Ok..I read in a book called "The Emergence of the Great Powers 1696-1789' that at the time that the last Hapsburg King of Spain, Carlos III, was a sickly monarch who often stayed sick more than he was healthy. Just before his death he willed the throne of Spain to his cousin (?) Phillippe duc d'Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV king of France. The Austrian Hapsburg relation, Archduke Charles (soon to be Charles IV Holy Roman Emperor) was dead set against this as it would deprive the Hapsburgs of a wealthy crownland (Spain), the loss of an overseas empire, and the enlargement of their Bourbon enemy. The Dutch and British were concerned about the colonial trade with the Spanish colonies which could be endangered if the crown of Spain were united to the French crown. All Europe feared the unification of the French and Spanish crowns as the main objective of the Bourbons was to acquire the German (HRE) crown. If all three crowns were united, a Bourbon version of Charles V's empire would be born.
After negotiations were started between French, English and Dutch representatives..a treaty (name unknown) was drawn up which would give Spain, the Spanish Netherlands and the Colonies to France...Austria would get Milan, Naples and Sicily. The Spanish hated this treaty cuz it would partition their empire, and they preferred that it go wholly to either Bourbon or Hapsburg. The Spanish loved the Turkish War hero Maximillian of Bavaria (Wittelsbach), so a second treaty was drawn up which would grant Milan to France, Naples and Sicily to Austria and left the remaining Spanish territories to Maximillian. It was revised at the insistence of the Spanish so that the entire Spanish inheritance would go to Maximillian. Everyone supported this treaty as the Bavarian Wittelsbachs had no ambitions to assume that 'universal monarchy' threatened by both Hapsburg and Bourbon. Unfortunately, Maximillian died before the treaty could be implemented.
SO, back to the negotiating table they went. The final partition treaty, which would be implemented at Utrecht in 1714 called for the cession of the Spanish Netherlands (Belgium), Milan, Naples and Sicily to Austria and forbade the union of the Spanish and French crowns under one dynasty. Obviously as the later Spanish Succession War drew in otherwise neutral nations with the promise of territory, the Utrecht Treaty seen many revisions. For example, the Duke of Savoy, formerly a French ally, abandoned them when he was promised Sicily and Piedmont. Brandenburg-Prussia was promised part of Pomerania and recognition as KinginPrussia. The Dutch were guaranteed trade rights in the Spanish empire and were allowed to close the Scheldt to traffic (which would damage Antwerp's commerce for years to come). At Utrecht, Savoy got the lands promised, but in a later deal made with the Hapsburgs were able to trade Sicily for Sardinia (the Hapsburgs apparently did not trust the House of Savoy to not simply switch allegiance again, and most likely did see them becoming a great power later on......BOY WERE THEY WRONG!)Once Archduke Charles became Holy Roman Emperor as Charles IV, the idea of restoring a Hapsburg to Spain became unpalatable to all save the Hapsburgs (it was rumored they kept the 'King of Spain' title among their many titles until well after the Napoleonic War). Thus a junior branch of the Bourbon line established itself in Spain which still rules to this day (though not without interruptions...i.e Franco)
Now that the OTL situation has been established (and I got to show off my knowledge of history), this is the scenario I pose....what if Maximillian of Bavaria had not died, and assumed the throne of Spain? Would there have still been a French revolution? How would the Spanish American colonies achieve independence?.....more into the future, what about the Spanish-American War?
After negotiations were started between French, English and Dutch representatives..a treaty (name unknown) was drawn up which would give Spain, the Spanish Netherlands and the Colonies to France...Austria would get Milan, Naples and Sicily. The Spanish hated this treaty cuz it would partition their empire, and they preferred that it go wholly to either Bourbon or Hapsburg. The Spanish loved the Turkish War hero Maximillian of Bavaria (Wittelsbach), so a second treaty was drawn up which would grant Milan to France, Naples and Sicily to Austria and left the remaining Spanish territories to Maximillian. It was revised at the insistence of the Spanish so that the entire Spanish inheritance would go to Maximillian. Everyone supported this treaty as the Bavarian Wittelsbachs had no ambitions to assume that 'universal monarchy' threatened by both Hapsburg and Bourbon. Unfortunately, Maximillian died before the treaty could be implemented.
SO, back to the negotiating table they went. The final partition treaty, which would be implemented at Utrecht in 1714 called for the cession of the Spanish Netherlands (Belgium), Milan, Naples and Sicily to Austria and forbade the union of the Spanish and French crowns under one dynasty. Obviously as the later Spanish Succession War drew in otherwise neutral nations with the promise of territory, the Utrecht Treaty seen many revisions. For example, the Duke of Savoy, formerly a French ally, abandoned them when he was promised Sicily and Piedmont. Brandenburg-Prussia was promised part of Pomerania and recognition as KinginPrussia. The Dutch were guaranteed trade rights in the Spanish empire and were allowed to close the Scheldt to traffic (which would damage Antwerp's commerce for years to come). At Utrecht, Savoy got the lands promised, but in a later deal made with the Hapsburgs were able to trade Sicily for Sardinia (the Hapsburgs apparently did not trust the House of Savoy to not simply switch allegiance again, and most likely did see them becoming a great power later on......BOY WERE THEY WRONG!)Once Archduke Charles became Holy Roman Emperor as Charles IV, the idea of restoring a Hapsburg to Spain became unpalatable to all save the Hapsburgs (it was rumored they kept the 'King of Spain' title among their many titles until well after the Napoleonic War). Thus a junior branch of the Bourbon line established itself in Spain which still rules to this day (though not without interruptions...i.e Franco)
Now that the OTL situation has been established (and I got to show off my knowledge of history), this is the scenario I pose....what if Maximillian of Bavaria had not died, and assumed the throne of Spain? Would there have still been a French revolution? How would the Spanish American colonies achieve independence?.....more into the future, what about the Spanish-American War?