WI Victoria was male?

Susano

Banned
So Ernest Augustus was more conservative than his brother William?

Ernest August was scary-reactionary, very violent and and probably also incestuous. Most scenarios of "19th century UK does down the gutter" rely on him becoming British King as well ;)
 
So Ernest Augustus was more conservative than his brother William?

Ernest August was scary-reactionary, very violent and and probably also incestuous. Most scenarios of "19th century UK does down the gutter" rely on him becoming British King as well ;)
Ja, what Susano said.

William sort of vaguely supported liberal reform - but he wasn't there, being in England. Ern(e)st Augustus was king only of Han(n)over and was very reactionary.
 
If Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom was King Alexander[1] of the United Kingdom, then presumably the personal union with Hanover would continue. What would be the effects on Europe, German unification, and imperial actions be?

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[1]Victoria was christened Alexandrina Victoria.

SavoyTruffle

It's actually a fairly commonly discussed idea and I think there are at least a couple of TLs on the subject, with Alexander being a common name for the male Vicky for the reason you suggest.

So much would depend on how the king ruled and also the interaction with other people in Britain and elsewhere.

The obvious point is the impact on the unification of Germany. In answer to a question 1866 was a big change in the balance of power. Prussia picked a fight with just about every other German state, allied with Italy, and won, then annexed sizeable areas, most noticeably Hanover. Although 1870 brought Prussia/Germany into top rank in terms of military powers on the continent 1866 was probably it's big breakthrough. Also it permanently excluded Austria as a major power, smashing it as a rival centre of German power.

If 1866 was to develop in a similar way I think the key points would he Hanover's relationship with any German confederation and Alexander's position in both states. The former would decide whether Hanover was committed to support its fellow Germans against Prussian and hence probably whether Prussia attacks it. If Prussia attacks it, then there would be a British reaction. If Hanover joins the war willingly it would depend on the situation in Britain. I could see Palmeston for instance being very gung-ho in such an event.

If Britain joins the war then it changes drastically. The greatest economic, industrial and naval power, is going to make a big impact. If only because it persuades the opponents of Prussia that it is worth fighting on, which makes it more difficult for them as they have to maintain a war footing and continue fighting on several fronts. Also it might tempt French to consider intervening. Furthermore Italy is going to be in a seriously exposed position in a war with Britain.

As such if there is a serious chance of Britain getting dragged into such a conflict Prussia is likely to avoid conflict. If not I suspect it loses and possibly heavily. In such a case you are likely to see a looser German confederation ultimately probably excluding Austria and the Prussian eastern lands. That would greatly change events in Europe and the world in the following decades.

There are potentially many other butterflies. As someone said Alexander means no Prince Albert and both the effect on the royal family but probably more importantly the lack of his reforming and organising zeal. However how does Alexander interact with the various governments. The monarchy is still pretty influential at this point so his character will have a big impact.

Steve
 
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