alternatehistory.com

So for those of you who don't know who he is, Emperor Joseph I was the oldest son of Emperor Leopold I and brother of Emperor Charles VI. Ruling from 1705 to 1711, Joseph was a great reformer, centralizing the bureaucracy, bringing the Habsburg finances under control and strengthened Austria's standing in the HRE. Sadly for Austria he died of smallpox at 32, leaving the Habsburg Monarchy and HRE to his brother Charles, a vastly less capable man. So what if the Emperor didn't die and instead lived at least as long as his brother, to the 1740s? How would Austria and the Empire change? Would Archduke Charles be installed as King of Spain? Would his daughter succeed him in his Empire or would he attempt to divorce his wife to father an heir?
Top