowned as King of Germany at Aachen in early 1274. Despite this, Rudolph refuses to recognise Otakar’s kingship on the grounds that the claim of Alfonso X (1221-84), King of Castile – which had existed in opposition to that of the ‘anti-King’ Richard of Cornwall – had never been formally renounced. Pope Gregory X, whilst certainly perturbed by accusations of Rudolph’s plotting, is nevertheless reluctant to express formal support for Otakar as Holy Roman Emperor.
(2) Aquinas and the 1274 Council of Lyons
With Otakar’s coronation looming, Pope Gregory X manages to deftly sidestep the internal power struggles of the Holy Roman Empire by refocusing his attentions on the impending Roman Catholic council in Lyons. Pope Gregory’s increased fixation on the issues surrounding the Lyons council means that Thomas Aquinas (1225-74) is summoned to Lyons in advance of the council, in order to answer for his writings, avoiding the illness (or poisoning?) which would otherwise have killed him.
Pope Gregory reprimands him for many of his more controversial opinions but – intrigued by his treatise ‘Contra errores Graecorum’ (Against the Errors of the Greeks) – give him the task of investigating the potential for a settling of the differences in dogma and liturgical practice between the Greek and Latin churches. Having reached broadly optimistic conclusions, an increasingly enfeebled Aquinas encourages Pope Gregory X to use the Council of Lyons as an opportunity to extend an olive branch to the Eastern Church, condemning the excommunications issued by the Holy See in the Schism of 1054, and seeking an ultimate reunion. Gregory takes his advice, and the Council of Lyons paves the way for the eventual loose reunion of the two churches.
As there had been several lengthy vacancies of the Holy See in living memory, a faction of the council attendees convince Pope Gregory X to admit a change to the system of papal elections, whereby the cardinals will not be allowed leave the conclave until they have successfully elected a pope (something that will later be adopted with regards to the Electors of the Holy Roman Emperor). Having grown increasingly weak, Aquinas dies from a fever in the August, a matter of days before the end of the council’s last session.
(3) Bavaria (1273-1340)
With no marriage in TTL between Louis II, Duke of Upper Bavaria and OTL Matilde of Habsburg, Louis’ heir and namesake gets slightly more fatherly attention, becoming better at jousting than in OTL, and thus surviving the 1290 Nuremburg tournament that would have otherwise killed him. Louis II, slowly being consumed by a creeping guilt with regard to the execution of his first wife for infidelity, fills the gap of Matilde with a succession of mistresses, producing several bastard children. From the late 1280s to his death in 1294, he is seen as slowly losing his grip on reality, with council of advisors headed by his son – Louis of Bavaria (b. 1267) – taking over most of his ducal activities.
1291 sees the marriage of the fifteen-year-old Margaret of Brabant (b. 1276) to Louis of Bavaria. She gives birth to two daughters in 1292 (Anna) and 1295 (Sophie), and a son (Frederick) in 1298. Upon his father’s eventual death in 1294, Louis IV inherits the Duchy of Upper Bavaria. His attempts to mend relations with his contemporaries in Lower Bavaria are met with limited success, but moves towards the rationalisation of taxation and trade prove popular amongst the people. He dies of natural causes in 1330, and is suceeded by his son Frederick.
Dukes of Upper Bavaria:
Louis II (1253-94)
Louis IV (1294-1330)
Frederick (1330-)
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Henry of Lower Bavaria spent most of his time in quarrels with his brother, with Otakar II of Bohemia and with various ecclesiastics. When he died in February 1290, the land fell to his three sons, Otto III, Louis II, and Stephen I. The butterflied Habsburg children fail to provide a wife for Otto III, Duke of Lower Bavaria. After his death in 1312, rule over the Duchy of Lower Bavaria is consolidated by his nephews – Otto IV and Henry II (OTL Henry III). Otto also dies childless in 1334, passing the whole of Lower Bavaria to his brother, Henry II, who’s death in 1339 passes it to his son, John. John dies the following year, allowing Frederick of Upper Bavaria, by securing Lower Bavaria for himself, to unite the entire Duchy of Bavaria under his rule.
Dukes of Lower Bavaria:
Henry I (1253-90)
Otto III (1290-12)
Louis III (1290-96)
Stephen I (1290-1309)
Otto IV (1309-34)
Henry II (1309-39)
John I (1339-40)
-----
Following the 1340 death of John I, Duke of Lower Bavaria, Bavaria is reunified under Frederick I (b. 1298), who becomes the Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine. In TTL, Frederick’s attempts at consolidating the duchy allow the reunification to endure his death, cutting short an era of family feuds and petty squabblings that lasted 160 years longer in OTL. This relative absence of internal strife clears the way for Bavaria to regain its role as a regional centre of power within the Holy Roman Empire, ultimately acquiring the electoral dignity.
(4) The Saxony Problems
Saxony and Anhalt (1260-1307):
With no Habsburg daughter with whom Rudolph can bribe Albert II, Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg (b. circa 1247) into backing his claim on the German throne, the Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg instead marries Elisabeth, a local noblewoman, in 1276. In 1278, Elisabeth gives birth to a daughter (Agatha), but complications in the birth of the second child kill both baby and mother in 1281. As a result of this tragedy, Albert sinks into a period of prolonged depression, dying of a stress-related illness in 1296. He is succeeded by Agatha, who assumes the mantle of the Duchess of Saxe-Wittenberg.
Unfortunately, Agatha proves to be a somewhat naïve and overly trusting ruler, rapidly falling under the influence of the Princes of Anhalt in diplomatic and military affairs. She becomes the second wife of Albert I, Prince of Anhalt, in 1300. Having born him a son and heir (another Albert) in 1302, the marriage quickly sours as Agatha and Albert come to blows over politics. She dies in a hunting ‘accident’ in 1305, whereupon Albert I claims regency of Saxe-Wittenberg, attempting to incorporate it with his Anhalt territories. This sudden increase of territory is seen by Albert’s brothers as something of a threat, leading them to jointly attack his territories in 1307. This is the start of civil war.
The Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg (1260-):
As per OTL, but the chaos in Anhalt means that it is they who will be seen as the legitimate descendant of the original Saxony, and thus it is they who will obtain Elector Status when the Holy Roman Empire’s electoral process is formalised.
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