PC. Possible Austrian & German Unified Empire

WILDGEESE

Gone Fishin'
Apologies if this has been done before.

How plausible, or what events would need to happen for both the Austrian & German Empires to unite via a Royal marriage or otherwise, any time after 1600.

Bonus points if it encompasses Switzerland as well.

What would be the consequences of this regarding the Europe, and the founding of an overseas Empire.

Regards filers.
 
How plausible, or what events would need to happen for both the Austrian & German Empires to unite via a Royal marriage or otherwise, any time after 1600.

In 1600, there was an Austrian Empire, which was a part of the HRE - Austria was already member in the confederation you could consider as "German".

Later on, there are a bunch of possibilities:
- HRE unification in the 30 years war: the Austrian Archduke becomes emperor of a centralized German state
- The Revolution of 1848: either Großdeutschland (the German territories of Austria + Germany) or Großösterreich (German Austria + Hungary + Germany)
- The Bundesreform around of 1863 (Austria tried to centralize the German confederation with Austria at the top)
- Austria wins the War of 1866 and centralizes the confederation (as above)
- Bismarck is more ambitious and annexes Austria after 1871 (problem: neither Russia nor Great Britain will let this be done)
- CP win WWI, but Austria collapses and breaks apart in Hungary and Austria, which becomes a part of Germany (e. g. in "a shift in priorities)
- Weimar republic becomes stronger (or goes communist) and annexes Austria
- Hitler dies before WWII or "win" it, so Austria stays in Germany

Bonus points if it encompasses Switzerland as well.

Only possible with a real early POD... and even a centralized HRE will have a hard time if it tries to conquer Switzerland.

The other POD is Hitler winning WWII and trying "Unternehmen Tannenbaum".

What would be the consequences of this regarding the Europe, and the founding of an overseas Empire.

Austrian colonies in Africa and the Caribbean:) Also, Germany gets access to North Africa.
 
Maybe centralise the HRE enough so the emperor can actually do stuff with it would be sufficient.

Lets say all entities inside the HRE get their autonomy guarantied along with token local ground forces.

But the currency,army,foreign relations and the constitution are left firmly in the hands of the HRE.

Sort of like a giant federation of sorts,that way the smaller states only lose what they never really cared about anyways and the HRE has the power neccessary to take the fight to its neighbours.

To get such reforms through you would need a single nation in the HRE too powerfull to oppose,lets say the habsburgs decide to apease the smaller HRE nations by tearing apart the electors and giving their loyal supporters a piece of territory each,before brandenburg consolidated it was probably to weak to fight off austria so this is a good way to kill the oposition and reward the supporters.

Some bribes here,some well backed threats there and you got yourself a fairly functional HRE.

Now the tough part is getting a habsburg ruler with enough free time and determination and ability to see it through.
 
Austria wins the Swabian War against the Old Swiss Confederacy, reclaiming their lost dynastic land and effectively annexing much of the richest lands of the Confederacy and reasserting Imperial Dominance over the rest.

This provides Austria with a direct Land Connection to both the Burgundian Lands, and a route into Italy that bypasses Venezian Territory. The Habsburgs inherit Burgundy as OTL, and with the greater resources of their new Swiss Lands, and the vital land connection, are better able to defend it and assert Imperial Claims to Northern Italy, especially Milan.

The Habsburgs never inherit Spain, but are Elected as Kings of Bohemia at least, so all of that land stays under the control of the Austrian Branch, since that's the only Branch that exists. This gives Austria a very strong central position in the Empire from which to solidify their hold and centralize the Empire.
 
How about this for a PoD? During the Congress of Berlin of 1878 Bismarck clearly supported Austria-Hungarian interests over Russia's. Let's say that Bismarck has an epiphany and that for show he supports Russia, but is forced to accept the Treaty of San Stefano under international pressure. A-H is pissed off and renounces its alliance to Germany while Russia, defeated and without anyone else to turn to, is welcomed by the Germans with open arms. In the alt WW I Germany, Russia and Italy partition A-H, leaving only a rump Hungarian state.
 
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