Just Curious...

[Jerseyrules]

What's everyone's opinion of Otto Von Habsburg?

[Jerseyrules]

If there was a man who should have been King but that never was, that is Otto Von Habsburg.

The worst part about history is learning about people like Otto - people who never got to rule but truly deserved it - as opposed to the truly massive majority of monarchs who don't deserve their thrones or don't even want them but rule regardless.

[Jerseyrules]

If there was a man who should have been King but that never was, that is Otto Von Habsburg.

The worst part about history is learning about people like Otto - people who never got to rule but truly deserved it - as opposed to the truly massive majority of monarchs who don't deserve their thrones or don't even want them but rule regardless.

You're right, it undermines Monarchy as a credible type of government, and it seems to have happened a lot during the past century: Prince Juan of Spain, Karl of Hungary, some of the Romanov Family or Wilhelm of Germany (the son of Wilhelm II), who had to be replaced by dictators (some better than others) like Admiral Horthy, Franco or even Hitler. Perhaps having some of those monarchs in power might have avoided some of the disasters of the century...

And although Britain probably isn't the best example, being constitutional and all, but a monarch in power there helped prevent Mosley.  Perhaps another monarch-who-should-have-been is Reza Pahlavi (and technically Farah as well).

[Jerseyrules]

If there was a man who should have been King but that never was, that is Otto Von Habsburg.

The worst part about history is learning about people like Otto - people who never got to rule but truly deserved it - as opposed to the truly massive majority of monarchs who don't deserve their thrones or don't even want them but rule regardless.

You're right, it undermines Monarchy as a credible type of government, and it seems to have happened a lot during the past century: Prince Juan of Spain, Karl of Hungary, some of the Romanov Family or Wilhelm of Germany (the son of Wilhelm II), who had to be replaced by dictators (some better than others) like Admiral Horthy, Franco or even Hitler. Perhaps having some of those monarchs in power might have avoided some of the disasters of the century...

And although Britain probably isn't the best example, being constitutional and all, but a monarch in power there helped prevent Mosley.  Perhaps another monarch-who-should-have-been is Reza Pahlavi (and technically Farah as well).

Reza Pahlavi might fit the Otto Von Habsburg criteria, but he ruled (as an autocrat), so he should be in a different category, that of the decent rulers or Kings that were overthrown (Just like Alfonso XIII of Spain or the last Emperor of Brazil). The problem with the idea of the Monarchy preventing dictatorship is Mussolini, because Victor Emmanuel III basically asked him to take control of Italy. I'm quite ignorant about British politics, but I have the feeling that if instead of George VI (a great monarch) the crown was held by Edward VIII, Oswald Mosley would have been more successful.

I meant Crown Prince Reza, not the overthrown shah.  But yeah you're right about Mussolini - I thought of that right after I posted this