Did We Created a Monster

In OTL, the Hannovers were not involved in the War of Spanish Succession, the future Charles VI (then called Charles III of Spain) loved Spain, and the Hapsburgs lost.

Well, let's suppose that goes a bit differently. This isn't a timeline, but a thought experiment. Let's say the Danes, Saxons, and the Hannovers join the Imperial Coalition.

Eugene of Savoy, Austrian Commander, beats the Duke of Vendome. The French army is cut down in retreat and the Austrians advance into France proper, occupying and looting ports. During the War, the English end up punching far, far, far more than their weight. The Duke of Marlborough was responsible for the surrender of 32,000 French soldiers in a single battle close to Luxemburg. The English are also responsible for an amphibious operation in Spain that resulted in a panic in the Catalan area and the defeat of a Spanish Army. Despite contributing less soldiers than the Imperials, the English were the major contributors seven huge land victories that broke the Bourbon allies, and in three of them they were the only contributor.

A peace is signed in 1707, much earlier than OTL. Due to a shorter fighting, all the nations are better off than they were in TTL on finances.

Joseph I enacts a cruel peace on the Bourbons. The only territorial losses are some colonies to the English (British?) and they keep New France. However he demands payment from Spain and France equal to triple each country's gross tax revenues. A broken Louis XIV accepts (note this STILL actually leaves his finances better off than OTL). The other allies start to complain about the drafted peace, and then Joseph divides the "Spanish" portion of the payment between all the allies based on an approximation of enemy casualties inflicted, giving the English a generous proportion of the "Spanish" portion of the payment. Sardinia goes to Savoy.

Spain and France issue some debt notes and pay off the agreed amount.

Some in England complain about them doing the heavy lifting in the war, yet Austria gets all of the "France" portion of the payment. Others say that the war was a great success, they prevented a personal union between France and Spain (Phillip on Anjou would succeed France if the unborn Louis XV of France died childless) and they got some generous compensation for their war efforts.

Karl Franz Joseph von Hapsburg (or Charles III of Spain) quickly consolidates his rule. He cuts 25% of the expenses by simplifying the court, removing artillery regiments, and stopping public works in the cities. He also raises taxes on the urban areas. Three dukes, some regiments and Mexico goes into a small revolt, but are quickly crushed before they could coordinate, and the ringleaders executed, the army officers involved executed, while the others were pardoned. A chill goes over Spain. Was this mercy or excessive cruelty?

In 1711 Charles III of Spain become Charles III of Austria and Charles VI Holy Roman Emperor in 1711.

"Well shit" probably thinks Anne of England.

Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor starts becoming obsessed about his inability to have a son. Like OTL, he announces a modified Pragmatic Sanction of 1713. In it, he declared the Imperial Domains, Austrian Netherlands, Austria itself, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, and Milan indivisible (instead of all Hapsburg domains).

He starts trying to win the favor of the English and Hanovers, glorifying the English accomplishments in war, and congratulating George I's ascension to the throne.

Like OTL, he only ends up with 2 surviving daughters. Realizing that everyone feared Hapsburg dominance, he announced he would parcel his lands. The mainline would be the core Imperial territories, rich North Italy, and the Netherlands. The next one is Spain and its empire. Naples and the relatively poor southern Italy would go to a third heir, if he could get one. Since he only has two hires, Maria Theresa is to succeed the Imperial territories such as Austira, Milian, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, and Austrian Netherlands while Maria Anna gets Spain, Parma, and Naples. If Maria-Theresa has two hires, one succeeds the Imperial territories and one gets Naples when his aunt dies.

Unlike OTL, Charles VI realizes the Imperial State is unable to finance a sustained war. He upgrades the forts in Austrian Netherlands and starts trying some administrative reforms. He also avoids a fight with Turkey in 1737. Alas, he does not realize the army itself is outdated.

Charles VI desperately tries to court the English (British?). He signs an agreement with the English and Dutch to recognize Pragmatic Sanction in exchange for suspension of the Ostend company and trade concessions from his Spanish Domains. He also assures them he has no Anti-Hannover or anti-English interests and he and his daughters fully support a Hapsburg-Hannover alliance.

Spain's army is 1/3 of the size its War of Spanish Succession peak thanks to major downsizing. The Austrian Army is comparable to OTL.

So what do you think George II is thinking as Charles VI tries to secure his succession? Again, the English were involved in the critical battles that got Charles VI to sit on the throne of Spain as Charles III. Is he thinking "Oh my god, my predecessors created a monster?" Or maybe he's thinking "It's a good thing the Hapsburgs promise pinky swear that they aren't using their hegemony against the English"
 
Depends if the Habsburgs seem to be competent then yes the English/British may feel they have goofed up a bit but Old Fritz assuming he makes his move as per otl (and he may not) and assuming he has the same success would probably preserve any alliance by making the Habsburgs look weak, mind you should he prove too successful he could catch England's as a better ally as per otl so it's a delicate balance.
Mind you a continuing Anglo-Habsburg alliance basically ensures a Franco-Prussian alliance, which could be pretty bad news for the Habsburgs.
 
Depends if the Habsburgs seem to be competent then yes the English/British may feel they have goofed up a bit but Old Fritz assuming he makes his move as per otl (and he may not) and assuming he has the same success would probably preserve any alliance by making the Habsburgs look weak, mind you should he prove too successful he could catch England's as a better ally as per otl so it's a delicate balance.
Mind you a continuing Anglo-Habsburg alliance basically ensures a Franco-Prussian alliance, which could be pretty bad news for the Habsburgs.
Mind you, before the capture of Silesia Prussia was a middling power, not unimportant by any means but certainly not enough to go toe to toe with the Hapbsburgs. So it'll be seen as France and a couple of mid-sized German States (perhaps Hannover and Prussia) v.s the Habsburgs.

Which, come to think of it, isn't anything all that new.
 
Mind you, before the capture of Silesia Prussia was a middling power, not unimportant by any means but certainly not enough to go toe to toe with the Hapbsburgs. So it'll be seen as France and a couple of mid-sized German States (perhaps Hannover and Prussia) v.s the Habsburgs.

Which, come to think of it, isn't anything all that new.
Like said the whole thing hinges on how successful Fritz is.
 
Mind you, before the capture of Silesia Prussia was a middling power, not unimportant by any means but certainly not enough to go toe to toe with the Hapbsburgs. So it'll be seen as France and a couple of mid-sized German States (perhaps Hannover and Prussia) v.s the Habsburgs.

Which, come to think of it, isn't anything all that new.

So are you saying that George II will think his predecessors created a monster and he wants nothing to do with that mess in Europe even if Charles VI and Maria Theresa von Hapsburg Pinky swear that they have no anti-Hannover intentions in mind? The two of them aren't treaty breakers, but he doesn't have 30 years of the future to know that.
 
So are you saying that George II will think his predecessors created a monster and he wants nothing to do with that mess in Europe even if Charles VI and Maria Theresa von Hapsburg Pinky swear that they have no anti-Hannover intentions in mind? The two of them aren't treaty breakers, but he doesn't have 30 years of the future to know that.

German George might want nothing to do with that mess in Europe, but like he told the British at one point "the devil take your island, so long as I can get out of it and go home to Hannover", and the easiest way to get England roped into said mess is to attack Hannover. It's one of the unfortunate parts about that particular albatross around the British's neck. And Georgie boy is still German enough (this isn't Frederick Lewis or one of the later Hannoverian kings who were more English than German) to worry about it. George III (for instance) might've given away Hannover if he'd known he could keep the American colonies (not saying he would've, just saying that he was English first, Welf second; George I & II were the other way around)). Also, the contract in which George I's father had been given his electorate said that he and his heirs would side with the Habsburgs in every imperial election, but also that their policy was to basically be pro-Habsburg. And George's dad had only got the electorate by dint of rendering military service to wait for it, the Habsburgs. So IDK if George II is going to throw that away, although, didn't Hannover vote for Karl VII in the 1740s imperial election? Which would then invalidate the original agreement, wouldn't it?
 
In this example, George I and II are seeing a huge Hapsburg blob that will one day split into three if nothing changes. TTL Charles VI is trying to make friendly overturns to the Hannovers (who now have to deal with what Anne created) and trying to keep friendly with them. George I is obviously on friendly terms with the Hapsburgs because, well he only got it because of what you mentioned.

Material wise, Britain and Hannover are better for than OTL. Britain gets the suspension of the Ostend company in recognition for TTL Pragmatic Sanction, but also gets trade concessions from the Spanish (they have Havana, I'm sure the British merchants have something they can get by being treated as equals to their Spanish counterparts instead of being regulated and taxed as "foreign riff raff."

Would George II see the Hapsburg dominance and friendly overturnes as good insurance so that Hannover isn't attacked or would he see a Continental hegemony, or something a mess Anne made and he now has to tightrope around?
 
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