AHC: Spread the Romanovs

With a POD of the ascendance of the House of Romanov, your challenge is to put the Romanovs on as many European thrones as possible without simply balkanizing Russia
 
Challenge accepted. :)

1. Michael I of Russia IOTL has only one surviving son, Alexei. ITTL, his son Ivan does not die in childhood as IOTL and instead survives to adulthood. He also has a third surviving son who wasn't born IOTL named Feodor.

2. The Habsburgs are in the middle of a series of wars with the Ottomans and Russia is one of their allies. The Habsburgs see Tsarevich Ivan as a candidate to restore the Balkans to Christianity and perhaps recapture Constantinople, partly due to his Orthodox faith.

3. To make a long story short, the Habsburgs and their allies are successful and Ivan is named Emperor John IX of the Second Byzantine Empire in 1665.

4. Four years later, Feodor the younger brother of Tsar Alexei I and Byzantine Emperor John IX is elected King of Poland as King Teodor I. He converts to Catholicism upon receiving the crown.

5. This as a result creates three separate lines of the Romanovs: a Russian Orthodox line descending from Alexei I, a Greek Orthodox line descending from Ivan/John and a Roman Catholic line descending from Feodor/Teodor.

6. Emperor John IX dies in 1684 and is succeeded by his son Emperor Michael X. However Michael is a much weaker ruler in the country and regional tensions begin to build.

7. Hungarian nationalism results in independence from the Habsburgs in 1690. Stephen, the second son of Teodor I of Poland (his older brother Teodor is due to succeed his father) is elected King Stephen VI.

8. Following Hungary, Croatia also gains independence from the Habsburgs two years later and selects Michael, the younger brother of Stephen VI as their king, with him adopting the name Michael Tomislav II.

9. The death of Michael X in 1708 sees a balkanization (literally!) of the New Byzantine Empire. The Empire is split three ways between Michael's three sons, his oldest Constantine becomes King of Greece, his second John becomes King of Serbia and his third Nicholas becomes King of Albania.

10. In 1711, Lithuania becomes independent from Poland and Teodor II's second son Peter is picked as it's king.

As a result, Romanovs now have EIGHT thrones: Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Greece and Albania. :eek:

Not the most plausible scenario but it's something. ;)
 
Perhaps Russia could be much stronger in Balkans and get Romanovs to throne of Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania and Greece.
 
Challenge accepted. :)
2. The Habsburgs are in the middle of a series of wars with the Ottomans and Russia is one of their allies. The Habsburgs see Tsarevich Ivan as a candidate to restore the Balkans to Christianity and perhaps recapture Constantinople, partly due to his Orthodox faith.

Do you think that Russia and Austria would be able to take on the Ottomans at that time? Or that Austria would be okay with putting a different dynasty on the throne in Constantinople?
 
Perhaps Russia could be much stronger in Balkans and get Romanovs to throne of Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania and Greece.

IMHO not all of those, but a Romanov or Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp IMHO could be a serious candidate for one of those thrones.
OTOH compromise candidates, like IOTL would still be likely, if like IOTL more than one Great Power considers the Balkans as a part of their sphere of influence.

Do you think that Russia and Austria would be able to take on the Ottomans at that time? Or that Austria would be okay with putting a different dynasty on the throne in Constantinople?

Austria and allies were able to liberate the kingdom of Hungary IOTL (Great Turkish War 1683-1699). More Russian help could perhaps result in some more gains, but I seriously doubt that they could conquer the whole European part of the Ottoman Empire.
 
IMHO not all of those, but a Romanov or Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp IMHO could be a serious candidate for one of those thrones.
OTOH compromise candidates, like IOTL would still be likely, if like IOTL more than one Great Power considers the Balkans as a part of their sphere of influence.

Since Romania is right next to Russia, the House of Romanov might be the one that gets a Romanov on the throne if it's the Russians that liberate the Romanians from the Ottoman yoke depending on when they do so
 
Interesting. I only made it as far as three.

Alexei Petrovich does not return to Russia to be executed but is instead installed as an Austrian client as Alexei I, Duke of Serbia, for as long as they can hold onto that territory (1718-1739).

Michael Pavlovich as Michael I of Greece (1832-1849) succeeded by his daughter as Catherine I of Greece (1849-1894).
 
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Grand Duke Nicholas as Consort of the Grand Duchess of Oldenburg

Augustus (1783-1853) was the Grand Duke of Oldenburg from 1829 to 1853.
Suppose he has no children.
Suppose Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg (1812-1881) is Augustus's nearest male heir. Peter becomes Grand Duke Peter II in 1853.
Suppose Peter and his wife Therese have only a daughter, Alexandra of Oldenburg (1838-1900).
In 1856 she marries Grand Duke Nicholas Romanov (1831-1881). He shall live until 1898.
Alexandra becomes Grand Duchess of Oldenburg in 1881. Nicholas is her consort.
The children of Alexandra and Nicholas are: Augustus, Paul, and William.
 
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