Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor has a male heir

Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor had no male heir, a fact which led to the Austrian War of Succession. This war led to Prussian conquest of Silesia. It strengthened Prussia and weakened Austria. But what of there had been a male heir? Then Prussia would have had no excuse for a war. What long-term consequences would there be?
 
One could argue that Prussia might come up with a different reason.

However ITTL Charles VI doesn't need to waste resources on the recognition of his daughter's right to inherit. Not to mention that many of the promises turned at to be of little value.
IOTL prince Eugene of Savoy (Austrian field marshal) already advised Charles VI to invest in the military and to not rely too much on on the words of foreign heads of state.
So ITTL Austria would be in a better shape and thus might be able to repel Prussia from their territories.
 
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor had no male heir, a fact which led to the Austrian War of Succession. This war led to Prussian conquest of Silesia. It strengthened Prussia and weakened Austria. But what of there had been a male heir? Then Prussia would have had no excuse for a war. What long-term consequences would there be?
In 1716, Charles had a male heir, Leopold John, sadly he died 7 months after bein born. If you keep him alive he would be 34 when "elected" as Emperor Leopold II, the Holy Roman Empire, keeping the Hasburg family in control for another generation.

A marriage to Maria Amalia of Saxony and Fredericka of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg would create an allince between the Hasburgs and the royal house of Wettin.

Most people in 1716 lived til the late 1780-90s so for forty to fifty years, the HRE would be ruled be Leopold II. Would this new Emperor help in the French Indian War or American War of Independence, which side will he choose in the Seven Years War, would he continue the Ottoman–Habsburg wars and will he live to see the French Revolution.

Without the War of the Austrian Succession, what happens to Europe.

One could argue that Prussia might come up with a different reason.
However ITTL Charles VI doesn't need to waste resources on the recognition of his daughter's right to inherit. Not to mention that many of the promises turned at to be of little value.
IOTL prince Eugene of Savoy (Austrian field marshal) already advised Charles VI to invest in the military and to not rely too much on on the words of foreign heads of state.
So ITTL Austria would be in a better shape and thus might be able to repel Prussia from their territories.

If Prussia marries off Princess Philippine Charlotte of Prussia to the young Prince, this gives then the chance to have Prussian decendant on the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.
This marriage not only makes alliances with Prussia but also with the Brunswick (another northern german state)
 
In 1716, Charles had a male heir, Leopold John, sadly he died 7 months after bein born. If you keep him alive he would be 34 when "elected" as Emperor Leopold II, the Holy Roman Empire, keeping the Hasburg family in control for another generation.

A marriage to Maria Amalia of Saxony and Fredericka of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg would create an allince between the Hasburgs and the royal house of Wettin.

Most people in 1716 lived til the late 1780-90s so for forty to fifty years, the HRE would be ruled be Leopold II. Would this new Emperor help in the French Indian War or American War of Independence, which side will he choose in the Seven Years War, would he continue the Ottoman–Habsburg wars and will he live to see the French Revolution.

If Leopold lives, how does that work out for his sisters? Does Maria Theresa still marry Francis of Lorraine and Maria Anna marry Charles of Lorraine? Without the Hapsburg-Lorraine line on the throne of the HRE would Francis (who would not be HRE in this timeline) still be willing to give up his ancestral homeland of Lorraine to the French in exchange for Tuscany?

If Francis fights it - that could mean war with France. If he doesn't, and if Tuscany for Lorraine happens it is the Lorraine house that has a semi-independent claim in Italy (and not as some spare Archdukes) could they be the ones to consolidate/unify Italy instead of Sardinia? Perhaps Leopold gives one of his Lorraine nephews Milan/Lombardy and another Lorrainer still marries and inherits Modena. Since they are no longer technically Hapsburgs then some of the Italian loathing against Austria may be squashed.

Also if Leopold lives then the Pragmatic Sanction goes out the window and so will the compromises Charles VI and later Maria Theresa had to make.

To make it more interesting why not affiance Leopold to his first cousin (through their mothers) Grand Duchess Natalia of Russia (sister of Peter II). She died in 1728 in OTL (which may have hastened her brother's early death since she was the one person he truly loved and listened to) but if we can butterfly away Leopold's death then what about hers? A Russian/Austrian alliance? I mean, I do like Frederick the Great but I also love discussion where the rise of Prussia never happens. What does Prussia do in such an event?
 
Francis Stephen of Lorraine, also had an elder brother, Leopold Clement, but IOTL he died aged 16.

ITTL Maria Theresia might be married off to someone more important, though the duke/heir of Lorraine remains a possibility, however IMHO more likely I can see the heir/ruler of Lorraine (might be Leopold Clement, Francis Stephen or Charles Alexander) marrying a younger archduchess, either Maria Anna or if she survives ITTL Maria Amalia.
 
Francis Stephen of Lorraine, also had an elder brother, Leopold Clement, but IOTL he died aged 16.

ITTL Maria Theresia might be married off to someone more important, though the duke/heir of Lorraine remains a possibility, however IMHO more likely I can see the heir/ruler of Lorraine (might be Leopold Clement, Francis Stephen or Charles Alexander) marrying a younger archduchess, either Maria Anna or if she survives ITTL Maria Amalia.

Maria Theresa was engaged to Leopold Clement before Francis before he died. The House of Lorraine was very close to the Habsburgs by blood and other reasons so I can definitely see that marriage still coming off. Whether the House of Lorraine still stay there (or is still swallowed by France and their rights exchanged for Tuscany or some other principality is a different story).
I can definitely see a surviving Leopold II giving his sister Maria Theresa and her Lorraine husband the Austrian/Spanish Netherlands (Belgium) which is very close to the Lorraine-ancestral lands as a perpetual fiefdom (in OTL Maria Anna and Charles become Viceroys there until their respective deaths)
 

Vitruvius

Donor
There was a pretty good, albeit brief, discussion of this a while back. I think Alpha Trion made some good points. I think Leopold would probably look to Bavaria of Saxony of a bride but Maria Vittoria of Spain is also a possibility. A Bavarian alliance could help neutralize Bavaria in the event of another war with France, as opposed to OTL's War of Austrian Succession the French may not penetrate much beyond the Rhine. The War of the Polish Succession probably still plays out like OTL so Saxony's support could be gained for recognition of Augustus III in Poland.

I was thinking that if the War of Polish Succession goes the same for Austria in Italy that Maria Theresa might be married to Don Carlos, OTL Charles III. He gains Naples and Sicily and renounces Tuscany (with the Presidi perhaps) and Parma in favor of Austria. ITTL Maria Theresa would be a less prestigious bride and such an alliance was even briefly considered OTL when she was the heiress. So here it makes even more sense to secure peace with Spain and France and recognize the new settlement in Italy. At the time she is ready to marry Austria needs to secure peace with the Bourbons while Lorraine matters little to them so I tend to think a diplomatic marriage to seal a peace treaty would be more likely than a Lorraine match. This works even better if Leopold marries Maria Vittoria as Carlos could renounce his claims to Parma and Tuscany in favor of his sister with the Duchies passing to her second son to form a Habsburg cadet line in central Italy to balance the Bourbon cadet line in the south, so similar to OTL but the Habsburgs retain Parma.

Not to say that I don't think that Lorraine is a possibility but it seems less likely. The Lorraines weren't that close to the Habsburgs, Francis' grandmother Eleanor would be Maria Theresa's grandfather Leopold I's sister making Francis her second cousin. I believe the infantes of Portugal, as her first cousins, would be the closest paternal relation. So blood relation is no guarantee of a further marriage alliance. And at any rate the current Duchess of Lorraine was of the House of Orleans and IRC angling for a match between her daughter and Louis XV. So there's always the possibility that Lorraine falls into the French orbit as an act of self preservation.

Regardless the political effects would be substantial. No Pragmatic Sanction and all the associated wrangling and concessions that went with it. Maybe they keep the Ostend Co maybe they don't. I think it would also be interesting if Austria manages to avoid the Austro-Turkish War of 35-39, allowing it to retain Serbia and Oltenia. As was pointed out in the other thread this would put Austria in a better position when hostilities inevitable resume in Germany. And long term an Austrian Serbia has some really interesting knock-on effects.
 
Regardless the political effects would be substantial. No Pragmatic Sanction and all the associated wrangling and concessions that went with it. Maybe they keep the Ostend Co maybe they don't. I think it would also be interesting if Austria manages to avoid the Austro-Turkish War of 35-39, allowing it to retain Serbia and Oltenia. As was pointed out in the other thread this would put Austria in a better position when hostilities inevitable resume in Germany. And long term an Austrian Serbia has some really interesting knock-on effects.

How does this affect Prussia if Frederick the Great doesn't get to flex his muscles in the War of Austrian Succession and, presumably, doesn't get Austrian Silesia. And as I mentioned if either, GD Natalia or Peter II survive (both being first cousins of Leopold II) there's a good chance for a Austrian/Russian alliance which would pretty much quash Prussian ambition.
 
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Not to say that I don't think that Lorraine is a possibility but it seems less likely. The Lorraines weren't that close to the Habsburgs, Francis' grandmother Eleanor would be Maria Theresa's grandfather Leopold I's sister making Francis her second cousin. I believe the infantes of Portugal, as her first cousins, would be the closest paternal relation. So blood relation is no guarantee of a further marriage alliance. And at any rate the current Duchess of Lorraine was of the House of Orleans and IRC angling for a match between her daughter and Louis XV. So there's always the possibility that Lorraine falls into the French orbit as an act of self preservation.
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The houses of Habsburg and Lorraine weren't only close due to family relations, since they were related to a similar degree with the house of Bourbon. However French expansionism, France wanted Lorraine and Bar, which were within the French desired 'natural borders'; naturally this brought the house of Lorraine, which wanted to keep their ancestral lands, on the side of the house of Habsburg, which traditional was a rival of the house of Bourbon (who inherited it from the house of Valois(-Orleans)).

Also I disagree, that Maria Theresia will be a less prestigious bride, on the contrary. IOTL as a reigning monarch, she didn't end up with a spouse from one of the major Catholic powers. This doesn't mean that the house of Lorraine wasn't prestigious, since they were amongst the oldest great houses in Europe, however the state ruled by them wasn't that important.
Now Maria Theresia could be married to a French or Spanish prince more easily. However I still find it highly likely that duke/heir of Lorraine will marry an archduchess, but IMHO it's less certain, that it will be the eldest one.
 

Vitruvius

Donor
Also I disagree, that Maria Theresia will be a less prestigious bride, on the contrary. IOTL as a reigning monarch, she didn't end up with a spouse from one of the major Catholic powers. This doesn't mean that the house of Lorraine wasn't prestigious, since they were amongst the oldest great houses in Europe, however the state ruled by them wasn't that important.
Now Maria Theresia could be married to a French or Spanish prince more easily. However I still find it highly likely that duke/heir of Lorraine will marry an archduchess, but IMHO it's less certain, that it will be the eldest one.

You're quite right. I don't think I used the right words. I was essentially get at the same thing. OTL she was perhaps too important to throw at a Bourbon. So Lorraine as a minor house that could take on the Habsburg mantle made sense. Since Maria Theresa has at least one possibly two sisters Francis or Leopold could certainly still marry an archduchess. But I think the eldest daughter is going to be a pawn in marriage politics, hence a Bourbon match. Either way I expect Austria to be more secure in Italy the Balkans and by extension perhaps Germany as well.
 
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