Pre-eminence & Survival of the line of Maximilian II/Grand Scheme

1586
Madrid
Anglo-French support of the Portuguese pretender had not gone unnoticed. War had just been declared against the English when word arrived of the French intervention in the Cologne War. Meanwhile in search of allies, Philip would enter into an alliance with Henry the Duke of Guise in the hopes that internal conflict would hamper French war efforts. Henri III of France attack on catholic estates in the Empire had not gone over well with the intransigent catholics of his kingdom.

Paris
Imperial troops had been slow to move, not doubt due to protestant estates withholding support. While the war in the Low countries and Germany had not been going well, Italy proved a great source of good news. French forces had moved quickly and defeated the Duke of Savoy, who would evacuate his family to Milan. The Duke, Charles Emmanuel would attempt to stall negotiations with France while Imperial & Spanish aid to reclaim his duchy were being organised. Attempts to bring in Ottoman pressure to the east of the Empire would come to naught, the Ottomans were in the midst of war with the Persians. Henri III would welcome another daughter, Joan.

Dusseldorf
A new complication would arise in the Duchy of Berg, John William would die, apparently choking on his food in one of his fits of mania. The Duke William was not moved by his son's death, Jakobea of Baden was pregnant, the duke thought "Ät least the madman did something right" however, plans needed to be made for regency and succession in that order. The duke did not trust his daughter in law, and began considering plans to re-marry. Were the child to be a daughter, his duchy would likely fall to the Imperial House, he could not countenance Marie Eleonore succeeding him. So he would enter negotiations with the Emperor, at the end, at his insistence should his male line of descendants die out, Anna and her husband Archduke Ernest were to succeed him in the duchies of Julich-Kleve-Berg. To compensate the Emperor Rudolf and Marie Eleonore, the duchies would become direct fiefs of Austria and Anna & Ernest would pay the Emperor a significant sum upon their ascension. William would enter negotiations with Baden to marry Marie Salome, younger sister to the pregnant Jakobea

Prague
Rudolf was not pleased with William's stance on who would succeed him in Kleves, but the promise of significant funds would stay his hand, after all, the lands would remain in the family and it would add another fiefdom to Austria apart from the Duchy of Wurttemberg. Ferdinand Wilhelm was growing and while Rudolf and Marie Eleonore had their differences, it did not appear to hinder efforts in the bedroom anymore. Marie Eleonore would once again be pregnant.

Brussels
Archduke Matthias would succeed in beating back French troops from Cambrai. Archduke Ernest & Albrecht would taken Metz after three month siege in the spring of that year, but would be repulsed from Toul. They would then split their forces. Ernest would move with his forces towards Cologne to end the war there. Meanwhile Albrecht moved towards Cambrai. Upon arrival, Matthias would yield his command to his younger brother and the Duke of Parma and return to Brussels. Word arrived from Spain about the war with England and so preparations were made to take Calais and use it as a springboard to attack England. After three years of trying with no luck, Isabella Clara would be pregnant in the winter of 1586.


1587
Koln & Dusseldorf
Archduke Ernest's forces would put an end to the issues in Koln; Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg would be arrested but to avoid straining ties with protestant estates and wining their support for the war against France, Gebhard was silently let go after relinquishing any claims to headship of the electorate and Ernst of Bavaria confirmed elector of Cologne. The Cologne phase of the War would officially end, however a twist would open in the war. Duke William of Kleves would succumb to illness and Jakobea of Baden would birth a daughter, Maria. In accordance with the succession compact, Anna and Ernest would be sworn in as Duke and Duchess of Julich-Berg-Kleves but Henri III would dispute their ascension pressing the rights, Charles Robert & Charlotte of Bouillon.

Brussels
Matthias & Isabella Clara would welcome have a good year in 1587. While the stalemate with the rebels on the Waal remain, they would also welcome a son, Philip Thomas. Archduke Albert and the Duke of Parma would take the port of Calais, later the fort of Ardes would fall and soon all of the county of Boulogne would fall to Spanish troops.

Paris
Henri III would order the assassination of the Duke of Guise, holding the catholic league responsible for the poor showing of French troops in Germany and the Low Countries. French troops would repulse Spanish & Imperial advances deeper into French territory and repulse attacks on Verdun, Toul and French-occupied Savoy but would fail to retake the newly occupied County of Boulogne and the duchy of Bouillon.

Madrid
King Philip would begin to show signs of his age, at 60, he'd outlived most of his relatives and predecessors. He'd been gravely ill for two months in the year, but thankfully recovered. Upon hearing the news of a grandson born in Brussels, and surviving his grave illness, he began making preparations to resolve his many conflicts that his son not be burdened with even more debts than he was at the time of his ascension[*]. A child born in Brussels may also be palatable to the rebels in the Low Countries despite their so-called Act of Abjuration, Philip had thought so when his 3rd wife, Elisabeth of Valois, was pregnant with Catherine Michaela before deciding against the perilous journey [*]. Arrangements were made, and word was then sent forth word to Brussels, either upon his death or at the conclusion of the current war with France, whichever came first, Isabella Clara and her son Philip Thomas; were to immediately succeed him in the Low Countries and Franche-Comte. Philip would however insist that if the eventual heir to Isabella Clara were to be a daughter, she would marry either the King of Spain, his heir or someone approved by the King of Spain.

[*- Imprudent King: A New Life of Philip II by Geoffrey Parker]
 
1588-89
Madrid
The Spanish Armada was defeated, a combination of poor weather and superior manoeuvrability of the English fleet. Of what was left of the armada, half would return to Spain and another half would meander to the newly captured port of Calais. However, Spanish troops would continue to repulse Dutch rebels and French troops. The French were now driven out of Piedmont, Saluzzo and Aosta; however they held firm in the Duchy of Savoy proper and the County of Nice against the onslaught of Spanish and Imperial troops. Philip again would fall ill in the winter months of 1588, only to recover with the spring of 1589.

Prague
With the Cologne conflict officially resolved, Rudolf looked for a way to end the war with the French quickly. The success at the early stages of the conflict were now overshadowed by the growing stalemate on all fronts. Metz was reclaimed but Toul and Verdun remained out of grasp, the assistance from the Imperial estates grew ever more tenuous. French overtures to the Ottomans had not gone unnoticed and the Imperial court did not know how long the Ottoman conflict with the Persians would last. His brother Ernest had officially moved to Dusseldorf with Charles, son of Innsbruck as his replacement in Wien. Andrew and Charles of Innsbruck would be given command of the Imperial forces in Italy and would push the French out of most of Savoy alongside the Duke Charles Emmanuel. Directives were sent for a final push to remove the French from Italy and set the stage for peace negotiations.

Paris
The war had devolved into attrition, the defeat of the Spanish armada had brought optimism to the French court something sorely lacking. In the end the optimism would prove short lived, Henri III would be assassinated in that year and a struggle for regency over the new king, the sickly 11 year old Charles X Henri of France between the Bourbon King of Navarre and Louise of Lorraine, who would be seen as a puppet for the remnants of the Catholic league. French forces would be forced out of Nice and parts of Savoy later that year. Louise of Lorraine in a bid to assert her authority and settle matters within France for her son sent word to the courts in Prague, Madrid and Brussels for peace negotiations.

1590
Treaty of Metz
Representatives from France, Prague on behalf of the Emperor and the HRE, Madrid and Brussels would convene in Metz for peace negotiations. The English were not invited as Rudolf sought to avoid further entanglement in Spain's conflict. For a period of months it would be touch and go; but in the end the following terms would be agreed to
  • The Bishopric of Metz would be returned to the Holy Roman Empire
  • Archduchess Anna and Archduke Matthias would be recognised as sovereigns in Franche-Comte and the Low Countries. French assistance to the dutch rebels would be discontinued. (Debts the Spanish court had acquired due to the revolt would be passed on the the court in Brussels.)
  • The County of Bolougne and Calais would be ceded to Archduke Matthias, and a marriage between Joan of France and the Archduke Philip Thomas of Burgundy (Low Countries) was arranged. A dowry would be forgone in lieu of compensation for Bolougne and Calais. The princess Joan would be raised in the court in Brussels alongside her intended.
  • France would keep Bugey, Valromey, Gex and Bresse and yield Saluzzo to Savoy. The Duke of Savoy would pay to the Kingdom of France 150,000 livres (*)
  • Archduchess Anna and Archduke Matthias are recognised as the Duke & Duchess of Julich-Kleve-Berg
  • The La Marck claims to the Duchy of Bouillon are forfeited and the territory is returns to the Bishopric of Liege (Matthias would later buy the territory from the Bishop)
  • Spain end it's interference with matters in France.
The treaty was signed and confirmed by the respective courts in the autumn of that year. Archduke Matthias would negotiate a separate peace with the English, extricating himself from the conflict Anglo-Spanish conflict. Emperor Rudolf would elevate the Free county of Burgundy to a Grand duchy following its removal from the Spanish crown.

Given the burden of debts Matthias acquired following him attaining sovereignty, he would negotiate a truce the rebels for a period 15 years with the rebels. Spain would later accede to some tenets of the truce, barring dutch traders from its territories in Europe and the New World (this would be circumvented via trade with the Habsburg Low Countries). Spain and England would officially end their war the following year (1591)......

And that's it..... 6 (5) branches of the House of Habsburg; I'm happy I brought it here and I've resigned this TL. I hope it was enjoyed by those who have viewed it.

Branches of the House of Habsburg as of 1590
Habsurg-Spain (King-Archduke):
Philip II of Spain (b. 1527 d. 1598) to be succeeded by Philip III of Spain

Habsburg-Imperial (Emperor-King-Archduke):
Rudolf II (b. 1552 d.?) married to Marie Eleonore; to be succeeded by Ferdinand Wilhelm

Habsburg-Kleves (Archduke-Duke):
Ernest I (b. 1553 d.?) married to Anna of Cleves; to be succeeded by Maximilian Philipp

Habsburg-Burgundy (Archduke-Grand duke):
Matthias I (b. 1557 d.?) married to Isabella Clara; to be succeeded by Philipp Thomas

Habsburg-Tyrol (Archduke-Count):
Ferdinand II (b. 1529 d. 1595) married to Philippine Wesler; to be succeeded by Emperor Rudolf II

Habsburg-Graz (Archduke-Duke):
Ferdinand II (b. 1578 d. ?) married to Maria Anna of Bavaria; no heirs as of yet, if none shall be succeeded by Empero Rudolf II

[* per OTL Treaty of Lyon 1601
 
Well that was interesting. If more than one of those lines survive for longer than a generation we can at least be assured of a delayed, perhaps even butterflied Carlos II-type. Sorta makes you wonderwhy the Habsburgs didn't have the werewithal to do more than just think about this OTL.
 
Top