Leopold of Hohenzollern elected king of Spain in 1873

[miguelrj]

So as we know, after deposing the Bourbons the Spanish Cortes were eager to elect Leopold of Hohenzollern as king but French opposition to this plan pressed them to elect their second-favorite, Amadeo of Savoy, the Duke of Aosta.

When Amadeo later abdicated in 1873 the Cortes felt they had little choice but to proclaim the Republic. A republic is not such an obvious choice for the 19th century flavor... A decade earlier after a failed reign of an elected monarch, the Greeks voted to choose yet another dynasty than to proclaim the Republic!

What would it take for the Cortes to finally elect Leopold? Externally, France was less of a problem because they were already curbed by Prussia on a war triggered precisely by the Spanish plans to elect a Hohenzollern. Internally, what would one need to do to curb the will of the republican members of parliament?

 

[Razgriz 2K9]

I dunno about that. Even with France beaten by Prussia, they were still more powerful than Spain by a country mile. Somehow I get the feeling if France got wind of this, they would probably move to help institute a lasting Republic.

 

[miguelrj]

Even with France beaten by Prussia, they were still more powerful than Spain by a country mile.

Indeed they were. I was assuming however that Germany would enthusiastically support this project so France would have to stand up against it too.

 

[Max Sinister]

If the French would dare to protest too much at that time, they would lose badly. Bismarck in charge in Germany, France without any allies, Spain at Germany's side... if they only lose Belfort and Indochina, they'd be lucky.

 

[Grouchio]

If a Hohenzollern rules Spain, I would throw up from the terrible cultural mixture.

 

[Razgriz 2K9]

Let's just hope it doesn't end in a KR scenario and see a Hohenzollern on the French throne too...

 

[abc123]

There was ( a very good ) TL about this before:

https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=61430

 

[miguelrj]

If a Hohenzollern rules Spain, I would throw up from the terrible cultural mixture.

Do you frequently throw up from the Hohenzollerns who ruled Romania, the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas who ruled Bulgaria and the Oldenburgs who ruled Greece and Russia or are those less nauseating?

The cultural shock is even less pronounced than those examples considering that both Leopold and the Spaniards were Roman Catholics...

 

[miguelrj]

There was ( a very good ) TL about this before:

https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=61430

I had read a few chapters. The author used a very plausible yet narrow window of opportunity Spain had in 1870. I was trying to explore an 1873 PoD considering there was nothing that would deter them on an international level...

I grant however that "let's choose another foreign king, this one is better, really!" is not a good slogan.

 

[Razgriz 2K9]

It really is difficult, what with Isabella being an inept queen who treated her crown like property, and Amadeo was ill-prepared to be King (Especially since he was the second son of Victor Emmanuel II. That plus the fact that the more failures the regency had, the more radicalized the Republicans were.

Now I'm not saying that a Spanish Republic was inevitable as soon as Amadeo abdicated, but it was going to be rediculously hard, and might even slide Spain down even further into instability.

 

[miguelrj]

Thanks. Anyone else with insights on the viability of this?

 

[Rex Mundi]

If a Hohenzollern rules Spain, I would throw up from the terrible cultural mixture.

Wouldn't be the first time that Germans ruled Spain.

 

[ramones1986]

Well, there's actually one timeline (aside from Tocomocho's) about that PoD. It was made by Milarqui, and it's called The Legacy of the Glorious.
For my part, you can click my first timeline on my signature; it's about the Philippines under a Hohenzollern Spain (originally, it was planned as sequel of Milarqui's TL, but it evolved [like a Pokémon] into a TL of its own.)

 

[Simreeve]

Do you frequently throw up from the Hohenzollerns who ruled Romania, the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas who ruled Bulgaria and the Oldenburgs who ruled Greece and Russia or are those less nauseating?

And that's not not to mention the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas (by marriage into the House of Braganza) in Portugal, or the Bernadottes in Sweden...

 

[Will Kürlich Kerl]

And that's not not to mention the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas (by marriage into the House of Braganza) in Portugal, or the Bernadottes in Sweden...

Or the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas in Great Britain (Who still rule the UK), the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas in India, the Hanoverians in England, and the Nassaus in the Netherlands.

 

[Opunium]

Have the problems in Spain happen a little earlier, and in 1870 Spain wants to elect Leopold as king, France of course is opposed to this. Then the Franco-Prussian war happens and Germany wins. In the peace terms France is also forced to accept Leopold as Spanish king. This wouldnt be really hard to achieve would it?

 

[miguelrj]

Thank you all but I think it's important to remind that the point of this thread was of something a little more specific than "could Spain elect Leopold as king?"
Well, Spain could, I think it's consensus it could... in 1870. My curiosity here was if right after the abdication of Amadeo in 1873 they could have resurrected the idea of electing Leopold.

 

[Will Kürlich Kerl]

Have the problems in Spain happen a little earlier, and in 1870 Spain wants to elect Leopold as king, France of course is opposed to this. Then the Franco-Prussian war happens and Germany wins. In the peace terms France is also forced to accept Leopold as Spanish king. This wouldnt be really hard to achieve would it?

Delay the revolution until 1871, thus pushing the election to 1873.

 

[Falecius]

I think Leopold had renounced any claim to the Spanish Crown during the events leading to the Franco-Prussian war, so he was no longer eligible.

 

[Pericles]

I think Leopold had renounced any claim to the Spanish Crown during the events leading to the Franco-Prussian war, so he was no longer eligible.

Perhaps then he keeps his claims. This is what alt history is for!