Someone Else Picks up the "Gutter Crown"

... Only without the Rhineland, being in Prussian hands and all.

That's the biggest obstacle to any call for a tripartite division of The Germanies, so far as I can see: Prussia controls two large regions that would play merry hell on the third part's security and usefulness/border to an exterior patron. Perhaps you could get a revolution in the Prussian Rhineland leading to them breaking off from Brandenburg proper? The question is how to bring that about

Weren't there '48 Revolts in the Rhineland? Could've sworn I read that there were. The question of course whether it was on this forum or in an actual history book. But if there were, could they not simply be successful enough that it takes the Prussian govt a bit to put down or that it seems like the exclave is in danger of being lost.
 
Hadn't Ernest also been deeply unpopular in Britain? People may not be thrilled to see him getting a promotion.
Well, you could always make this a TL where the British King Victor has control of Hanover. Could he get offered the crown ?
 
Well, Vienna is busy fighting a war with Sardinia-Peidmont and cracking down on rebel Hungarians. In order for this to work, I imagine they'd have to be getting walloped more decisively; perhaps the Russian "Gendarmie of Europe" is leaving them to stew in their own juices so far as the Magyars are concerned. Of course, if Austria is losing the non-Germanic poritions of their Empire left and right than they might be more sympathetic to the idea of adopting the "Gutter Crown" themselves
Austria trying to do it will lead to war with Prussia and France and anyone will have to fight Prussia
 
As others have said the other German states lack the power to replace Prussia as leader of German unification. However, I don’t think Austria will be in a posistion to object in such an unlikely scenario as Austria was being smashed by the Hungarians and needed Russian help to finally bring an end to 1848.

Russia of course maybe interested in supporting a counterweight to Prussia and could support a Germany minus Prussia. Especially if Austria disentegates rather than regainning its footing in Vienna and Italy
 
As others have said the other German states lack the power to replace Prussia as leader of German unification. However, I don’t think Austria will be in a posistion to object in such an unlikely scenario as Austria was being smashed by the Hungarians and needed Russian help to finally bring an end to 1848.

Russia of course maybe interested in supporting a counterweight to Prussia and could support a Germany minus Prussia. Especially if Austria disentegates rather than regainning its footing in Vienna and Italy
Ehm, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbstkrise_1850

Basically Austria was able the second it ended the revolution, to stop Prussia from pushing for a united Germany, which they tried to do after the Frankfurt parliament was dissolved, so I pretty much doubt any state outside Prussia would be able to oppose Austria in 1849 even with Frankfurt's support, Frankfurt had no army with them and even with a state of the size of Bavaria, Saxony or Hannover they would be in a worse position without unanimous support of ALL of third Germany and even more and that's unlikely.

You would need BOTH Austria and Prussia to collapse and by collapse I mean actual collapse, not "people riot in the capital and the king/emperor escapes/concedes".
 
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