Just a thought here, hoping to get an interesting discussion. Let's say John of Asturias (1478-1497) survives and becomes a king. What would the ramifications be?
1. Without her son's death Isabella could maybe live a couple years longer but John still inherits. What would be the changes in Castile? I read about a plague that devastated the country in those years and in the beginning changes wouldn't be that big but over time how would a Castile look like without fighting wars in the Netherlands and elsewhere across Europe? Their finances, government etc.
2. Any changes for the expanding empire in the Americas? Probably the conquistadors still destroy Aztec and Inca Empires and provide Spain with enormous wealth? Could it be used better than OTL?
3. Effect on the kingdom of Aragon and on Naples (and Sicily)? Probably without Spanish resources used in Germany and NL Spain they could use them better in Italy against the French or they could take cities in North Afria like Tunis, Oran and Algiers, though hardly anything in the hinterlands of those cities, but it would be helpful to prevent the raids.
4. No Communero and Germanie revolts like OTL
5. Ferdinand II of Aragon doesn't marry Germaine of Foix so she never becomes governor of Valencia and with someone else Valencia could keep more of its Catalonian culture.
6. Any changes about Cisneros? His rise to power is mostly butterflied away, or not?
7. Philip the Handsome and Joanna don't go Spain, Philip lives on to become Emperor, though not without difficulty. He could live into the 1530s so how would he rule the Empire? Also with a POD in 1497 OTL Charles V and Ferdinand I could be born somewhat different. I was thinking what could've happened if Philip and Joanna had three surviving sons (also named Charles, Ferdinand and say...Frederick?)
8. Charles V, maybe a little different than OTL, but still raised in Ghent and has a strongly Catholic disposition, becomes Emperor later on just in time to struggle with the Protestants. He lacks the resources from Spain though the Habsburg-Trastamara alliance lives on due to marriages between Philip and Joanna on one side and Juan and Margaret on the other. Without Spain he focuses mostly on Germany. Instead of Ferdinand he marries Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. Louis II doesn't necessarily die on Mohacs but could live, though I planned to have Hungarian Jagiellons die out quickly and possibly see a succession conflict between the Polish Jagiellons and the Habsburgs over Hungary and Bohemia, although a couple decades later, maybe in 1540s or 50s. Suleiman still attacks Hungary and Charles has to fight him as well but John Zapolya is butterflied away as a king with Louis surviving. Ferdinand could get Inner Austria (Sytria, Carinthia and Carniola) and the third son could get Habsburgs lands in Swabia
9. Any changes in Germany involving Protestans and the War of the Schmalkaldic league and the Treaty of Augsburg? Can Charles win without the whole Spanish army or would he lose badly?
10. Changes involving France and England? Probably Spain and Austria keep their alliance directed against France hoping to prevent their conquests in Italy but could battles like Marignano and Pavia gone differently? And what about Henry VIII at this time?
So, go ahead!
1. Without her son's death Isabella could maybe live a couple years longer but John still inherits. What would be the changes in Castile? I read about a plague that devastated the country in those years and in the beginning changes wouldn't be that big but over time how would a Castile look like without fighting wars in the Netherlands and elsewhere across Europe? Their finances, government etc.
2. Any changes for the expanding empire in the Americas? Probably the conquistadors still destroy Aztec and Inca Empires and provide Spain with enormous wealth? Could it be used better than OTL?
3. Effect on the kingdom of Aragon and on Naples (and Sicily)? Probably without Spanish resources used in Germany and NL Spain they could use them better in Italy against the French or they could take cities in North Afria like Tunis, Oran and Algiers, though hardly anything in the hinterlands of those cities, but it would be helpful to prevent the raids.
4. No Communero and Germanie revolts like OTL
5. Ferdinand II of Aragon doesn't marry Germaine of Foix so she never becomes governor of Valencia and with someone else Valencia could keep more of its Catalonian culture.
6. Any changes about Cisneros? His rise to power is mostly butterflied away, or not?
7. Philip the Handsome and Joanna don't go Spain, Philip lives on to become Emperor, though not without difficulty. He could live into the 1530s so how would he rule the Empire? Also with a POD in 1497 OTL Charles V and Ferdinand I could be born somewhat different. I was thinking what could've happened if Philip and Joanna had three surviving sons (also named Charles, Ferdinand and say...Frederick?)
8. Charles V, maybe a little different than OTL, but still raised in Ghent and has a strongly Catholic disposition, becomes Emperor later on just in time to struggle with the Protestants. He lacks the resources from Spain though the Habsburg-Trastamara alliance lives on due to marriages between Philip and Joanna on one side and Juan and Margaret on the other. Without Spain he focuses mostly on Germany. Instead of Ferdinand he marries Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. Louis II doesn't necessarily die on Mohacs but could live, though I planned to have Hungarian Jagiellons die out quickly and possibly see a succession conflict between the Polish Jagiellons and the Habsburgs over Hungary and Bohemia, although a couple decades later, maybe in 1540s or 50s. Suleiman still attacks Hungary and Charles has to fight him as well but John Zapolya is butterflied away as a king with Louis surviving. Ferdinand could get Inner Austria (Sytria, Carinthia and Carniola) and the third son could get Habsburgs lands in Swabia
9. Any changes in Germany involving Protestans and the War of the Schmalkaldic league and the Treaty of Augsburg? Can Charles win without the whole Spanish army or would he lose badly?
10. Changes involving France and England? Probably Spain and Austria keep their alliance directed against France hoping to prevent their conquests in Italy but could battles like Marignano and Pavia gone differently? And what about Henry VIII at this time?
So, go ahead!