Consequences of a successful Frederick the Quarrelsome

[Janprimus]

In 1245 duke Frederick II the Quarrelsome of Austria (house of Babenberg) had made an arrangement with emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen for the elevation of Austria (with Styria) to a kingdom and Vienna to a bishopric on one of the conditions that his niece Gertrude would marry the emperor.
IOTL Gertrude refused to marry the much older emperor, who was placed under the papal ban.

So WI these issues would have been solved (maybe but that's unlikely there's an alternative for the marriage) and Austria would have been raised to a kingdom (within the empire). What would have been the consequences of this move, will other peripheral border regions manage to achieve the same? Like one of the rulers in the former Saxon Northern Marches (Brandenburg, Meissen, Mecklenburg etc.) and rulers of territories in Lotharingia, Frisia, Burgundy/Arelat and Italy. Obviously the numbers will be limited and the ruler will have to be strong enough.

Another problem was that Frederick IOTL didn't have a male heir and he IOTL he died in 1246 in a battle with Hungary (conflict started in 1241), which wasn't a problem, because the privilegium minus allowed females inherit or at least inheritance through the female line, so there could be a war succession soon.

 

[The Professor]

Would the Kingdom include the other former Carantania lands (Carinthia, Carniola, Friuli, Windish March)?
Ie is it a Kingdom of Carantania or just Austria & Styria?

Since the HRE at this time consists of the Kingdoms of Germany, Italy/Lombardy, Arelat/Burgundy, and Bohemia, it is possible that this goes through (only the Bohemian crown wasn't held by the Emperor).

But if both Frederick's successions go down as in OTL then it just gets reabsorbed. Though I can see it being revived by a dynasty down the line.

 

[Janprimus]

The Babenbergs also controlled lands in the margraviate of Carniola (and the Windic March) and apparently the royal promotion would have allowed them to create a duchy of Carniola. Regarding the other Carantanian lands I currently can not find more about that, so at least (for now) the kingdom of Austria will the former duchies Austria & Styria, but they could have attached more territories to their crown without adding them to the kingdom, when they are successful. So just like the OTL Lands of the Bohemian Crown, there could be the Lands of the Austrian Crown.

Furthermore Austria would also use the 'heritage' of the former Roman province of Noricum as ''justification''.

 

[Faeelin]

Why would that give a justification?

I suppose this depends on how much you think people valued the title of a king. OTL's examples suggests it would give him more prestige, but practically I can't imagine the effect.

 

[SavoyTruffle]

Why would that give a justification?

I suppose this depends on how much you think people valued the title of a king. OTL's examples suggests it would give him more prestige, but practically I can't imagine the effect.

The OTL forgery Privilegium Maius gave the Habsburgs the "special" title of Archduke, apparently justified through Roman Noricum. Of course, Rudolf did this because the Golden Bull of 1356 didn't benefit Austria even if he was Emperor Charles IV's son-in-law.

I'm thinking Janprimus is trying to create a scenario wherein Austria rises before the Habsburgs take power.

 

[The Professor]

Let's brainstorm a few possibilities from Gertrude's marriage to Frederick.

1) She's childless. With Frederick Babenberg's death, Emperor Frederick declares her Queen and therefore himself as King of Austria. Her aunt Margaret may though gain rule over the lands outside the core Austria & Styria duchies as a vassal.
With Frederick's death Gertrude is freer to chose a husband, she may choose Herman of Baden as OTL post Vladislaus if he is still free, or she might match with Ottokar heir/King of Bohemia. The second has interesting connotations re the Habsburgs. Many possibilities abound since Gertrude may have sons with her new husband - a King of Austria not tied to the Habsburgs or Premysls would be intriguing.

2) She has a surviving son. With Frederick Babenberg's death, Emperor Frederick declares her Queen and therefore himself as King of Austria or declares her son King and themselves as Regents. When the son is of age he'll have a claim to Sicily too. He'll also be more likely to be HRE than Rudolf of Habsburg +/- Papal support re what happens with Sicily. A lot depends on whether/who Gertrude remarries, and Ottokar of Bohemia.

3) She has a surviving daughter. With Frederick Babenberg's death, Emperor Frederick declares her Queen and therefore himself as King of Austria.
With Frederick's death Gertrude is freer to chose a husband, she may choose Herman of Baden as OTL post Vladislaus if he is still free, or she might match with Ottokar heir/King of Bohemia.
As with 1 many possibilities abound since Gertrude may have sons with her new husband - but any sons of her daughter will complicate future matters if the claim gets obscured.