So: a different answer to the Eastern Question (with that answer being laissez-faire) has been a topic of alternate history that has interested me lately.
One aspect of it that I have been thinking about: how does German unification happen in such a timeline? In OTL, of course, Austria loses Russia as an ally after the Crimean war.
So, without the Crimean war, how might German unification have looked? Would it have been a case of: Austria takes Bavaria, while Prussia takes most of the northern German states, or something like that, leading to a Prussia-led "North Germany" and a bigger Austria? Would Prussia and Austria have somehow united with each other, leading to a bigger, but also more federated Germany? And, considering this in the bigger context of this alternate timeline, what would the diplomatic/military implications of this have been? Specifically, if there had been two empires, one led by Austria and the other by Prussia, would they have been allies, or enemies? If there is somehow a "big Germany," what side is it on? This is within a fabric of a Europe where Britain and Russia are both hugely powerful, and are likely rivals/enemies of each other.
Sorry for such a messy thread lol
One aspect of it that I have been thinking about: how does German unification happen in such a timeline? In OTL, of course, Austria loses Russia as an ally after the Crimean war.
So, without the Crimean war, how might German unification have looked? Would it have been a case of: Austria takes Bavaria, while Prussia takes most of the northern German states, or something like that, leading to a Prussia-led "North Germany" and a bigger Austria? Would Prussia and Austria have somehow united with each other, leading to a bigger, but also more federated Germany? And, considering this in the bigger context of this alternate timeline, what would the diplomatic/military implications of this have been? Specifically, if there had been two empires, one led by Austria and the other by Prussia, would they have been allies, or enemies? If there is somehow a "big Germany," what side is it on? This is within a fabric of a Europe where Britain and Russia are both hugely powerful, and are likely rivals/enemies of each other.
Sorry for such a messy thread lol