Spanish Switch at Utrecht, 1713

In OTL, the treaty of Utrecht gave the Bourbons' candidate Philip IV the Spanish territories in the Americas with the throne of Spain, while the Austrian Hapsburgs received the Spanish territories in Europe.

What if this deal was modified?

Two possibilities for consideration:

1. Complete switch. France gets all of Spain's European possessions, while an Austrian candidate receives Spain and the colonies. Which Austrian, though? It appears the Hapsburgs first idea was to have the future Charles VI take the throne, but by 1713 he is already Emperor. Assuming that the rest of Europe refuses to see him on both thrones, who do the Austrians place on the throne of Spain?

2. Colonies/Europe switch. While Philip V still becomes king, he keep Spain's European possessions. However, all of Spain's colonies go directly to Charles VI.

What would the results of either of these two events taking place be?
 

HJ Tulp

Donor
In OTL, the treaty of Utrecht gave the Bourbons' candidate Philip IV the Spanish territories in the Americas with the throne of Spain, while the Austrian Hapsburgs received the Spanish territories in Europe.

What if this deal was modified?

Two possibilities for consideration:

1. Complete switch. France gets all of Spain's European possessions, while an Austrian candidate receives Spain and the colonies. Which Austrian, though? It appears the Hapsburgs first idea was to have the future Charles VI take the throne, but by 1713 he is already Emperor. Assuming that the rest of Europe refuses to see him on both thrones, who do the Austrians place on the throne of Spain?

2. Colonies/Europe switch. While Philip V still becomes king, he keep Spain's European possessions. However, all of Spain's colonies go directly to Charles VI.

What would the results of either of these two events taking place be?


Thing is, if you give the Bourbons the Spanish European possesions then you give them the Southern Netherlands which wouldn't be allowed by the Dutch or the English.
 
In OTL, the treaty of Utrecht gave the Bourbons' candidate Philip IV the Spanish territories in the Americas with the throne of Spain, while the Austrian Hapsburgs received the Spanish territories in Europe.

What if this deal was modified?

Two possibilities for consideration:

1. Complete switch. France gets all of Spain's European possessions, while an Austrian candidate receives Spain and the colonies. Which Austrian, though? It appears the Hapsburgs first idea was to have the future Charles VI take the throne, but by 1713 he is already Emperor. Assuming that the rest of Europe refuses to see him on both thrones, who do the Austrians place on the throne of Spain?

2. Colonies/Europe switch. While Philip V still becomes king, he keep Spain's European possessions. However, all of Spain's colonies go directly to Charles VI.

What would the results of either of these two events taking place be?

Yeah, it's like HJ Tulp said. The French actually tried bargaining before the War of the Spanish Succession ever started for the very deal you propose in point 1. The thing is, the French were already too powerful in Europe; Louis XIV had done too well and the size and power of France made it Europe's preeminent power. No way will England or the Dutch accept the French getting Milan and the Southern Netherlands. It just gives them too much power. To use another analogy, it's a bit like the Congress of Vienna offering to allow France to keep the Confederation of the Rhine and Dalmatia, or WW2 ending in early 1945 with the Allies bogged down in the Bulge deciding to offer Hitler to keep Austria and his eastern European puppet states in exchange for him handing over France and the Low Countries.

As for the second point...well it would be more of a possibility, but it still makes the Bourbons dangerously, dangerously powerful, and Austria really had no interest in the Spanish colonies. Austria wouldn't be interested at all in taking over the running costs for colonies which were rapidly running dry of exploitable resources as sugar and such became the better products to export to Europe (products which Spain had very few colonies capable of producing). To Austria, rather than being awarded important and valuable land as a reward for being in a strong position in the war, being given the Spanish colonies would be like a kick between the legs.
 
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Not to mention that the inhabitants of the Spanish possesions would disagree and see the oportunity of running alone.
 
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