No salic law in Hannover.

[lounge60]

After his accession in 1714, George Louis of the House of Hanover ascended the throne of Great Britain as George I, and Hanover was joined in a personal union with Great Britain.During the British Regency and the reigns of kings George IV and William IV from 1816 to 1837, their younger brother Adolph Frederick officiated as Viceroy of Hanover, representing the British king. When Queen Victoria succeeded to the British throne in 1837, the 123-year personal union of Great Britain and Hanover ended. Semi-Salic law operated in Hanover, excluding accession to the throne by a female while any male of the dynasty survived; thus instead of Victoria, her uncle in the male-line of the House of Hanover, Ernest Augustus, now the eldest surviving son of George III, succeeded to the throne of the new kingdom as Ernest Augustus I of Hanover; Adolph Frederick the younger brother returned to Britain.

But what if Hannover had not Salic law,and personal union had continued with Queen Victoria and his successors?
I imagine that Hannover would have been invaded by Germans in WW-I and WW-II.
Could now be in Commonwealth as country ruled by Queen Elizabeth II ?

 

[janmeijs]

Well first of all, there won't be a WW1 like we know it, and so no WW2, and Germany would be very different, might just be a Prussian led confederation. While you could see Hannover joining the UK, i find it unlikely due to the language difference, provocative nature of such a move (how would France and Prussia react to this?) and lack of interest (i assume this, using the evidence that they had stayed two separate entities for a century. But thinking about it so did England and Scotland...hmmm). I feel that there would be a slow democratisation, with Hannover gaining some sort of Dominion status, but being in essence an independent country.

In regards to a War with Germany/Prussia then yes, it would definitely be invaded, and if it is around the same time as WW1 there would be trench warfare, just within Hannover, not France and Belgium.

 

[Monter]

I don't see it working, not without a lot of fiddling.

Succession law can't be changed like Crusader Kings, and Salic Law was in place on Hanover for centuries, it was the basic law for the German principalities.

 

[Pempelune]

I don't see it working, not without a lot of fiddling.

Succession law can't be changed like Crusader Kings, and Salic Law was in place on Hanover for centuries, it was the basic law for the German principalities.

It sure can be changed. History has showed more than once that when huge interests are at stake, succession laws matter much less than the sovereign's will (Pragmatic sanction, everyone?). And the consequences of this union are indeed very interesting.

 

[lounge60]

Possible a British intervention in Austro-Prussian war for defend Hannover?

 

[Janprimus]

Possible a British intervention in Austro-Prussian war for defend Hannover?

The monarch of the UK would want that, but would a PM get along with this and be able to defend such a decision in Parliament?

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

It sure can be changed. History has showed more than once that when huge interests are at stake, succession laws matter much less than the sovereign's will (Pragmatic sanction, everyone?). And the consequences of this union are indeed very interesting.

Indeed it can, Maria Theresa of Austria got the Pragmatic Sanction. But that was a huge effort to get through, and Hannover has no reason to work that hard. The Kings of Britain tended to pretty much ignore Hannover (they often sent a brother, say, to be viceroy), and the British Parliament really did not want Continental entanglements.

So... Why would they change the Salic Law? Is this something that happens all over Germany? Just in Hannover? Is it because of Women's Rights? (Like THAT would fly then).

Many of the possible ways of getting this would require such massive changes that a) Victoria is likely to be male, just from butterflies, thus making the whole point moot, and b) the succession of Hannover might be a fairly minor knock on effect of the required change.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

Indeed it can, Maria Theresa of Austria got the Pragmatic Sanction. But that was a huge effort to get through, and Hannover has no reason to work that hard. The Kings of Britain tended to pretty much ignore Hannover (they often sent a brother, say, to be viceroy), and the British Parliament really did not want Continental entanglements.

So... Why would they change the Salic Law? Is this something that happens all over Germany? Just in Hannover? Is it because of Women's Rights? (Like THAT would fly then).

Many of the possible ways of getting this would require such massive changes that a) Victoria is likely to be male, just from butterflies, thus making the whole point moot, and b) the succession of Hannover might be a fairly minor knock on effect of the required change.

It may well do away with the whole Schleswig-Holstein issue, the cause of two major wars, for instance.

 

[Janprimus]

It may well do away with the whole Schleswig-Holstein issue, the cause of two major wars, for instance.

I doubt that. The end result could be slightly different, still Hanover would be under popular pressure to side with Austria and Prussia on this matter, or stay neutral, that is they will see it as German rather than Danish (certainly Holstein).

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

I doubt that. The end result could be slightly different, still Hanover would be under popular pressure to side with Austria and Prussia on this matter, or stay neutral, that is they will see it as German rather than Danish (certainly Holstein).

Specifically, the whole Schleswig-Holstein question arose because of Salic Law. If the Danish king had had a son, or if Salic Law were undone more generally, then the Danish king would have simply inherited in Holstein, and there would have been no 'Question', at all.

 

[Janprimus]

Specifically, the whole Schleswig-Holstein question arose because of Salic Law. If the Danish king had had a son, or if Salic Law were undone more generally, then the Danish king would have simply inherited in Holstein, and there would have been no 'Question', at all.

Well I really doubt change to Salic Laws will made by most of the German Confederation; and any attempt of Denmark to separate that territory from the German Confederation will meet almost unanimous German opposition. Perhaps in a 2nd Schleswig war scenario, UK-Hanover can negotiate that the rival Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg will be monarchs there instead of (eventually) annexing it to Prussia.