Crown Prince Rudolf not bipolar, lives, and FJ I abdicates 1905

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Deleted member 1487

What if Franz Josef has his son Rudolf born without his bipolar disorder, resulting in no Mayerling incident, which results in him abdicated in 1905 after the crisis with the Hungarians is resolved? IOTL its likely he stayed in power as long as he did due to his fears about Franz Ferdinand's plans for the Empire, however his son Rudolf seems to have been less of a threat to the order of the Empire as far as I can tell, so FJ, who was getting old and tired of A-H politics, would be okay with letting his son take over earlier.

How would the Empire have turned out without FJ in charge? What would A-H and German relations have been like, and would there have been a chance for WW1 with Rudolf as Emperor?
 
What if Franz Josef has his son Rudolf born without his bipolar disorder, resulting in no Mayerling incident, which results in him abdicated in 1905 after the crisis with the Hungarians is resolved? IOTL its likely he stayed in power as long as he did due to his fears about Franz Ferdinand's plans for the Empire, however his son Rudolf seems to have been less of a threat to the order of the Empire as far as I can tell, so FJ, who was getting old and tired of A-H politics, would be okay with letting his son take over earlier.

How would the Empire have turned out without FJ in charge? What would A-H and German relations have been like, and would there have been a chance for WW1 with Rudolf as Emperor?

OK WHERE did you get the idea that Rudolf was bipolar!? I've never red or heard of even a HINT that he had a mental disorder. Second, Franz Josef would NEVER abdicate. Really no monarch of the 19th century would willingly. Now he could delegate power to the Crown Prince, but a full abdication would never be on the table.
 
I've not heard that he's bipolar, but if he is please educate us! I'm VERY interested in potentially bipolar historical figures.
 
Was Rudolph really bipolar? But Franz Joseph NEVER abdicate his crown. He was conservative and common idea on 20th century was that office of monarch is for life.
 

Deleted member 1487

I assume so due to his mood swings and general depressive attitude; descriptions I've read seem very similar to bipolar people that I know. I don't think he was diagnosed, but that was my read of him.

As to the abdication perhaps so that FJ would just delegate powers; what effect would this have had had he started around 1905?
 
I assume so due to his mood swings and general depressive attitude; descriptions I've read seem very similar to bipolar people that I know. I don't think he was diagnosed, but that was my read of him.

As to the abdication perhaps so that FJ would just delegate powers; what effect would this have had had he started around 1905?

Depressive attitude was due to being ignored by his father, the army and the political establishment. Mood swings were inherited from his Wittelsbach mother. Again I've yet to see any historic proof that he had bipolar disorder or even red a suggestion by historians. Most of his behavior easily could stem from his syphilis, caught in the early to mid 1880s.

So avoid him getting syphilis and your good. As to delegating powers, I'm honestly not sure how this would go. Coming of a crisis in 1905 might just do the opposite and convince Franz Joseph that he needs to retain his authority and handle any other issues himself.
 
I don't think FJ would ever delegate powers to Rudolf. He always thought very little of him, a fact that was only exacerbated by Rudolf's Magyarphilia.
 
I don't think that Franz Joseph was minded to abdicate. He gained the throne through the abdication of his mentally deficient uncle during a political crisis, so abdication is associated with the position of the Emperor becoming untenable due to deficiency and crisis. He'll hang on as long as possible.
 
He wasn't really bipolar at least not from what I know of. He had an advanced degree of Syphilis which by the time of Mayerling had started hit his mind pretty bloody hard.

FJ was tbh not going to give Rudolf too much of anything considering that Rudolf was an avid Liberal and FJ a staunch Conservative. They both argued ALOT and with Rudolf becoming more and more Pro-Magyar Franz stopped dealing with him all together. Because the entire military, and civil establishment was run by Conservatives no one was going to give Rudolf anything all of which was of course spearheaded by the "Iron Ring" under PM Taafe.
 
Other than on this forum I had not heared that Rudolf had Syphillis - but I am no expert on him (or on the desease)

I agree that FJ would never abdicate, but he was ill several times, so he could easily die at any time during the 1890s to 1916.

With Rudolf (ph) alive (and healthy) its safe that he will ascend the throne and shape the Monarch differently.

HE was magyarophile, but at the same time a liberal (as liberal a Habsburg can get) - that leads to conflict.

HE was good friend to Franz FErdinand, so you could assume that the latters view would influence him. That makes two "reform" oriented Habsburgs (at least) working together. FFs magyarophobie would have balanced out Rudolf (a bit) So its save to assume that the liberal streak takes precedence.

You might actually get a working relationship with the Czechs (not all wanted separation from the Monarchy - for some time reformers that actually were loal were the majority - clever steering would have kept them as leading czech faction).
 
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