WI:No Hapsburgs

What if the Hapsburgs dynasty was simply non-existent?
What would happen to Spain, Austria, the Netherlands and the HRE? What if?
 
The House of Luxembourg and House of Wittelsbach become even more prominent and remain so longer, possibly to the present day.
 
In Spain, the Catholic Kings were pursuing a very aggressive marriage policy. Without the Hapsburgs, they still would have tried marrying with the HRE current ruler, but chances are it would not have been as successful. Without a shot to the Empire, the sure-fire card was Portugal.

A personal union with Portugal would have been attempted in a more airtight way, maybe marrying Juana with Joao II's bastard, Jorge, and supporting the efforts to legitimize Jorge (which were unsuccessful IOTL). In this manner the 3 Kingdoms would have been joined without the Portuguese successional crisis that rose the Braganza to throne claimant family.

Spain as Portugal + Castille + Aragon, with complete dominion on oceans and a very strong position in the Mediterranean, and without the headaches of the true black hole of keeping the supply line around France to isolate it and to hold the United Provinces (in fact, without the Hapsbugs, Spain needed not to be mortal enemy of France)... it's a formidable thought.
 
What if the Hapsburgs dynasty was simply non-existent?
What would happen to Spain, Austria, the Netherlands and the HRE? What if?

Well Habsburg Castle, was build in the Aargau around 1020 - 1030, so this would be the POD, if you do not want the Habsburgs.
 
In Spain, the Catholic Kings were pursuing a very aggressive marriage policy. Without the Hapsburgs, they still would have tried marrying with the HRE current ruler, but chances are it would not have been as successful. Without a shot to the Empire, the sure-fire card was Portugal.

A personal union with Portugal would have been attempted in a more airtight way, maybe marrying Juana with Joao II's bastard, Jorge, and supporting the efforts to legitimize Jorge (which were unsuccessful IOTL). In this manner the 3 Kingdoms would have been joined without the Portuguese successional crisis that rose the Braganza to throne claimant family.

Spain as Portugal + Castille + Aragon, with complete dominion on oceans and a very strong position in the Mediterranean, and without the headaches of the true black hole of keeping the supply line around France to isolate it and to hold the United Provinces (in fact, without the Hapsbugs, Spain needed not to be mortal enemy of France)... it's a formidable thought.

Hail the Spanish Empire!!!!!
 
In Spain, the Catholic Kings were pursuing a very aggressive marriage policy. Without the Hapsburgs, they still would have tried marrying with the HRE current ruler, but chances are it would not have been as successful. Without a shot to the Empire, the sure-fire card was Portugal.

A personal union with Portugal would have been attempted in a more airtight way, maybe marrying Juana with Joao II's bastard, Jorge, and supporting the efforts to legitimize Jorge (which were unsuccessful IOTL). In this manner the 3 Kingdoms would have been joined without the Portuguese successional crisis that rose the Braganza to throne claimant family.

Spain as Portugal + Castille + Aragon, with complete dominion on oceans and a very strong position in the Mediterranean, and without the headaches of the true black hole of keeping the supply line around France to isolate it and to hold the United Provinces (in fact, without the Hapsbugs, Spain needed not to be mortal enemy of France)... it's a formidable thought.

Well it all depends on the POD. IOTL it was no coincidence that Castille-Aragon and Austria-Burgundy had those political marriages and they allied themselves against their common enemy or rather threat France; since France had conflicts with both and their interests were compatible. With Castille-Aragon it were conflicting claims over Naples and with Austria-Burgundy it were conflicts over Milan and the Burgundian Inheritance.

Now even if this doesn't happen, France might still not be too enthusiastic about a powerful neighbour on its' southern border. Though without the OTL political encirclement, which by chance became a dynastic one, there would be a more interesting dynamic.
Though that does not require no Habsburgs, for that it would suffice that the Habsburgs do not inherit Castille-Leon, but instead stay mainly in the HRE with Austria-Burgundy as their powerbase and aiming to re-acquire the kingdoms of Bohemia & Hungary (-Croatia) for their house.
 
The House of Luxembourg and House of Wittelsbach become even more prominent and remain so longer, possibly to the present day.

Though Rudolf of Habsburg became king of the Romans and gained the duchies of Austria & Styria for his house; the house of Luxembourg managed to hold the position of king of the Romans/Holy Roman Emperor longer and they acquired the kingdom of Bohemia as their new powerbase.
During that period the Habsburgs, like the other great imperial houses were focused on building up the powerbase of their house (Hausmacht). Only when the house of Luxembourg went extinct did the house of Habsburg manage to regain the throne of the Empire.

Still no Habsburgs could also have been much less dramatic, instead just have them stay in their ancestral lands in Swabia, the Alsace and Upper Burgundy. They might even like for instance the house of Württemberg one day be made duke of Habsburg.
Now that would mean no king Rudolf of Habsburg, either the house of Hohenstaufen survives or probably not Ottokar II of Bohemia, but another compromise candidate would be elected.
 
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