Curt Jester
Banned
[Map of Europe after the Treaty of Naples.]
Prologue
"Maria Theresa is one of the saddest stories in history. While many middle aged rulers claimed to be victims, she was one of the few who could actually take the title. Half of Europe called her illegitimate, and only because of her gender! The French, the Prussians, the Bavarians - even the Hungarians! - took advantage of her gender made her heritage disputable and raided her Empire like vermin raiding a kitchen. Indeed, it is a travesty that one of the most powerful empires in Europe had come so far just to fall so hard - over a little issue like gender."
In the year of our lord seventeen hundred and forty, after the death of Emperor Charles VI, Maria Theresa succeeded him as Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia. Her husband, King Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy [1], was to succeed her father as the Emperor of the Romans, as women could not ascend to that role. Many rulers across Europe disputed the pragmatic succession that allowed her to ascend to the throne as well as her husband's candidacy for the Imperial crown. In December, Frederick II of Prussia expressed this by declaring war on Austria and invading Silesia. While the Austrian and Prussian armies duked it out in Silesia, however, secret treaties Prussia had made with France and Bavaria enacted and the two of them joined Prussia in the anti-Austrian Coalition. The Grand Duke claimed Austria and Bohemia for himself, as well as the Imperial title - and showed it by invading Austria. On the 14th, a joint army of Bavarians and Frenchmen took Linz. Their path of destruction continued until the 24th of September, 1741, where the dual armies sacked Vienna [2]. This directly lead to the failure of Maria Theresa's plea for help from the Hungarians - they told her that the war was over, and she lost, and gladly took the opportunity to assert their right to independence. Archduchess Maria Theresa finally admitted to losing, and sued for peace.
Signed in the formerly Austrian-controlled city, the Treaty of Naples divided the Austrian inheritance based on the victor's whims and wants. Prussia would keep Silesia as well as taking many smaller Habsburgian domains in the north of the Holy Roman Empire. They would also take the eastern Austrian Netherlands, which would remain garrisoned by the Dutch. The western Austrian Netherlands was annexed by France, and decisively not garrisoned by anyone. The Bourbon block of France, Sicily and Spain would continue to dictate how things would be in western Europe. The British Empire was heavily irritated by this treaty, which they felt was set up to empower their enemies, but did not declare war yet, fearing a major loss. The Hungarians said a gracious goodbye to the Austrians and set up a regency council to determine a new found king. Bavaria was the big winner; The Grand Duke took Bohemia, the southern minor territories of the Habsburg domain, and the Imperial Crown. While the Bavarians tried to assert their claim to Austria itself, it was by the hand of King Frederick that they did not get it (he had convinced both the French and the British, who were acting as a neutral third party, to force the Bavarians to back down. He didn't take the Habsburgs down just for another catholic family to become the next titan of the south German states.) Maria Theresa would keep Austria, Milan and Tuscany, and the French with would withdraw from Savoy. Although the House of Habsburg had fallen apart and their empire ripped to pieces, the young Prince Charles Maximilian [3] would inherit both the Austrian and Sardinian thrones, and all the territory it entailed, and establish the House of Habsburg-Savoy.
[1] One of two PODs; instead of marrying Francis Stephen, Maria Theresa marries King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia, who was conveniently in-between wives in 1735; a year before her marriage to Stephen.
[2] The second POD; butterflies from the first one ensured that more French troops were in Sardinia, and so Charles Albert has less back up troops in his invasion. Instead of taking Prague, he goes for a quick knockout in Vienna, assuming that it could win the war quicker. He was correct.
[3] Charles Maximilian, the Duke of Aosta, was the firstborn son of Maria Theresa and Charles Emmanuel. He was born on November 1st, 1937.
[2] The second POD; butterflies from the first one ensured that more French troops were in Sardinia, and so Charles Albert has less back up troops in his invasion. Instead of taking Prague, he goes for a quick knockout in Vienna, assuming that it could win the war quicker. He was correct.
[3] Charles Maximilian, the Duke of Aosta, was the firstborn son of Maria Theresa and Charles Emmanuel. He was born on November 1st, 1937.
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