Lajos II Has a Son

Out of interest sake, (since it's not something covered very often on the board), what might the repercussions be of Lajos II of Hungary leaving behind a legitimate, posthumous son (call him Istvan, for all intents and purposes) by his Austrian archduchess wife? Would the Hungarians agree to elect an infant in arms 'king' or will they still side with Ferdinand? Or Sigismund of Poland? Or the first guy who shows up with an army and persuades them to elect him king?
 
Honestly I think it depends on what the magnates want, if Lajos/Louis II had a male heir he'd still have to be elected as King and might lose (precedent for this is Albert II of Habsburg (HRE, King of Hungary & Bohemia too) whose son Ladislaus the Posthumous was passed over in Hungary for a Jagiellon because they felt he could better defend their interests and help Hungary fight off the Ottomans. It might turn into who curries the most favour amongst the magnates.

Now assuming Lajos/Louis II heir is elected, the next fight/struggle would be over who would get to be regent. His mother Elisabeth may claim regency but most women never succeeded in being regent of Hungary as the nobility were usually against it, Ferdinand can claim regency on behalf of his nephew and sister but that didn't work when Frederiech III tried it for Ladislaus Posthumous or the magnates may try to force Elisabeth to marry one of them so he can be regent. Either way the magnates will most likely guard jealously their position, privileges and power within the country and try and make the King have a weak/puppet like position.
 
Honestly I think it depends on what the magnates want, if Lajos/Louis II had a male heir he'd still have to be elected as King and might lose (precedent for this is Albert II of Habsburg (HRE, King of Hungary & Bohemia too) whose son Ladislaus the Posthumous was passed over in Hungary for a Jagiellon because they felt he could better defend their interests and help Hungary fight off the Ottomans. It might turn into who curries the most favour amongst the magnates.

Now assuming Lajos/Louis II heir is elected, the next fight/struggle would be over who would get to be regent. His mother Elisabeth may claim regency but most women never succeeded in being regent of Hungary as the nobility were usually against it, Ferdinand can claim regency on behalf of his nephew and sister but that didn't work when Frederiech III tried it for Ladislaus Posthumous or the magnates may try to force Elisabeth to marry one of them so he can be regent. Either way the magnates will most likely guard jealously their position, privileges and power within the country and try and make the King have a weak/puppet like position.

Surely Louis II's widow was Maria of Austria. I'm not sure who Elizabeth is supposed to be.

At any rate, I don't see why the Hungarian situation is likely to be particularly different from OTL. Istvan is going to be a non-entity. The magnates will back Zapolya, and Ferdinand will assert his and/or his nephew's claims with his army.

The bigger question is what happens in Bohemia.
 
Out of interest sake, (since it's not something covered very often on the board), what might the repercussions be of Lajos II of Hungary leaving behind a legitimate, posthumous son (call him Istvan, for all intents and purposes) by his Austrian archduchess wife? Would the Hungarians agree to elect an infant in arms 'king' or will they still side with Ferdinand? Or Sigismund of Poland? Or the first guy who shows up with an army and persuades them to elect him king?

Still side with Ferdinand? OTL they mostly sided with Zapolya, no?
 
Surely Louis II's widow was Maria of Austria. I'm not sure who Elizabeth is supposed to be.

At any rate, I don't see why the Hungarian situation is likely to be particularly different from OTL. Istvan is going to be a non-entity. The magnates will back Zapolya, and Ferdinand will assert his and/or his nephew's claims with his army.

The bigger question is what happens in Bohemia.

My mistake for some reason I thought her name was Elisabeth.
 
Wasn't Bohemia likewise an elective crown? Albeit, Zapolya wasn't elected there, AFAIK Ferdinand claimed that crown rather easily in comparison.
 
Wasn't Bohemia likewise an elective crown? Albeit, Zapolya wasn't elected there, AFAIK Ferdinand claimed that crown rather easily in comparison.

I believe this has to do with pedigree, power & position. Charles V had already been elected HRE and there already was a pre-existing agreement between that Jagiellon branch & the Habsburgs establishing mutual succession. The Bohemian estates could likely try and go for someone else, but I doubt they could find an attractive candidate that could also help fend off Ferdinand & Charles with the resources of Spain, Austria, & the low countries. Also note, I believe the Jagiellon dynasty also used their claims through his Habsburg mother to further his claims (her father had been King of Hungary prior to Matthias Corvinus) so it wouldn't be they were picking just a random person, elective monarchies tended to favour those with familial links to past rulers.
 
Top