Austria gain Bavaria instead of Naples after war of spanish succession

Wittelsbach Naples-Sicily would be in the same French Bourbon orbit as Bourbon Spain. Spain ITTL will be more likely to want to secure Tuscany and Parma foryounger princes and might be more likely to move against the Austrian controlled duchy of Milan (or support an attempt by Savoy).

Given the state of Naples & Sicily and the 'Bavarian' house of Wittelsbach, I don't see them abandon the French orbit any time soon and side with Austria.
 
Wittelsbach Naples-Sicily would be in the same French Bourbon orbit as Bourbon Spain. Spain ITTL will be more likely to want to secure Tuscany and Parma foryounger princes and might be more likely to move against the Austrian controlled duchy of Milan (or support an attempt by Savoy).

Given the state of Naples & Sicily and the 'Bavarian' house of Wittelsbach, I don't see them abandon the French orbit any time soon and side with Austria.

Well, Karl Albrecht will be a better match for his Austrian arhduchess wife as a king rather than an elector (speaking of the Palatine electorate, did the Palatinate's role as vicar during an Imperial interregnum pass to Bavaria too, in the 1620s?).

But that said, Karl Albrecht managed to keep a workable relationship with both his French and Austrian relations
 
Well, Karl Albrecht will be a better match for his Austrian arhduchess wife as a king rather than an elector (speaking of the Palatine electorate, did the Palatinate's role as vicar during an Imperial interregnum pass to Bavaria too, in the 1620s?).

But that said, Karl Albrecht managed to keep a workable relationship with both his French and Austrian relations

Yes, Bavaria retained the electorate and the position of the Imperial Vicar for the German territories with Frankish/Franconian law (Saxony held the Imperial Vicariate over the territories with Saxon Law) and the Palatinate was granted new electorate as replacement & consolation.
 
It is possible that the Wittelsbach would not have the same force to stand up to the clergy and baronal aristocracy, not having an Empire backing them. Max Emanuel seems to me a bit overambitious and fiscally irresponsible, but his successors were rather capable on an administrative level, especially Max III Joseph. A problem that I see is that Spain could very well try and win back Naples against the Wittelsbachs, if they don't have a strong alliance. Local militay resources were not enough at the time and neeeded much work before becoming even slightly capable.


Yeah Naples has alot of problems going for it which the Wittlebachs will probably be unable to completely tackle without support from a major power. The church lands will probably be left alone since the Vatican supported France in the war. As the barons those need to swept away somehow, but hey at least the Wittelsbachs got their kingdom :D

Well I'm pretty sure that Naples under the Wittelsbachs will remain within French orbit so the Spanish will probably have their energies redirected elsewhere in Italy.
 
I disagree somewhat with the idea that a Wittelsbach Naples will stay in Bourbon Orbit. This is certainly possible, and it might for a little while, but it would very much so be a Wild Card in the area.

It's easy to paint the Wittelsbachs as friends of the French, but that simplifies the situation a great deal. It is true they orphan aligned with the French, but this was more because France was the only country truly able and willing to protect them from their most Immediate Threat; Austria. A Similar situation can be seen with the Duchy of Savoy, they orphan aligned themselves with Spain and later Austria because they were the only countries willing and able to protect them from The French.

In the case of an Independent Wittelsbach Naples it really comes down to how Spain reacts. If Spain still tries to move to retake its Italian Possessions, as I think is likely given that finger wagging from Everyone didn't stop them from trying historically, then this can shift Naples in Austrian Orbit, depending on what France does. If France opposes Spanish Gains on the Peninsula as they did historically this gives the Wittelsbachs a good opportunity to get into the good graces of Both Powers, a valuable opportunity.

Once this happens, and Naples is freed of any existential threat, I suspect they'll probably be able to live in relative Peace unless they try to build a Mediterranean Presence, in which case then they wind up again butting heads with Bourbon Spain and France far sooner than they run into Austria or even Britain. They're unlikely to expand more in Italy itself because there's a large Pope Shaped Wall between them and the rest of the Peninsula, and attacking The Pope is probably the best way of alienating All of their potential Benefactors.

Ultimately it will mostly come down to them siding with whoever can protect them against any enemies they make, and most of the enemies I could see them making are the people who are also enemies of Austria.
 
Yeah Naples has alot of problems going for it which the Wittlebachs will probably be unable to completely tackle without support from a major power. The church lands will probably be left alone since the Vatican supported France in the war. As the barons those need to swept away somehow, but hey at least the Wittelsbachs got their kingdom :D

Well I'm pretty sure that Naples under the Wittelsbachs will remain within French orbit so the Spanish will probably have their energies redirected elsewhere in Italy.

Church lands were mostly left alone until the French period and the final abolition of feudality under Joseph Bonaparte and later on Joachim Murat. However I think that, especially in the second half of the xviii century, Naples would follow the lead of the other European States and go in the direction of ever increasing preminence of State authority over Clerical authorithy, for example expelling the Jesuits and abolishing things like the ecclesiastical "dead hand" (Manomorta, not sure if a similar term exists in English. It is the inalienable status of lproperties willed to the Church). The chief problem would be that likely Bernardo Tanucci would not become chief minister of the realm so unless a similar figure emerges (like Pombal in Portugal) or the King is himself a reformer, those reforms might not be passed. I think that some years must pass until the new dinasty "settles in", but then true reforms might happen and possibly be more successful than OTL, especially on the economic side.
Something that must be worked on as quick as possible is a modernization of the navy to keep at bay the Barbary pirates and make fishery and maritime transport safer, as the nature of South Italian geography is such that naval transport is much easier than crosing the Appennins on(often bandit infested) mule tracks.

I disagree somewhat with the idea that a Wittelsbach Naples will stay in Bourbon Orbit. This is certainly possible, and it might for a little while, but it would very much so be a Wild Card in the area.

It's easy to paint the Wittelsbachs as friends of the French, but that simplifies the situation a great deal. It is true they orphan aligned with the French, but this was more because France was the only country truly able and willing to protect them from their most Immediate Threat; Austria. A Similar situation can be seen with the Duchy of Savoy, they orphan aligned themselves with Spain and later Austria because they were the only countries willing and able to protect them from The French.

In the case of an Independent Wittelsbach Naples it really comes down to how Spain reacts. If Spain still tries to move to retake its Italian Possessions, as I think is likely given that finger wagging from Everyone didn't stop them from trying historically, then this can shift Naples in Austrian Orbit, depending on what France does. If France opposes Spanish Gains on the Peninsula as they did historically this gives the Wittelsbachs a good opportunity to get into the good graces of Both Powers, a valuable opportunity.

Once this happens, and Naples is freed of any existential threat, I suspect they'll probably be able to live in relative Peace unless they try to build a Mediterranean Presence, in which case then they wind up again butting heads with Bourbon Spain and France far sooner than they run into Austria or even Britain. They're unlikely to expand more in Italy itself because there's a large Pope Shaped Wall between them and the rest of the Peninsula, and attacking The Pope is probably the best way of alienating All of their potential Benefactors.

Ultimately it will mostly come down to them siding with whoever can protect them against any enemies they make, and most of the enemies I could see them making are the people who are also enemies of Austria.

I agree with this analysis, only expansion opportunity could be somehow inheriting Tuscany or Parma, after all we are still at the time when territorial continuity is not a must and a clever King of Naples and Sicily should be opportunistic in its relationships with the other powers, generally avoiding wars or, if necessary, allying with the one that has less direct interests over its territories.
About aligning with Austria, a possibility could also be offered by one of the Austro-Turkish conflicts, especially as, after the Second War of Morea, Veice wasn't interested in war anymore. Could be a good way of testing the new navy and maybe getting some trade concessions from the Ottomans or even some islands.
This obviously depends on the Realm having a good internal situation, which is obviously far from easy to achieve (especially in Sicily, which could be even more difficult to reform than Naples, although possesing interesting natural ressources, especially sulphur).

Meanwhile, wouldn't Austrian annexation of Bavaria cause much concern to the other German princes?
 
Pretty much. I mean look how Friedrich II reacted when Austria tried to annex Bavaria in exchange for the S.Netherlands.

On the plus side, however, is that the electors of Saxony and Hannover are concerned about their overseas crowns, while Prussia's not really interested in war per se (ironic, considering that Friedrich Wilhelm I's nickname is the Soldier King). And most of your religious electors are Wittelsbach. So, unless France and the Maritime Powers are going to force Austria to disgorge Bavaria/form an anti-Austrian coalition (maybe an inside out Quadruple Alliance War - Austria and Bavaria vs France, Spain and the Maritime Powers), in theory, Austria could be more successful in holding Bavaria than it was OTL Serbia. Unless recognition of Karl VI's Pragmatic Sanction entails the renunciation of Bavaria.
 
Whether the German Princes take offense at an Austrian Annexation of Bavaria is largely down to how it actually happens. If Austria just annexes Bavaria and then everyone demands they give Naples to the Wittelsbachs as compensation then yeah, probably. But it will probably be a more Amiable Exchange that the Wittelsbachs are actually in support of. Naples is after all far larger and richer than Bavaria, and also a Royal Title. Hanover probably won't mind because Britain probably won't care. Prussia is in theory allied with Austria at this point and would remain allied with Austria for a while. Same thing with Saxony as Austria is their primary benefactor in retaining the Polish Throne.

It also comes down to what happens to the Bavarian Electorate. This could be a good opportunity to call the Imperial Diet to decide on this, giving the Princes the Illusion of Choice. I expect the Electorate will just be rendered defunct.

If Austria does annex Bavaria then I don't see them ever giving it up, certainly not willingly. Austria didn't personally cede any territory for recognition of the Pragmatic Sanction. Personally, I think it would be interesting though if someone tried to demand that, because it might be enough to make Karl instead pursue a policy of internal development rather than trying to bribe foreign states for recognition when none of them actually honored it anyways.

Ultimately, if Austria enters an alt War of Austrian Succession with Bavaria already owned, paying taxes, and supplying soldiers, I expect this Austria will Smash their Opponent's Faces in during this war. Historically Austria already came out with only Prussia being able to say they actually won and even then there were plenty of places where Austria came within a hair's breadth from total victory. France and Bavaria were completely incapable of maintaining control over Bavaria even when Bavaria started off independent, in the event that Bavaria begins being owned by Austria France will have even less of a chance. Saxony will be laughably slapped aside, and Spain never really did much anyways. With Prussia it all comes down to whether the writer wants Prussia to survive at all, because it was already a pretty even fight historically.
 
what if Austria traded Naples for Bavaria at end of war of Spanish succession. Bavaria was occupied by Austrian army. Naples and Sicily had not land border with Austria but Bavaria had border and very close to Vienna. Bavaria is strategically threat to Austria. what is effect on Bavaria part of Austrian empire on war of Austrian succession ?

Austria is not getting Bavaria for a number of reason.

First off Bavaria is not in favor of this. Max Emanuel II has spent his life trying to expand his demense and gain a crown. This saw him marry a Sobieski and run a campaign to be elected King of Poland-Lithuania. Later he got his son nominated as heir to the Spanish throne. And after the death of his son he tried to get Austria and later France to allow him to inherit Naples and Sicily. None of these were exchanges, they were attempts to gain additions. Max Emanuel II did not want to lose his German power base, he just wanted a foreign crown.

Second off Austria does not want this. Throughout the Spanish succession crisis Austria was single mindedly pursuing the inheritance of Spain's Italian holdings. Austria refused an attempted partition treaty by France solely based off the fact that Austria was being denied the Italian holdings even though it was being offered Spain and its American empire. The reason France wanted these Italian holdings was because they were rich and populous which meant that Austria could secure a major revenue base. It also allowed Austria to deny France and its allies a foothold in Italy.

Finally no one else wants this. The Grand Alliance's whole goal is preventing either the Hapsburgs or the Bourbons from becoming too powerful. This is why the Maritime Powers were completely behind a Wittelsbach inheritance. And when they did not have that they quickly supported any partition of the Spanish Empire that ensured one family did not gain of all of that wealth and power. Austria gaining Bavaria is absolutely contradictory to this goal. It establishes Austria as not just the dominant German Catholic power, as not German Catholic state is even powerful to oppose Austria if it gains Bavaria, but the dominant German power in general. At this point Prussia is just a rising German star, not a major European power. So giving Austria Bavaria basically means Austria owns Germany. Something the British, Dutch, French, etc. do not want. Also the entire empire doesn't want this, because it makes the emperor too powerful. Thus the diet will not approve at all of this.

Well, OTL hasburg plan was giving theWittelsBach the Austrian Netherlands(what will become Belgium, i called it Belgica) as their Remplacement Seat in the HRE thus merging with Palatinate(remember that was WittelsBach elecotral seat) thus that will keep the balance and the WittelsBach will be far better defended it against france.

Wrong time period, that plan was made in the 1770s.

WittelsBach Elector of Bavaria had pressed the Emperor into exchanging Bavaria for the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, but when this was rejected he turned to France for the realization of his ambitions.France was defeated in war of Spanish succession and Dutch and English don't care about if Austria gain Bavaria instead of Naples. Austria should understand that keep Naples is impossible because they don't have shared Border with Naples. kingdom of two Sicily is mark two south Netherlands but without south Netherlands wealth. WittelsBach of Bavaria will jumping in joy if they exchange Bavaria for Naples and it will better if Austrian exchange Prince-Bishopric of Liege and Cologne for island of Sicily. Austria know that hostile Bavaria is lethal threat to Vienna. Austria know that kingdom of Naples is difficult to defend and Sicily only defend is English fleet. treaty of Utrecht is engineered in a way that with only help of English and Dutch can Austrian defend south Netherlands and Kingdom Naples and Sicily. Austrian power only don't have capability defend south Netherlands and Naples and Sicily but Austrian can defend Bavaria without help

The Wittelsbcach's were not interested in abandoning Bavaria, they wanted a crown. They looked for this first in Poland Lithuania and later in Spain and finally in Sicilies. The Wittelsbachs were not interested in exchanging Bavaria for Naples, they wanted Naples on top of having Bavaria. And Max Emanuel will not leap with joy after giving up Bavaria. Bavaria is a powerful electorate, not some minor German duchy. Which is why Max Emanuel's goal was always to add to his demense, not exchange. Also giivng up Liege and Cologne is not in Wittelsbach interests, they literally went to war to assure that the Wittelsbachs controlled Cologne, which is also an electorate. And Austria does not know that Bavaria is a threat to Vienna, alliances were extremely fluid in the 18th century. Further Austria definitely does not know about those problems with Italy. Something you witness with the fact that they mindlessly pursued acquiring those rich Italian holdings. Honestly it is unlikely that either side would take this deal. Bavaria loses its German power base and Austria loses the riches of Italy. Not to mention that this deal is contrary to the policies of both countries at this time.

Not sure that they would be allowed to keep Bavaria too (it would be also rather unmanageable as a state, even in a loose personal union).
The Habsburg would consolidate their hold on Catholic Southern Germany, this can in time lead to a very different German dualism. A more compact Austria would likely be stronger and this might already cause divergences in the XVIII century wars against Prussia. (No Charles of Bavaria contesting the Pragmatic Sanction will already cause huge butterflies).

A consequence would also likely be no Charles VII as Holy Roman Emperor. Instead he could marry into an Italian ruling house, maybe the Wittelsbach could end up inheriting Parma or Tuscany.

The only problem here is: who would get Bavaria's Electoral Vote?

Why would they not be allowed to keep Bavaria. If Bavaria gains Naples and Sicily through n alternate Spanish Succession there will be no question about them holding Bavaria, but about them holding those Italian holdings. If Bavaria gains Naples and Italy from an alternate War then they are being awarded with Naples and Sicily. And as to an exchange its simply implausible.

Another possibility is for a further slice of Belgium - perhaps Luxemburg and part of the Bishopric of Liege - to be given to Prussia, in order to buy her acquiescence in Austria's annexation of Bavaria.

The Elector Palatine might be similarly bought off by returning him the Upper Palatinate which had been lost in the Thirty Years War.

There is not mediatisation right now, the Emperor would never gett he diet to approve him giving away parts of Liege to Prussia. Also Liege is not enough to convince Prussia that giving Austria a huge swath of Catholic German land is a good idea. \

No, not at all. Replacing Bavaria with a behemoth Austria is not at all in Palatine's interests.

I keep wondering why would Austria give the princes anything? I mean I understand that they'd want something but why give them anything. For example, in exchange for participation in the War of Spanish succession the Brandenburg elector was recognised as the King in Prussia (regardless of the outcome, dude already got paid).
I understand that say if Austria kept Bavaria the Palatine may argue for the upper Palatine but why couldn't Austria argue that they're getting their electoral vote back completely (maybe some amount of money to compensate them for their claims) and that'd be it. After the mess of the 30 years war + the ongoing war itself, they may be related but I hardly see them wanting more Wittlesbachs close to the core powerbase if their being pragmatic and taking Bavaria instead.
Say the Bavarian elector gets the kingdom of Sicily he gets his king title, Piedmont gets Sardinia + Presidi (gets a king title, though poorer but more defendable). What exactly are the princes asking for? Only possible compensation would be in Alsace possibly?
Only issue is the balance of power argument but here we've exchanged slightly more power in Italy for slightly more power in Germany. And as we've seen in the thirty years war the princes always have outside help if push comes to shove.

For one because without the princes Austria can't do anything, because as a result of the Thirty Years' War the Emperor can't do anything without the approval of the diet, in which the princes hold a massive amount of sway. For two because Austria needs the princes' armies, so they throw money at the minor princes and titles and land at the major princes.

Because the Holy Roman Empire is not a true empire with Austria in complete control. Instead it is a fragile collection of states built off a strict set of laws which basically say that Austria can't act without the approval of the princes.

Why would a major electoral power like Bavaria be less of threat than a massive Austrian realm that has just annexed its biggest Catholic rival.
 
@Autocrat ; what I mean and I apologise for not being clear, is why would a more pragmatic Austria/Charles VI give the princes anything of theirs or something close enough to the powerbase that they'd be a considerable threat. Giving out parts of territory was regular for the Empire even prior to the Treaty of Westphalia e.g. Peace of Prague where the Saxon Elector got Upper & Lower Lusatia. What I mean is that they should look for giving concessions in other areas not necessarily their own or close to the powerbase. If say the Grand Alliance presented itself as a unified front during negotiations (rather than make peace in bits and pieces which the Bourbons always used to their advantage) and have France compensate the HRE & Austria for the loss of Spain with territories that Louis XIV had accumulated during his reign, the Palatine could be compensated with some of that territory rather than Bavaria; granted the Habsburg Archduke was technically the Landgrave of Alsace and has claims to parts it.
The point is to remove possible competitors away from the core regions (basically everything around Wien/Vienna) while compensating them with territories that further away from the Austrian powerbase and make them be very careful about allying France for the purpose of expansion as it'd make them vulnerable to the eyes of France later on. If (a big if I know) such arrangements are amendable to the Grand Alliance & France, the Princes may object but if the terms are accepted I find it hard to see why they'd obstruct it. Even IOTL, Austria & France + Spain peace treaty (Treaty of Rastatt) was held separate from that between France & the HRE (Treaty of Baden) though I think the later was merely a confirmation of the former.
Per Wikipedia the Bavaria elector was promised Sardinia at the treaty of Utretch (I can't find any other source for this, for the sake of discussion let's assume this is true) as compensation for Bavaria then still under Austrian control per the Treaty of Ilbersheim. This leads me to the conclusion that the most powerful members of the Grand Alliance (though not members of the Empire) were to prepared to accept Austria annexing Bavaria. Granted then, I'm not too knowledgeable of all the mechanics of the HRE & Europe at the time; but again if as a untied front the Grand Alliance make these as provisions for peace and they are accepted by a weakened France + Spain, then the Princes would accept, they may be unhappy but they'd accept.
 

Vitruvius

Donor
I have to agree with Autocrat. You raise some very good reasons why Bavaria would be desirable and a prescient ruler might pursue that option but Austria of the early 18th century would not. Austria was not a nation state like France in search of a defensible frontier nor was it a small up and coming state like Savoy or Prussia trying to build up its core territory through incremental territorial aggrandizement. The Habsburgs were Holy Roman Emperors so they had a different strategic dynamic in Germany, at the time in question that hadn't fully transitioned their power base to purely Austrian lands and still operated with the mentality that they ruled all of Germany even if it was only de jure by that time. There was also the whole underpinning of the war on their part, namely pursuing legitimacy in claims to the Spanish succession. Stripping Bavaria of the Upper Palatinate and returning it to the Elector Palatine could still fit into that but depriving a ruler of his entire dominion could not. It's also worth noting that Austria never really made moves to formally annex Bavaria. Max Emanuel was put under personal Ban as was the Wittelsbach Elector of Cologne, that deprived those individuals of their territories and offices for taking up arms against the Empire. But that's a personal Ban which isn't quite the same thing as disinheriting a dynasty. And indeed Max Emanuel's wife was allowed to stay in occupied Bavaria to oversee the Duchy, though with the Austrians in control of course.

At any rate Naples was never on the table anyways. The early peace preliminaries (before the French got serious) suggested Max Emmanuel be restored in Bavaria and get the Spanish Netherlands. Eventually the French (and not the Wittelsbachs) proposed to give Max Emmanuel Sicily to compensate him for the losses they anticipated he'd suffer in the coming Peace and to reward his loyalty to their cause. Max Emmanuel had previously been promised by the French (without consulting the Spanish) some portion of or role in governing the Spanish Netherlands (wartime accounts differ on what it was to be, hereditary Viceregency or a small portion of actual territory, likely the details were left to be sorted out after the war) and he was forced to concede that when the Bourbons were forced to recognize Austria's claim to the Southern Netherlands. Additionally he'd lost the Upper Palatinate and Mindelheim (to Marlborough, for what that was worth). So It was assumed that he'd be restored to Bavaria proper, ie the core territories of the Duchy of Bavaria, be restored as Elector, and in the French plan be elevated to King as King of Sicily in compensation for these other losses. The mechanics of the Elector of Bavaria ruling Sicily were not particularly well thought out. At any rate the British had already promised Sicily to Savoy and were adamant on that point so Sardinia was offered as an alternative being a truly worthless territory at the time, highly impoverished and good only for the royal title it conveyed.

This may well have been the outcome had Austria signed on to the Treaty of Utrecht as those were the terms actually referenced in the treaties signed between the French and Dutch, instead Austria quixotically refused to make peace with France and fought on against the Bourbons by itself. Seeing as they began to lose this one sided struggle they quickly made peace and under the Treaty of Rastatt they had to give up the fortress of Landau to France and restore Max Emmanuel to all his dominions in Germany. This was in part because Max Emmanuel, while interested in a royal title and coveting Spanish territory in the Netherlands as he'd been the Spanish governor there pre-War (there was even a clause in his marriage contract with Maria Antonia that promised him some territory there) he had little interest in Italy. So you would have to completely up end the conduct of the war, the peace process and the motivations of the players involved to get your desired outcome.
 
Austria and the Empire is a tricky relationship, on the one hand Austria greatly benefited from it, but at the same time it did limit them in what they could do. At the same time those rules also applied to the other Princes, the Elector Palatine during the 30 Years' War and the Elector of Bavaria during the War of the Spanish Succession were placed under Reichsacht (Imperial Ban). Also apart from the Hungarian Estates, the house of Habsburg didn't want Hungary as a part of the Empire either, having a powerbase outside the Empire had it's benefits.

I can't see any of the other Powers agree to Bavaria getting Naples-Sicily in addition to the Electorate of Bavaria. The only hope for a Union was Joseph Ferdinand, otherwise the vast majority of the Spanish Inheritance will be divided between the Bourbon and Habsburg Candidate.
IOTL Philip V (Bourbon) got Spain and the colonies, while Charles VI (Habsburg) was compensated with Naples, Sardinia, Milan and the Southern Netherlands. Victor Amadeus II (Savoy) with at least a distant dynastic claim was awarded Sicily and some bits of Milan.
I've read that during negotiations (between France and Great Britain, before the War of the Spanish Succession) the duke of Savoy, and after he refused, the duke of Lorraine were offered the kingdom of Naples in exchange for the ancestral lands.

Bavaria, which after Joseph Ferdinand passed away, did not have a real claim, nor were they militarily capable of seizing the territories its' ruler desired. Those with the dynastic claims France, Austria and Savoy all weren't pleased with their share, none would give Bavaria anything out of charity, unless they get something in return.
And Maximilian Emanuel II did negotiate about an exchange with Austria, after Austria had occupied the Electorate of Bavaria. In 1709 he tried to exchange Bavaria for the kingdom of Sardinia and the duchies of Milan and Mantua, in 1711 he was willing to accept the Southern Netherlands in exchange for Bavaria and even at the treaty of Utrecht in 1713 he was willing to trade Bavaria for Sardinia & Sicily.
So sure before the conflict he would not have accepted any trade, but during the war and the aftermath, an exchange had become something he was willing to accept. Naples & Sicily in exchange for Bavaria was something Maximilian Emanual was willing to accept during negotiations for the treaty of Utrecht.

The Princes of the Empire is another story, they will need an additional concession, if they will accept this. Austria was interested in nearby (northern) Italy, so the Southern Netherlands seem the most likely concession. That could go to the Palatinate, or as a compensation to the duke of Lorraine & Bar, which will have to cede the territory of Lorraine & Bar to France. The latter might help to convince France.

Still once Austria had occupied Bavaria, a territory exchange or a restoration of the Status Quo Ante Bellum became much more likely than a territorial expansion. If the war goes as IOTL, then frankly Bavaria is in no position to gain anything. Even when the Southern Netherlands would go to the Bourbon, the Bavarian are highly unlikely to be rewarded with it.
 
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Austria is not getting Bavaria for a number of reason.

First off Bavaria is not in favor of this. Max Emanuel II has spent his life trying to expand his demense and gain a crown. This saw him marry a Sobieski and run a campaign to be elected King of Poland-Lithuania. Later he got his son nominated as heir to the Spanish throne. And after the death of his son he tried to get Austria and later France to allow him to inherit Naples and Sicily. None of these were exchanges, they were attempts to gain additions. Max Emanuel II did not want to lose his German power base, he just wanted a foreign crown.
Actually, Max had no interest in Eastern Europe, despite having his mother in law's support with regards to the Polish crown, he himself was never interested in kingship there. That said, I don't say that he would not be interested in one of his second marriage's sons being chosen as candidate for the Polish throne, or even elected as king, but Max's eyes were firmly on Western Europe.
 
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