Supposing Austria keeps Silesia after 1740?

In OTL, upon the death of Emperor Charles VI, last of the direct Habsburgs, Frederick II, King in Prussia, decided to renege on the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 and attacked the Habsburg Monarchy in the First Silesian War, which with the Second Silesian War formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession (as the third happened during the Seven Years' War).

Now, supposing some accident of history ensures that Frederick does not manage to acquire Silesia in this war (or wars), how would European history unfold?
 

yourworstnightmare

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Silesia is nice and rich going nicer and richer. Would be good for Austria and bad for Prussia (obviously). Prussia not grabbing Silesia early would also result in them not being seen as an important power, yet...
 
Silesia is nice and rich going nicer and richer. Would be good for Austria and bad for Prussia (obviously). Prussia not grabbing Silesia early would also result in them not being seen as an important power, yet...

A consequence I see would that it would definitely help the industrialization of the Habsburg lands in the long run - while they certainly were not an industrial power like Britain or the post-1815 Prussia with its steel and coal from Silesia and the Rhineland, they weren't quite bad at it either.

Of course, the clincher is that Prussia was an army with a country whereas the Habsburgs survived through diplomatic prowess without a strong military fit for power projection.
 
Probably, with no Prussian Silesia, we could see more later a Great Germany under Austria, so essentially a Hapsburg wank.
 
Probably no Particions of Poland, as Prussia was the main force driving it.

Also, no French-Habsburg alliance.
 
Probably no Particions of Poland, as Prussia was the main force driving it.

Also, no French-Habsburg alliance.

For the first, as long as Poland remained tied under the Russian yoke the Partitions would be likely; although of course they would have gone differently (in OTL Austria went along with it for a bit).

And yes, the latter wouldn't happen as there wouldn't be a nearer threat to the Habsburgs - probably the Anglo-Austrian alliance would hold longer, but this was the time of the stately quadrille after all.
 
I think its possible we might see one of the other German states, Saxony or Bavaria, or maybe Hannover, emerge as the dominant state. Prussia without Silesia is much less influential.

In my TL (see sig) this is definately the case. Austria will become the dominant player in German affairs, at least short term, which of course could see its influence slacken elsewhere.
 
For the first, as long as Poland remained tied under the Russian yoke the Partitions would be likely; although of course they would have gone differently (in OTL Austria went along with it for a bit).

On the contrary - why particion a client state. By partitioning you're giving a part of your area of influence to smn else.
 
I think its possible we might see one of the other German states, Saxony or Bavaria, or maybe Hannover, emerge as the dominant state. Prussia without Silesia is much less influential.

In my TL (see sig) this is definately the case. Austria will become the dominant player in German affairs, at least short term, which of course could see its influence slacken elsewhere.

Exactly. Habsburg influence in Germany was only irrevocably broken at Sadova in 1866. Which means that the Habsburgs, being the most powerful of the German states, will still lead, but with many secondary-tier rivals like the other electorates.
 
A consequence I see would that it would definitely help the industrialization of the Habsburg lands in the long run - while they certainly were not an industrial power like Britain or the post-1815 Prussia with its steel and coal from Silesia and the Rhineland, they weren't quite bad at it either.

Of course, the clincher is that Prussia was an army with a country whereas the Habsburgs survived through diplomatic prowess without a strong military fit for power projection.

That's an exaggeration, IOTL in terms of manpower only France and Russia had a larger army than the Habsburg lands; although relatively speaking and per capita Prussia had a larger army.
 
On the contrary - why particion a client state. By partitioning you're giving a part of your area of influence to smn else.

A partition is less likely, but I guess that Prussia-Brandenburg does want to gain (Polish) Royal Prussia at some point. So that they can connect their (main) lands.
 
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