The more monarchies across Europe were intertwined, the fewer wars there were
An interesting history lesson this week. We’re all used to stories about the inbreeding of monarchies across early modern Europe. Austria’s Hapsburgs led the way, marrying family members off left, right and centre as a diplomatic strategy. Then Queen Victoria took things to new levels – her descendants ruled not just the UK, but Germany and Russia, as the 20th century dawned.
It’s easy to scoff at the inbreeding involved, but hold off. Royal families hooking up with each other might not have been good for their gene pool, but it had a beneficial side effect: fewer wars. So argues a new study examining the monarchies of Europe between 1495 to 1918, mapping the dynastic links, and conflicts, between them.
