No Mayerling Incident (Prince Rudolf Lives)

[QuoProQuid]

Born the only son of Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Empress Elisabeth, Rudolf Hapsburg was the heir apparent of the Austrian Empire. Always a figure of interest and intrigue, Rudolf died under mysterious circumstances in 1889. The death made international headlines and sent the royal family into a bitter feud that would not end until Empress Elizabeth's death nine years later. The crown would pass onto Franz Joseph's brother, Archduke Franz Ludwig who then renounced his succession rights in favor of his son, Franz Ferdinand.


What if, then, Prince Rudolf does not commit suicide in 1889 and lives to inherit the crown?

 

[Lalli]

Rudolf was quiet reformistic. So we would see more liberal, perhaps constitutional monarchy where parliament has more power. And it is possible that minorities gets more power. I don't know then how this effect for alliance system and WW1.

 

[OS fan]

This assumes that Rudolf died because of unfortunate coincidences, which is not true.

He was depressed, thought he himself had failed, and Austria-Hungary was doomed too (and was right about it). If he hadn't committed suicide then, some time later he would.