AHC: Philip II of Spain invades Russia

Just found this gem on the ol' infallible Wikipedia. My challenge is to make it so.

PhilipIIinvadesRussia.png
 
The way those Hapsburgs inbred it's possible (you don't say the scheme has to work) though it'd probably be better for someone else...

Don Carlos (going by Carlos here for ease of writing), Prince of Astruria, survives, escaping his father's plans to imprison him in solitary confinement. he escapes and leads a small band of rebels till Philip exiles him, hoping the freedom will let him off the king's back. He grooms his later son, Philip III, to replace him.

Carlos returns int he late 1580s, though, as Philip is building his Armada. Carlos has some grand schemes involving the Armada. He knows if he is found out Philip II will imprison him to he goes about stealthily plotting an attack. His attack only succeeds in wounding his father. He forces his brother, Philip, to flee or face execution, and does away with other possible regents, installing himself as regent.

So, in the name of his father, Philip II, Carlos approves of the Armada's invation of England, but he forces Philip, who is now too weak too refuse, to add to it his own grandiose scheme, that after the Armada invades England it will suffer no casualties (the ships being somehow magical in carlos' mind) and will be able to sail to Russia on a "grand Crusade against the heretical Orthodox Church." The insane Carlos also beleives that the French will stop the plan unless he can destabilize them through warfare, becasue the voices in Carlos' head have told him of a secret defense pact between France and England and France and Russia. So,he convinces Philip II to act on that.

The Armada is sunk and the invasion of England prevented, meaning that this TL's version of Operation Sealion can't go forward. Once Philip II dies, Philip III enters with an army of mercenaries, and dethrones and kills Carlos, restoring sanity to Spain.

Maybe not entirely possible, and Philip II is merely forced to go along with the plan, but it does, technically, match the challenge and those without a deep understanding of history might presume that the armada's invasion of England and the Russian part are both Philip II's since he did plan the England part.
 
Last edited:
Top