A Third Caroline Partition

What if Leopold I's sons had split the Empire? It sounds crazy, and I don't even know if it would be legal/doable, but here goes:

Assuming all three of his sons from his third marriage survive to produce surviving male-issue of their own, they could split their inheritance as follows:

Josef becomes Holy Roman Emperor, keeps the German and Burgundian bits, plus the Habsburg lands; as well as the Bohemian royal electorate.
Leopold (OTL 1682-1684) can get the "Holy Inheritance" i.e. the crowns of Sts. Stephen and Zvonimir
Karl (OTL Karl VI) gets the Italian possessions - duchy of Milan, the kingdom of Naples, etc, and perhaps the crown of Spain if he can get it and keep it.

The reason I'm wondering about this is that I'm aware of several TLs where the Habsburg empire is split (All Hail Germania; Drunk on Bourbon, etc).

Obviously, only ONE of these branches would be able to assume the purple (Josephine most likely), and the others would have to sign a renunciation of their rights to wear the Imperial diadem (perhaps only allowable in male-line extinction of the Imperial branch).

NOTE: Leopold doesn't even have to survive, his portion can be handed off to Karl, and the Italian possessions go to Josef, too.

What does everyone think? Can this work? How might history go differently?
 
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I'm pretty sure the Josephine branch will also want and keep the Crown of Wenceslaus (Bohemia). It makes them a Prince-Elector and it is needed to strengthen their position in the Empire. Otherwise they won't get the best of deals.

That would result in an Imperial Josephine branch: Lands of the Bohemian Crown, Austrian Hereditary Lands and the Austrian Netherlands;
the Hungarian Leopoldine Branch: Lands of the Crown of St Stephen and Zvonimir;
and the Italian Caroline Branch: king of Sicily & Naples and duke of Milan.

OTOH IMHO such a division seems like something forced upon the Austrian Habsburgs. What perhaps could have happened, might be that Sicily & Naples end up in the hands of a cadet branch. The main branch will be very interested in the duchy of Milan and is in a better position to protect the Austrian Netherlands. Something similar applies to Hungary and Croatia, which seem unlikely to be split from the main branch, with a potential Ottoman threat, and rivals such as Russia and Poland-Lithuania.
 
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There certainly were splits earlier on with Upper and Further Austria being under other branches of the family at times.
 
There certainly were splits earlier on with Upper and Further Austria being under other branches of the family at times.

A common division was Austria proper, Inner Austria (Styria, Carinthia, Carniola) and Upper Austria (Tyrol and Further Austria). The branch holding the archduchy of Austria proper was also king of Hungary, Bohemia, Croatia etc.
 
Anyone else? I was thinking that even if this partition isn't permanent - that Italy and/or Hungary end up back in the Imperial fold within a few generations - it might give the Habsburgs some much needed breathing room to get their house in order?
 
The problem with this idea is that a partition couldn't be done without the consent of the Emperor (I'm assuming Josef I?). From what I've read about him, it doesn't seem to be in Josef's personality to do so. I can see one of his brothers (probably Leopold) gaining Naples and Sicily, but only because it would be awarded to him in the Spanish succession war. As for Karl, chances are he'd be Bishop, possibly an Elector, but nothing else. Before Maria Theresa the Habsburgs weren't in the habit of creating multiple lines, so I can't see all thee brothers marrying. That's just my take on it anyway.
 
@ Emperor Constantine: I was thinking that perhaps they would agree to this partition treaty between the deaths of Carlos II and Leopold I. After all, Leopold was the "mastermind" behind the Family Pact of 1703 in order to prevent a like scenario of what was then happening in Spain from happening within the Empire. Maybe the Family Pact becomes more of a Treaty of Verdun type thing.
 
@ Emperor Constantine: I was thinking that perhaps they would agree to this partition treaty between the deaths of Carlos II and Leopold I. After all, Leopold was the "mastermind" behind the Family Pact of 1703 in order to prevent a like scenario of what was then happening in Spain from happening within the Empire. Maybe the Family Pact becomes more of a Treaty of Verdun type thing.

It just doesn't seem to likely to me. Leopold never hinted at any time during his reign that he wanted to repeat the previous divisions of territory within the family. And, at the time of his death, he would have had no reason to. In 1705 Leopold would have seen the French and Spanish in retreat on several fronts, with no reason to doubt that his second son would not soon hold the Spanish Monarchy. Meanwhile, his eldest son would inherit the Habsburg hereditary lands and the Kingdoms of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia. In the event that his second son Leopold survived, then he would be the Spanish pretender, with Karl appointed to one of the Ecclesiastical territories within the Empire. I just can't see a reason to divide the inheritance.
 
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