French-Hungarian-Polish Union?

Louis of Orleans, brother of the King Charles VI of France, was betrothed to one Catherine, the daughter (and heiress) of the King of Hungary and Poland. Historically, she died young, and the marriage never happened. If it had, my understanding is that Louis would have eventually ascended to the thrones of Hungary and Poland. In theory, anyway - the Polish nobility could probably have thrown a wrench in the works there.

Imagine that Catherine doesn't die, and that marriage takes place. Now, if my understanding of the French succession is correct, until Charles had a son, Louis, as his only brother, would have been the heir to the throne of France if something happened to Charles. There were occasions where things came very close to happening to Charles - he could easily have died at the Ball of Burning Men, for example. He was mad - it's not a stretch to imagine his early death.

Imagine that all of these things go in Louis's favor. He ascends to the thrones of France, Hungary, and Poland.

This isn't easy for him - he doesn't seem to have been terribly popular even in France, historically, would eventually provoke a civil war against the Duke of Burgundy, and I believe France was even going to accept a different pope than Hungary come the Schism. The latter two things, though, can both post-date Louis's ascension, I believe, and possibly be butterflied by it.

So how does this all affect Europe? I can't imagine the HRE would be happy to be surrounded by Valois. What about the Ottomans? Historically, the French were at the Siege of Nicopolis along with the Hungarians. If that still happens, it could go better or worse. Could we see Hungarians or Poles in any continuation of the Hundred Years War (seems unlikely to me, but maybe).
 
Poles wouldn't have accepted Louis of Orlean as a ruler of Poland and France. France was simply too far away from Poland and Hungary and they would have believed that as king of France Louis would have been unable to take care of Polish interests while being in France. They weren't exactly happy with Louis of Hungary, and he was a ruler of a neighbouring state. Poles wanted a king of their own, who would take care of Poland. This is why Hedwig was crowned as KING of Poland.
And nobody in Poland would have even thought about intervening in the Hundred Years War - Poles had enough enemies much closer to home.
 
Wouldn't he just be Prince Regent of Poland and Hungary?
The Poles might accept him as long as Cathrune shows them that she cards about them and as long as she doesn't stay all the time in France but spends considerable time in Poland and Hungary as well.
The Polish nobility might push to make the second born son of Cathrine and Charles crown prince of Poland to avoid a complete personal union.
 

dead_wolf

Banned
Austria and all the little Germanies would have fought to prevent from being encircled, and would have been joined with everyone else with a stake in the game; the Danes, Swedes, English, Spanish, various Italians, etc etc. Then there's the fact that the Poles and Hungarians aren't going to be interested in being ruled by Paris.
 
Wouldn't he just be Prince Regent of Poland and Hungary?
I don't think that's a thing in central-eastern European politics at this point. Emperor Sigismund and his successor Albert, for example, were full-fledged kings of Hungary despite only ruling it de jure uxoris. It helps that the throne was elective.
 
I don't think that's a thing in central-eastern European politics at this point. Emperor Sigismund and his successor Albert, for example, were full-fledged kings of Hungary despite only ruling it de jure uxoris. It helps that the throne was elective.

Though to be fair, that wasn't entirely set in stone in this period.

The Angevins under Louis and Charles never acknowledged that they were elected. To them, the idea of an elective monarchy was absurd. They always insisted and acted like they inherited it by right of descent. No election.

The throne became elective because, after Louis I, Hungarian Kings kept having daughters be their only heirs and then their husbands being elected as King to rule with them.

Louis had Mary and Hedwig, and Sigismund had Elizabeth. And then Albert, Elizabeth's husband, kicked the bucket while she was still pregnant with their son, thus having the Hungarians elect Wladislaw of Varna instead.

It was that string of dynastic bad luck that really made the throne elective.
 
It's easier to, some generations on from the POD have a war of French succession which sees the Valois-Anjou King of Hungary trying to install himself or one of his sons on the throne of France.
 
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