What if France were pro Habsburg In the 30 years war?

[Rob]

Replace Richelieu with a figure who values Catholic solidarity over cutting the Habsburg down to size.

What does this do to the war in Germany.

Also, does France have the option of being pro HRe but for a price, like perhaps in return for some concessions in Italy?

[Alex Milman]

Post by Rob
Replace Richelieu with a figure who values Catholic solidarity over cutting the Habsburg down to size.

The more realistic (in the terms of what was taking place) option would be to have someone who is interested in the economic well-being of France much more than in its "glory" (in OTL R dealt with the opponents advocating this policy).
However, even this would not take France completely out of the equation as far as her beef with Spain was involved.

Post by Rob
What does this do to the war in Germany.

Absence of the French subsidies, especially those to Sweden. It is an open question if G-A and his military successors could do without these subsidies but
probably they'd "compensate" by more extensive looting wherever possible.

Post by Rob
Also, does France have the option of being pro HRe but for a price, like perhaps in return for some concessions in Italy?

The biggest French interests were along its border with the Spanish Netherlands
and Spain was its main opponent. So what you are proposing means a breakdown between Imperial and Spanish Hapsburgs which I find at that point highly unlikely unless you introduce another major change. For example, Wallenstein is not being sacked in 1630 so that the Austrian Hapsburgs manage to keep "their" army and do not require Spanish troops and money.

[Rich Rostrom]

Post by Alex Milman
The biggest French interests were along its border
with the Spanish Netherlands and Spain was its main
opponent.

France also has major interests in Franche-Comte to
the east and Roussillon in the south, both against
Spain.

Also, in 1648, France acquired its first piece of
Alsace from Austria.

There's a reason why people spoke of "the Hapsburg
Ring" around France.

[Alex Milman]

Post by Rich Rostrom

Post by Alex Milman
The biggest French interests were along its border
with the Spanish Netherlands and Spain was its main
opponent.

France also has major interests in Franche-Comte to
the east and Roussillon in the south, both against
Spain.

Yes, but the main fighting was happening in the Northern France and then Spanish Netherlands.

Post by Rich Rostrom
Also, in 1648, France acquired its first piece of
Alsace from Austria. >
There's a reason why people spoke of "the Hapsburg
Ring" around France.

Yes, because there _was_ a ring. But out of two holders of the ring Spain was much more powerful and it was holding the best parts of the ring some of which had been historically "French".

However, the choice of the side in the 30YW was not a simple issue for France. On one hand there was an issue of supporting Catholicism (an argument strengthened by the rebellions of French Huguenot nobles in 1620 - 22) while on another was an issue of the traditional rivalry with the Hapsburgs. The pendulum started moving into the anti-Hapsburg direction over the issue of Valtellina which both Spaniards and Louis XIII wanted to control (as a result, in 1624 Louis signed anti-Spanish Treaty of Compiègne with the Dutch) with Richelieu finalizing foreign policy of France as anti-Hapsburg first and foremost.