The New Balance of Power

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When you mix these two together, what do you get? A German Balance of Power.

TL Inspired by this thread but it'll have a POD one doesn't expect: https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/wi-maria-theresa-marries-frederick-ii.442790/
 
Prologue: Goodbye Charles, Hello Charles?!
Vienna, Austria, Holy Roman Empire

June 17th, 1723
The weather on this June day was rather pleasant, Emperor Charles VI von Hapsburg thought as he rode on his Horse across the city of Vienna, several armed bodyguards at his side. He had decided on a simple stroll through Vienna to ease his thoughts on this Summer day. He thought back to his two daughters, Maria Theresa and Maria Anna. He wasn't long for this world and he knew it like his brother Joseph had when he became Holy Roman Emperor. Yes, the issue of Spanish Succession had been decided almost 7 years ago but what of Polish Succession and what of his Succession. If he didn't have a son within the year, Maria Theresa would be his successor and the enemies she would face if she succeeded him...He shook his head heavily. Not to mention the Heir to Bavaria, Charles Albert, was eagerly waiting for him to die so he could be the new Holy Roman Emperor. He looked somber at these prospect. God, why was he cursed with only having the ability to birth daughters instead of sons? "Mein Kaiser," He looked to see a bodyguard looking at him, "Denkst du, wir sollten zum Palast zurückkehren?" [1] He knew that would be the question but he didn't want to end his little stroll yet.

"Nein, nur noch ein paar Minuten." He responded. The guard, though looking a bit hesitant, nodded. As minutes passed and as the stroll continued, Charles breathed slightly. He was free of the stresses of being Emperor for these few moments and he hoped that one day, his daughters would relish this feeling as well. He didn't know that these minutes would be his last. As he turned the street, a sudden CRACK! of a musket being fired was heard and Charles' horse stumbled backwards slightly. He looked down to see he was shot in the chest, Red blood seeping out of the wound. As he felt woozy, he begin to think of his two daughters. What would happen to them now? As he fell into darkness, he has only one thought: 'God, please protect them.'

Hours later, Maria Theresa and Maria Anna were transported to Prague in Bohemia to wait out any other assassins in Vienna. Days Later, All of Hungary rose in revolt against Austria at the news of the Hapsburg Emperor's death. Weeks later, Bavarian Troops captured Vienna with ease and French aid. Finally, On September 13th, 1723, Charles Albert, Heir to the Electorate of Bavaria, was declared Holy Roman Emperor by all Electors except the one that Prussia held. Charles VII's reign had begun and a New Balance of Power had just been established. [2]

[1] - Do you think we should go back to the palace?

[2] - The assassin's name and ethnicity has been lost to history ITTL (he's a Hungarian nutjob who just wanted to watch the world burn). The reason for Charles Albert becoming the new Holy Roman Emperor is much the reason he did IOTL. His wife was niece of the Emperor and he had some kind of blood that allowed him to be, barely, linked to being an Heir for it. France supports him because they need an ally in Germany.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas?
 
Chapter I: A New Europe
Taken from "The 1700s: Europe's Final Power Struggle" by Charles Amun (2004)
The 1700s had started off with a bang for all of Western Europe and the Holy Roman Empire with the War of Spanish Succession. This war that was to decide if Spain would continue to have a Hapsburg ruler or have a newly crowned Bourbon one ended in Practical Stalemate with the ultimate result being the later over the former. That had been decided 9 years prior to the event that changed European History forever. On June 17th, 1723, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, was assassinated by a Hungarian nutjob. In order to make sure they weren't killed as well, Charles' daughters, Maria Theresa and Maria Anna, were evacuated to Prague in Bohemia to ensure their safety. Days after the death of Charles VI, The Kingdom of Hungary, after centuries of oppression from their Austrian masters, rose up in rebellion and it didn't take long for them to establish their own kingdom with the Kingdom of Austria suffering some of its own faults already. This was followed by the Bavarian Invasion of Austria which would see Vienna fall to Charles Albert in just a few weeks, leading him to be crowned as Charles VII of the Holy Roman Empire. Days after his crowning, the Hapsburgs fled to Breslau in Silesia to evade Charles' troops, who were looking to capture and kill the two girls so they wouldn't prove a threat much longer.

For two weeks, they stayed in Silesia, Bavarian Forces not daring to invade a duchy after just barely taking Bohemia but the Hapsburgs not having sufficient Manpower to fight the Wittelsbachs. Finally, On November 19th, 1723, Silesian citizens and Nobles rose up and declared their own duchy, free from Wittelsbach Austria and the Hapsburgs. With only one place left to go after Saxony and Poland rejected them, the Hapsburg children arrived at the gates of Berlin, Brandenburg, Kingdom in Prussia, where, after a rather long and lengthy discussion, Friedrich Wilhelm I agreed to let them stay and take over Silesia in return, though, his eldest son Frederick would marry Maria Theresa and would allowed to be both King in Prussia as well as Holy Roman Emperor once they overthrew Charles VII. The Austrian regency, led by Eugene of Savoy, agreed to the terms, knowing full well they had little choice but to accept.

On March 19th, 1724, 15,000 Prussian troops under the command of Friedrich William I and Frederick himself launched what one would call a Blitz campaign as they quickly captured Breslau and all of Silesia by the beginning of May, annexing all of Silesia into the Prussian realm. While this would upset Charles VII, he could not do anything without risking his Imperial crown and thus he was forced to allow the Prussians to house his greatest threat knowing full well that he might be overthrown one day if he wasn't careful.

The news in Silesia was rather uninteresting, however, to the bigger idea of Bavaria, an ally of France, becoming the new center of the Holy Roman Empire. The reactions varied from Russia, Spain, and Poland's lack of Care to Britain's overwhelming fear and France's overall excitement. The Balance of Power in Europe, something Britain was very concerned about, needed to be restored and thus a meeting with the Portugese, Dutch, Danish, Russians, Saxons, and Prussians (as well as an envoy of the Hapsburgs, seeing as they were just in "exile") met in Breslau and formed the Breslau Pact, an Alliance of the 8 Nations to serve against any aggressor whatsoever. The Alliance would officially expire in 1737. The French did the same, meeting with Austria, Poles, Swedes, Spainairds, Bavarians, and the Ottomans and all 7 Nations formed the Munich Pact at the same time as the Breslau Pact was formed and with the same expiration year and same clauses.

Europe was gearing up for its next war and that would be for Polish Succession in the 1730s with the death of Augustus II the Strong. In 1726, the Bavarian King had died and his heir, Charles VII, got what he saw as rightfully his and united both Austria and Bavaria into one Kingdom. A succession War was not caused over this due to the fact that no one believed it was the right time for a war. In 1733, both alliances were put to the test when the First General European War in 19 years began and a changed Europe would go through even more change because of it.
 
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