Board Thread:Timeline Discussions/@comment-4656717-20130106102552

I've been rolling this idea for a TL around in my head for a few weeks, and although I don't think I will ever get around to putting it up, I was wondering about it's general plausibility.

It would be called Wittelsbacher World, and as the name suggests, is the best-case scenario for the Wittelsbach Dynasty.

The main POD concerns Bavaria, the main domain of the Wittelsbachs. It is in 1853, the start of the Crimean War. Austria decides to assist it's ally Russia in the war against Britain, France and the Ottomans. I don't think this is too implausible: the two countries were on friendly terms, and Austria also wanted a piece of the Ottoman pie. Anyway, the Austrian assistance doesn't change the outcome of the war that much, but it does help strengthen Austro-Russian ties.

Because of this, when the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 occurs, Russia comes to Austria's aid and invades the Prussian province of Posen. With Prussian troops divided between two fronts, the Austrians do much better (aren't destroyed at Koniggratz), and the Hannoverians have time to link up with Bavarian and Wurrtemberger troops in the South and defeat the Prussian Army of the Main.

As a result, Germany is not unified under Prussian hegemony, and the Kingdom of Bavaria remains independent to this day. The other German states would probably unify at a later time, but I haven't given that much thought.

Obvoiusly without a united Prusso-German nation-state, the world wars would not occur, or if they did, radically differently from otl.

The second POD concerns Greece. In otl 1836, King Otto of Greece (second son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria) went on a tour of Germany and married Amalia of Oldenburg. In TTL, he does not marry her, but instead marries Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia. As she is Eastern Orthodox, the Greek people generally like her a lot more than they liked Amalie otl. Also unlike Amalie, she gives birth to children, raising them in the Orthodox faith and ensuring the continuance of the Wittelsbachs in Greece. They remain rulers of Greece to this day.

So, thoughts? Plausible or just a Bavarophile's fantasy? 