This period of uneasy geopolitical lull is intriguing me lately. The #2 power has been thrown into disarray and the others are scrambling around for advantage and/or wringing their hands about the contagion spreading.
Austria is in great turmoil. With a quagmire in the Balkans, Flanders and Hungary up in arms and Prussia on the make, the new emperor, Leopold sought to cut losses and shore things up.
The Ottoman war was written off and Hungary was appeased. Prussia was cut off at the knees via an alliance with the Maritime Powers—which entailed subduing Brussels.
These moves are generally regarded as brilliant. But were they? I understand Kaunitz, the architect of the long-standing French alliance was still Chancellor at this time but that his influence was curtailed.
What if the French alliance was continued? Would fobbing off Brussels precipitate a European war? Would the promise of ceding at a later date be enough to engage France? Would this alliance achieve any of the following:
A better outcome in the Balkans? Retaining Serbia at least?
Moderating the revolution in France? Instituting a center right constitutional monarchy instead of a radical republic?
Stymying Prussia and avoiding the Second and Third Partitions of Poland and maintaining an albeit Russian dominated but distinct Polish state?
Thoughts appreciated.
Austria is in great turmoil. With a quagmire in the Balkans, Flanders and Hungary up in arms and Prussia on the make, the new emperor, Leopold sought to cut losses and shore things up.
The Ottoman war was written off and Hungary was appeased. Prussia was cut off at the knees via an alliance with the Maritime Powers—which entailed subduing Brussels.
These moves are generally regarded as brilliant. But were they? I understand Kaunitz, the architect of the long-standing French alliance was still Chancellor at this time but that his influence was curtailed.
What if the French alliance was continued? Would fobbing off Brussels precipitate a European war? Would the promise of ceding at a later date be enough to engage France? Would this alliance achieve any of the following:
A better outcome in the Balkans? Retaining Serbia at least?
Moderating the revolution in France? Instituting a center right constitutional monarchy instead of a radical republic?
Stymying Prussia and avoiding the Second and Third Partitions of Poland and maintaining an albeit Russian dominated but distinct Polish state?
Thoughts appreciated.