AHC: 18th Century Habsburg Spain

Challenge: Put a Habsburg (or, as is more likely, Habsburg-Lorraine) on the throne of Spain with a POD after 1756.

-The Monarch must be part Habsburg and have some kind of loyalty towards the Austrian Habsburgs or their successors (i.e. the House of Habsburg-Lorraine).
-The Monarchy must also work towards a foreign policy alligned more towards France or Austria than another foreign power.
-Bonus points for some kind of Habsburg-Bourbon union.
-Ideally a significant (longer than two years) war of succession should be avoided, should you use one to meet the requirements.

Whoever gives the best/most plausible method will get credit in the timeline I'm planning that nobody will read, so be clever. ;)
 
Charles IV. marries not his cousin Maria Louisa of Bourbon Parma, but Maria Anna, daughter of Maria Theresia of Austria in 1765

Since he was a weak king who left most of the ruling to his wife, we can assume that he would let Maria Anna do just that -who by the way was a very smart, very modern woman.
She was a sickly woman, but a move to Spain might have given her another 10 years of live so lets say she dies in 1799 and not 1789.
This gives her a reign of 11 years.
Her family rules Austria, which would put the French King under pressure, but just as she gets on the throne, the French revolution is happening.
If her mother is anything to go by, Maria Anna would have reformed Spain into a modern state. I dare say she would take on and remove the Inquisition, thus avoiding larger internal troubles following the French revolution.
When she dies in 1799 Spain goes to her oldest son (pick a name), if not an ally than at least a sympathiser with his family branch in Vienna.
And unlike Ferdinand - Charles IV son in OTL - he would not seek Napoleons help to seize power.
(Charles IV. dies in 1819 but like I said, his wife was wearing the pants, so we can assume, that while he was in the throne, the power would go to his son or he would be forced to resign like in the OTL.)
 
Charles IV. marries not his cousin Maria Louisa of Bourbon Parma, but Maria Anna, daughter of Maria Theresia of Austria in 1765

Since he was a weak king who left most of the ruling to his wife, we can assume that he would let Maria Anna do just that -who by the way was a very smart, very modern woman.
She was a sickly woman, but a move to Spain might have given her another 10 years of live so lets say she dies in 1799 and not 1789.
This gives her a reign of 11 years.
Her family rules Austria, which would put the French King under pressure, but just as she gets on the throne, the French revolution is happening.
If her mother is anything to go by, Maria Anna would have reformed Spain into a modern state. I dare say she would take on and remove the Inquisition, thus avoiding larger internal troubles following the French revolution.
When she dies in 1799 Spain goes to her oldest son (pick a name), if not an ally than at least a sympathiser with his family branch in Vienna.
And unlike Ferdinand - Charles IV son in OTL - he would not seek Napoleons help to seize power.
(Charles IV. dies in 1819 but like I said, his wife was wearing the pants, so we can assume, that while he was in the throne, the power would go to his son or he would be forced to resign like in the OTL.)

As I understood it, her illness was precisely why she wasn't married. She was considered unfit for it. Perhaps Maria Amalia of Austria would be a better match, at least in terms of health. Though the similarity of her name to Charles IV's mother might be a problem. ;) On the other hand, she wasn't a particularly clever or intelligent woman, more artistic or musical as I understand it. It could force Charles to either take more power himself, or gives his ministers more power, risking a slippery slope to the ev0ls of constitutional monarchy. :p
 

NothingNow

Banned
Holy Shit.
I think that was part of one of the long-term plans for my Cuba-wank TL.
With the second Bastard son of Felipe IV, the Duke of Cuba, becoming King when Carlos II kicks the bucket. Although the POD is in 1652, it doesn't start to deviate that much until 12 July 1680, when a blood feud develops between the Duke and the Viceroy of New Spain over a barrel of Rotten and dead Capuchin Monkeys, Leading to a Proxy war with the Mayan Kingdom based in Tayasal fighting and winning against New Spain. Pan-Mayanism ensues.
No there's no War of Spanish Succession, and the Policies enacted by the Former Duke are basically Cuba-centric, with Cuba actually becoming it's own Kingdom. basically leading to A Hapsburg-Braganza-Diaz-Maimon-Petén Empire Complex ruling the world in 1800.

Edit: Saw the Dates. Nevermind.
 
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Well, I solved the problem. I can't recall specifics, but in the end a grandson of Maria Theresa and granddaughter of Ferdinand VI (or IV?) end up on the having kids, settling the question. I started a rudimentary family tree, and their children have Philip III as an ancestor at least five times over. Can't be worse than Charles II I suppose though, right?:p
 
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