Possible Strike At Vienna

Is it possible for the French to fight their way (or march through their way if they're going on allied territory) to Vienna in the Thirty Years' War to destroy the Hapsburgs' power and take over their lands?
 
The only time this would have been possible was after the Battle of Jankau, when the way was open for both Prague and Vienna to be attacked. Whilst Prague was attacked Vienna was left alone - my guess is that everyone was sick to death of fighting by this point and really didn't want to get into a prolonged siege, as undoubtably would have happened.

By this time most of the kingdoms had run out of money and had a starving population to try to feed.

That said if it had happened it would have removed the HRE 150 years earlier as well as wiping out the eastern Haspburgs, major butterflies!
 

Redbeard

Banned
The Habsburgs survived another 109 years after Vienna was taken in 1809, and would have survived 1918 too, had the army remained intact.

By Thirty Years War an army wasn't a national asset like later; when the army was in the field the money had been spent, and loosing the army was a question about this money being wasted or not.

I doubt it would be possible to have an Empire like the Habsburg collapse through a campaign or two like they were in 17th century.

We tend to see the Habsburg Empire as it was in its last months, as it fell in "our time" and never rose again.

But any "Empire" even those appearing invincible or rising today, is bound to fall some day, and if not for other reasons, then under its own weight.

The Habsburg Empire was in the game for almost 500 years and until very late showed a remarkable resilience.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard
 
If they could have taken Vienna AND captured the HAbspurg family - then maybe

Taking Vienna alone don't know - The Emperor could have gone to Prague or Graze and ruled (fought) from there...
 
If they could have taken Vienna AND captured the HAbspurg family - then maybe

Taking Vienna alone don't know - The Emperor could have gone to Prague or Graze and ruled (fought) from there...

I would assume that the army would have taken Prague first (as that was where the war started in the first place), so that would have left Graze or further to Budapest.

That would leave a power vacuum at the heart of Europe, which the French would want to fill given the lack of any other power being able to take advantage. Any one fancy the Bourbons on the Danube?
 
Top