*Crown Prince Rudolf
My question is this: What if Rudolf did NOT commit suicide and lived to become the Emperor?
I am aware that Emperor Franz Josef had only one son--Rudolf--who committed suicide because of an affair with Mary Vetsera. This obviously created a short-term succession crisis, resulting in Franz Ferdinand (the man whose death sparked WWI) to become heir to the throne.
He, unlike Franz Ferdinand, was a liberal, which means his political influence could have prevented the tension and crises in the Balkans. Thus, I see a different Ausgleich, I don't see an annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and I don't see his getting assassinated at Sarajevo. I have also read that Europe in 1914 was extremely war averse, and only through the specific circumstances and decisions made June-August caused the war.
So, what does an Emperor Rudolf (assuming his father dies OTL) mean for Habsburg Austria? Would a "World War" occur, and if so, when do you speculate?