How would have European geopolitics (and implicitly history) developed had the Habsburg paved the way to the German nation state instead of the Prussians?
>>1031991
they wouldn't have
I am rather sure that we would have to change lots and lots of things to make Austria able to unite Germany.
I would say it became impossible after the transformation into the double Monarchy,
>>1032003
What would've happened if Prussia didn't score victory after victory?
>>1032010
If Austria didn't support Prussia during their invasion of Denmark then had Russia and France join in to stop this grab for power maybe.
The problem is, I don't think Austria was strong enough to beat France, and they would probably never allow Austria to unite most of Germany.
>>1032010
Prussia couldn't not win. Prussia was too based
>>1031991
It would have been a horrible experience for everyone involved.
>>1032003
Nation states were pretty much inevitable, so to me it seems that with a Habsburgic Empire with most German populated lands in its territory either the rising national sentiments of the other nations would've led to a break up in which the German core would've remained and the Empire would've become a nation state or the revolts of the other nationalities would've been clenched by a greater German presence and the state would still have reformed into a nation state similar to Russia(dominant German culture and identity with other butchered, semi-assimilated nationally locally).
>>1032051
nationalities*
>>1032051
While I agree that nation states were inevitable, I still believe that the rest of the German kings would have never accepted Austrian primacy.
>>1032019
>I don't think Austria was strong enough to beat France
Why speculate when a war occured between them in that period
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Italian_War_of_Independence
Austria was what it always have been: shit at war
>>1032071
>Austria makes an ultimatum
>No chance to win the war they start
Why do they always do that?
>>1031991
The House of Habsburg had no interest in a German nation state. They ruled a multi-ethnic Empire and cared about maintaining their own territory. They were opponents of nationalism, since nationalism was taking their Empire apart.
>>1032386
But they contested Prussian expansionism and perceived the lands of the HRE(which composed most of the German populated areas) as their rightful domain.
>>1032023
