Challenge: Hapsburgs recreate the Byzantine Empire

Okay, so it is obviously ASB, but it happened in a terribly unrealistic PC game I was playing. Given AH.com's love for both the Hapsburgs and the Byzantines, I was wondering if someone could get creative and make it happen. In the game, between 1789 and 1830, Austria conquered all of the Balkans, Northern Italy (minus a French-puppet Papal State in Rome), all of Anatolia, the Middle East, and Egypt. But for this challenge I lessen the requirements: POD after 1789. The Hapsburgs needs to control Constantinople and at least the west coast of Anatolia by 1889.
 

Zioneer

Banned
Okay, so it is obviously ASB, but it happened in a terribly unrealistic PC game I was playing. Given AH.com's love for both the Hapsburgs and the Byzantines, I was wondering if someone could get creative and make it happen. In the game, between 1789 and 1830, Austria conquered all of the Balkans, Northern Italy (minus a French-puppet Papal State in Rome), all of Anatolia, the Middle East, and Egypt. But for this challenge I lessen the requirements: POD after 1789. The Hapsburgs needs to control Constantinople and at least the west coast of Anatolia by 1889.

Europa Universalis 3, I'm guessing?

Anyways, yeah, it's basically almost impossible. Given all the factors that would have to go right, the attitudes of the time, and etc, it's unfeasible.

At best, you could have a Byzantine princess marry a Hapsburg, but even that is highly unlikely.
 
Europa Universalis 3, I'm guessing?

Imperial Glory actually. But whenever I mention it, people have never heard of it, so I just left it out. The premise of the game is that you can control either the UK, France, Prussia, Austria, or Russia during the Napoleonic Era with the goal of forging a huge empire. All of the other countries are basically just extremely weak puppets-to-be who lean in sympathy to one empire or another. Personally I think the Ottomans should also have been playable. It would have made the game more realistic, since all of the non-playable nations always get annexed or conquered by the end of the game.

But really though? Nobody even wants to try?
 
Well seeing as Ferdinand and Isabella bought the title of Byzantine Emperor from one of the last pretenders we can started there. Fast forward to the War of Spanish Succession, while it's not specifically dealt with let us assume that as with the rest of the Spanish Habsburgs' European holdings, the title of Byzantine Emperor goes to the Austrian Habsburgs. Now have one of say Franz II's sons or nephews become enamored with a romantic view of the Greeks and Byzantines. He fights with the Greeks in their revolution and his family and Metternich, with the support of the Greeks, push hard that he be installed as King and eventually the British and French concede. The Habsburg Archduke likely converts to Orthodoxy (his family may not be thrilled but...) and is fairly popular. His and his line's presence ties Greece to Austria, and is likely bolstered by Russia. Various wars with the Ottomans ensue, with Britain and France watching carefully, with the British mainly hoping the Russian don't gain too much influence. The balance is maintained in large part because of a strong distrust of the Russians by the Austrians who set up puppets and client states rather than annexing territory outright in the Balkans. Throughout the wars Greece gradually takes more of its "historic" territory. Eventually Constantinople falls with Austria/Greece and Russia almost coming to blows over whether Greece or Russia should control the Imperial City. At this point Britain not wanting the Russians to control the Dardanelles and Bosporus, steps in on Greece's side and the city goes to them. The Habsburg King enters the city and is proclaimed Byzantine Emperor in the Hagia Sophia.

I should note before anyone jumps down my throat, I'm not implying this is an anyway a pleasant scenario. This Byzantine Empire is likely wracked with strife as there are millions of Turks who have no love for their new Greek overlords and their is probably ethnic cleansing/genocide and/or forced conversions as the Greek want to reclaim what they view as their ancestral lands.
 
I'm taking inspiration from ImperialVienna's mention of the Spanish Byzantine rights purchase. Let's suppose the Spanish Habsburgs wangle that into their Spanish reign deal. My version takes alot less dead men, and IMHO's likelier because the Balkans and Contantinople->Istanbul have always been tough nuts to crack. It's alot earlier.

Some Habsburgs, including Philip II and John of Austria, visit ex-Constantinople, now Istanbul and the Ottoman capital, to check out their seat of empty power. They're enchanted and impressed, of course - it's quite an impressive city, having ruled alot of turf for a millenium, and been important and rich from its position well before.

Later, John of Austria gets the idea of taking Istanbul, offering to Phil 2 to take it if he can become the city of Byzantium's lord.

John plans to take the world's biggest defenses by surprise, using the big and powerful Spanish Navy, and letting it be known their objective was Venice. It works; Constantinople falls - still killing 344 Spaniards from its defenses, but the Ottomans are too surprised to effectively oppose.

Phil does make John Duke and Mayor of the renamed-back Byzantium. The Ottomans return to their prior capital.

Since Byzantium was all there was to the Byzantine Empire for a long time, that's all I need to reach your stated objective, all before 1889 ;-).
 
1. Constantinople did not officially become Istanbul until 1930 with Atatürk's reforms. Likewise at no point during the Byzantine period was the city known as Byzantium so I can't see anyone reverting the name, Constantinople is just too important.

2. In order to be the "Byzantine Empire" said government has to come about (realistically) after 1755 (or the OP 1789). 1755 was the year that the Baron de Montesquieu, who coined the term, died in. Before that it was simply the Eastern Roman Empire (?). (I apologize I realize I used the title Byzantine Emperor before it could therefore technically exist, it was an Anachronism to avoid explaining this)
 
2. In order to be the "Byzantine Empire" said government has to come about (realistically) after 1755 (or the OP 1789). 1755 was the year that the Baron de Montesquieu, who coined the term, died in. Before that it was simply the Eastern Roman Empire (?). (I apologize I realize I used the title Byzantine Emperor before it could therefore technically exist, it was an Anachronism to avoid explaining this)

IIRC, there was a time when Eastern Roman Empire was called "Greek Empire" by Western Europeans and should most certainly by most Catholics. Correct me if I'm wrong though....
 
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