WI: Archduke Maximilian King of Spain in 1870

I had read somewhere that the Habsburgs had been excluded from consideration, but I wonder if Maximilian would have been considered had he never been Emperor of Mexico.

I'm working on a scenario where the Reform War, a civil war in Mexico that occured few times before the French expedition, has been won by Conservatives and where no monarchy is set up.
In families where ''finding a democrat is as easy as finding an atheist in heaven'', Maximilian was pretty liberal and could suit the role, and Napoleon III would support it as a mean of strengthening the French-Austrian alliance.

Is that plausible?
 
I had read somewhere that the Habsburgs had been excluded from consideration, but I wonder if Maximilian would have been considered had he never been Emperor of Mexico.

I'm working on a scenario where the Reform War, a civil war in Mexico that occured few times before the French expedition, has been won by Conservatives and where no monarchy is set up.
In families where ''finding a democrat is as easy as finding an atheist in heaven'', Maximilian was pretty liberal and could suit the role, and Napoleon III would support it as a mean of strengthening the French-Austrian alliance.

Is that plausible?

The problem is, I don't see Franz Joseph I of Austria, being too happy with this. Franz Joseph and Maximilian had a once been the best of brothers in the early years, however over time they drifted apart.

Its a nice idea to have a triple alliance of France, Austria and Spain in 1870, but would this lead to an early WW1 with FAS VS Germany, Italy and Britain?
 
This is not about alliances. I doubt that Spain would again involve into great European politics; IOTL, aside of civil wars, Spain didn't get involved into major conflicts since the Peninsular War.

And to speak on this distrust between Maximilian and his brother, I don't see why the latter wouldn't see getting rid of him by puting him on the Spanish throne a good thing.
 
This is not about alliances. I doubt that Spain would again involve into great European politics; IOTL, aside of civil wars, Spain didn't get involved into major conflicts since the Peninsular War.
With Maximilian on the throne, he would support his ally Napoleon III through thick and thin, the reson OTL spain did not engage in European politics was because it saw no reason to get involved.
BUT with Maximilian he would want to keep Napoleon and his brother on their respected thrones to keep him safe as well.

Also to be the younger King that comes to the rescue of his older brother King, would play into how the two brother's later psychological brain worked.

And to speak on this distrust between Maximilian and his brother, I don't see why the latter wouldn't see getting rid of him by puting him on the Spanish throne a good thing.
From 1857 until 1859, Maximilian, was viceroy of Lombardy-Venetia, but Emperor Franz Josef dismissed Maximilian from this post because the emperor was angered by the liberal policies pursued by his brother in Italy.
He did not want to see a liberal Emperor, that his people would prefer ruling so close to him.
This is why the Emperor Franz Josef would not see getting rid of him as a good thing.
 
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