During Joseph II's reign the Hapsburg Realm experienced great turbulence. Joseph II's rapid and radical progressiveness aggravated nobility and peasants in the Southern Netherlands, Lombardy, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. Joseph also alienated the German princes with his expansionist designs towards Bavaria. And Joseph led Austria into a bungled mess of a war against the Ottomans. At the time of Joseph's death Belgium and Liege were in rebellion and there was rumor of rebellion elsewhere in the empire. When Joseph died in 1790 his brother Leopold was able to improve relations with the major power brokers within the realm while also making moderate reforms.
What if, however, Joseph II had lived longer and continued to upset his subjects. Could we have seen widespread rebellion in the Hapsburg Realm? This could result in French revolutionaries finding allies in Belgium and this would force the Russians to help the Hapsburgs handle the Hungarian rebellion before Russia could intervene against France.
What if, however, Joseph II had lived longer and continued to upset his subjects. Could we have seen widespread rebellion in the Hapsburg Realm? This could result in French revolutionaries finding allies in Belgium and this would force the Russians to help the Hapsburgs handle the Hungarian rebellion before Russia could intervene against France.