AHC: Franco-Austrian alliance

IRRC, France was very much pulling for Austria in the Austro-Prussian War, and were shocked silly when the Prussians drubbed them inside two months. Since Bismarck knew he needed to keep the Austrians at least somewhat mollified to smack down the French, he was relatively lenient in his war demands (concerning Austria... we all know what he did with France).

Now, I'm not entirely sure how Austria felt with Prussia going to war with France, but I think they pretty much had their hands full with the Hungarians making noise, and the general cool down and recovery from the A-P War. So while they might not be all for jumping on the French bandwagon during the war, the wounds of the war were fresh enough that Austria didn't exactly like Prussia. And when he formed Germany... the slap to Austria's nuts must have stung even Franz Karl's decaying nethers.

We know this because Bismarck, just a couple of years later, knowing the knitting the now theoretically united Germans together was going to be a monumental task, he set up the Holy Alliance v2.0 with Germany, Austria, and Russia. So between the close of hostilities in 1871 and the Holy Alliance in 1873... I'd bet that's your best window. Either that, or during the Dissolution of 1878 - friction between Austria and Russia over the Balkans.

So let's roll with the former. Albrecht von Roon was briefly Minister President of Prussia in 1873, let's say he doesn't fall ill and resign. That will play a part later... maybe. However, more importantly was Bismarck's odd... Inquisition of sorts. His purge of the Catholics in Germany. But most of the southern German states were majority Catholic - alongside France and Austria. Now, fast forward a couple of years, and he has thus abolished the Catholic Department in the Prussian Ministry of Culture, expelled the Jesuits, and enacted more Prussian controls of the clergy. So, maybe there's a rub between Roon and Bismarck, maybe Roon (not about Catholic appeal, but stepped-on toes) begins to push back. There's a little (all it would take is a little) public conflict in the Prussian/German higher ranks, and that little Holy Alliance between Germany and Austria is a no-go. So Austria and France get together.... perhaps thin, but a thought.

Or, jump to the latter, 1878. Bismarck's whole anti-Catholic coalition has spurred many socialists and secularists to attack all religious institutions, including his favored Protestants. In OTL, he halted his purge to save face and protect his faithful masses, but say there's some nasty anti-Orthodox bits in otherwise Catholic Prussian Poland. Or somesuch. By this point, Tsar Alexander III of Russia is kind of pissed with Bismarck for a whole slew of things. Let that little flair up in the Balkans happen, and Russia tells Germany - back us up or we're out. That might then just push the Dual Alliance of Germany/Austria, but it might also push a Dual Alliance of Germany/Russia. Again, leaving Austria out in the cold.

Or something. I'm going off memory with a little bit of Wiki for the details here.
 
Have France win the Franco- Prussian War because Austria joins in with France, the POD could be, let's say, Bismarck takes eg Bohemia from Austria. Prussia is crushed and Austria gets Silesia. France meanwhile gets much of Germany and so Franco- Austrian alliance post-1870!!!!!
 
ay Prussia supports Russia during and after the 1878 war. Russia and Prussia stay close but russia alienates A-H. Prussia a lso tries to forca A-H to surrender territory to Italy. A French-Austrian would come naturally. The OE woudl certainly join that alliance as the Balkans nations bordering A-H have designs on A-H too... - and those nations were also histile to the Porte. Add the Brits as the threat of Russian having designs on india is greater than any rivalry with France over Africa...
 
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