House of Hapsburg

The Hapsburg (or Habsburg) and the successor family, Habsburg-Lorraine, were important ruling houses of Europe and are best known as the ruling Houses of Austria (and the Austrian Empire) for over six centuries. They also at times controlled Germany, Spain, and Mexico.

Hapsburg in Ruled Britannia
The Spanish King Philip II was a son of Charles V and the first Hapsburg King of Spain. Under his leadership, Spain considerably expanded the Hapsburg empire.

In 1588, Philip's daughter Isabella was installed as Queen of England. She married Albert, her cousin and an Austrian Hapsburg, who became England's King.

After Philip II died, Isabella and Albert were overthorwn by a popular uprising led by Robert Cecil and barely manged to flee England in a boat sailing down the Thames in the night. Spain continued to be ruled by the Hapsburgs in the person of Philip III.

In Austria-Hungary
The Hapsburgs were the ruling family of Austria-Hungary. The assassination of the Hapsburg Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 touched off the Great War.

Being on the winning side on both of the Great Wars, the Hapsburgs still retained their imperial throne in 1944, but their empire was threatned with increasing unrest and nationaist uprisings, with dark prospects of its eventually breaking up in a bloody civil wr.

In Mexico
An Austrian Hapsburg, Maximilian I, was installed as Emperor of Mexico by France in 1864. He became the founder of a Hapsburg dynasty that, supported by the Confederate States, continued to rule Mexico as of 1943, despite a US backed coup against them in the Mexican Civil War. The Mexican Hapsburg emperors aligned themselves with the Entente despite their Austrian cousins' membership in the Central Powers. Emperor Francisco José was a staunch ally of Jake Featherston, although his loyalty was maintained by a certain amount of coercion.

Hapsburg in Curious Notions
One of the effects of the quick and overwhelming German victory in the First World War and Imperial Germany's subsequnt climb to total world domination was that the Hapsburgs were assured of long-term survival on their throne - but with a very reduced real power. Up to the end of the Twenty-First Century, the Hapsburg Emperor was a regular participant in the gatherings of "fellow monarchs" which the Gemran Kaiser liked to stage for the benefit of the international press, and which were featured prominently on television broadcasts (seen worldwide by those rich enough to afford a TV set). No one had any doubt, however, about where real power resided.

Ruled Britannia

 * King Albert
 * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
 * Queen Isabella
 * Philip II of Spain
 * Philip III of Spain
 * Mary I of England

Southern Victory

 * Franz Ferdinand
 * Franz Joseph
 * Francisco José I of Mexico
 * Francisco José II of Mexico
 * Charles I of Austria
 * Maximilian I of Mexico
 * Maximilian II of Mexico
 * Maximilian III of Mexico