Napolyon Bey Bonaparte's Whiff of Grapeshot
-or-
Napoleon Bonaparte Transferred to Serve the Ottoman Empire
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Foreword:So I have been thinking about this timeline for a while. I have had troubles continuing previous TLs very far, and I have examined the cause of this and I am confident that these problems have been addressed, and so without further ado, here is Napolyon Bey Bonaparte’s Whiff of Grapeshot. This TL will start with an intro, then go back several years to explain what led up to this.
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Introduction- A Whiff of Grapeshot
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An excerpt from Modern World History (1700-Present) by William J. Smith, 1957:
...the phrase ‘A Whiff of Grapeshot,’ often attributed to Napolyon Bey Bonaparte, born Napoleone di Buonaparte, and known as Napoleon Bonaparte in France, was actually used by a Scottish historian by the name of Henry Aberdeen in 1879. In French, there's not even a accurate direct translation of the phrase. Referring to Napolyon’s use of artillery armed with grapeshot to force the almost 50,000 Janissaries to surrender during their failed uprising against the Sultan, this event was known as the Fortunate Event.
… The Fortunate Event, referred to as The Unfortunate Event to enemies of the Ottoman Empire, was a major turning point for the Ottoman Empire. The complete annihilation of the Janissaries, who had long since ceased to be a functioning military force, only hindering all efforts for modernization of the army, allowed the Ottoman Empire to reform itself and make itself more European in nature.
Masterminded by the young artillery adviser Napolyon Bey Bonaparte, it directly led to his rise to power and influence over the Sultan Selim III. After managing to convince the Sultan Selim III that the Janissaries must be destroyed before they were given a chance to revolt against him, Napolyon shared his plan to goad the Janissaries into revolt, and then trap them in their own barracks and annihilate them using artillery.
Left: A portrait of Napolyon Bey Bonaparte, aged 23.
The plan worked virtually exactly according to plan. After being informed that they were going to be phased out, losing their privileges over a period of 10 years, and were going to be replaced by the Nezam-i Cedid Army, or the Army of the New Order in English, the Janissaries immediately revolted, intent on marching to the palace and replaced the Sultan. Up in arms, the Janissaries quickly found themselves pushed back into their barracks by the well prepared Sipahis, where Grapeshot was fired upon them from all sides. With the Grapeshot tearing through the Janissaries, and having no where to run, they were quickly forced to surrender, although not after some 6,000 Janissaries lay dead.
Left: Ottoman Sipahi.
In the aftermath of the Fortunate Event, over 40,000 Janissaries were taken prisoner. The rest of the Janissaries, spread across the Empire, were rounded up quickly. The leaders of the Janissaries were exiled, with the younger Janissaries exiled or imprisoned. All of the land they owned was seized...
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From Alternatehistory.com: AHC: Napolyon Bey Bonaparte becomes Ruler of France:
DrWalt: Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to have Napolyon Bey Bonaparte, a prominent figure in the Ottoman Empire, become ruler of France any way you see fit. This might be asb, but hopefully someone has a idea.
True Steel:
TheGreatBear: This is almost certainly asb, but I will give it my best shot.
So instead of being sent to Constantinople, he does not depart in such haste, and is therefore present on the 13 Vendemiaire, when the Mob attacked Paris. Using his famous, ‘Whiff of Grapeshot’ , which OTL he uses to destroy the Janissaries, he forces the mob to disperse. After this, he rises in ranks, until he is eventually leads the Army of Italy. Defeating the Austrians, he know is a very influential member of French politics. Eventually a Second Coalition will form against France, as the existence of the French Republic was against everything the other powers of Europe stood for. Napolyon, meeting them in some decisive battle, defeats the combined armies of the Second Coalition, and forces a peace. Returning home a hero, he launches a coup, and declares himself Emperor of France. He rules for several years, until in the War of the Third Coalition the rest of Europe crushes him, and the French Empire is dismantled.
True Steel: @TheGreatBear: Yeah, thats ASB alright. Ignoring the events previously, the chances of anyone, even Napolyon, being able to defeat the combined forces of Europe is almost zero.
DrWalt: I'm not so sure. Never count Napolyon out.
________________________________________________________________________
So, what does everyone think? Comments, questions, concerns?
-or-
Napoleon Bonaparte Transferred to Serve the Ottoman Empire
________________________________________________________________________
Foreword:So I have been thinking about this timeline for a while. I have had troubles continuing previous TLs very far, and I have examined the cause of this and I am confident that these problems have been addressed, and so without further ado, here is Napolyon Bey Bonaparte’s Whiff of Grapeshot. This TL will start with an intro, then go back several years to explain what led up to this.
________________________________________________________________________
Introduction- A Whiff of Grapeshot
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An excerpt from Modern World History (1700-Present) by William J. Smith, 1957:
...the phrase ‘A Whiff of Grapeshot,’ often attributed to Napolyon Bey Bonaparte, born Napoleone di Buonaparte, and known as Napoleon Bonaparte in France, was actually used by a Scottish historian by the name of Henry Aberdeen in 1879. In French, there's not even a accurate direct translation of the phrase. Referring to Napolyon’s use of artillery armed with grapeshot to force the almost 50,000 Janissaries to surrender during their failed uprising against the Sultan, this event was known as the Fortunate Event.
… The Fortunate Event, referred to as The Unfortunate Event to enemies of the Ottoman Empire, was a major turning point for the Ottoman Empire. The complete annihilation of the Janissaries, who had long since ceased to be a functioning military force, only hindering all efforts for modernization of the army, allowed the Ottoman Empire to reform itself and make itself more European in nature.
Masterminded by the young artillery adviser Napolyon Bey Bonaparte, it directly led to his rise to power and influence over the Sultan Selim III. After managing to convince the Sultan Selim III that the Janissaries must be destroyed before they were given a chance to revolt against him, Napolyon shared his plan to goad the Janissaries into revolt, and then trap them in their own barracks and annihilate them using artillery.
The plan worked virtually exactly according to plan. After being informed that they were going to be phased out, losing their privileges over a period of 10 years, and were going to be replaced by the Nezam-i Cedid Army, or the Army of the New Order in English, the Janissaries immediately revolted, intent on marching to the palace and replaced the Sultan. Up in arms, the Janissaries quickly found themselves pushed back into their barracks by the well prepared Sipahis, where Grapeshot was fired upon them from all sides. With the Grapeshot tearing through the Janissaries, and having no where to run, they were quickly forced to surrender, although not after some 6,000 Janissaries lay dead.
In the aftermath of the Fortunate Event, over 40,000 Janissaries were taken prisoner. The rest of the Janissaries, spread across the Empire, were rounded up quickly. The leaders of the Janissaries were exiled, with the younger Janissaries exiled or imprisoned. All of the land they owned was seized...
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From Alternatehistory.com: AHC: Napolyon Bey Bonaparte becomes Ruler of France:
DrWalt: Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to have Napolyon Bey Bonaparte, a prominent figure in the Ottoman Empire, become ruler of France any way you see fit. This might be asb, but hopefully someone has a idea.
True Steel:
This seems pretty ASB to me. I mean, he was a military genius, but he was a minor noble and even if he somehow managed to take control, he would be quickly overthrow, whether it be from outside forces or from within.
TheGreatBear: This is almost certainly asb, but I will give it my best shot.
So instead of being sent to Constantinople, he does not depart in such haste, and is therefore present on the 13 Vendemiaire, when the Mob attacked Paris. Using his famous, ‘Whiff of Grapeshot’ , which OTL he uses to destroy the Janissaries, he forces the mob to disperse. After this, he rises in ranks, until he is eventually leads the Army of Italy. Defeating the Austrians, he know is a very influential member of French politics. Eventually a Second Coalition will form against France, as the existence of the French Republic was against everything the other powers of Europe stood for. Napolyon, meeting them in some decisive battle, defeats the combined armies of the Second Coalition, and forces a peace. Returning home a hero, he launches a coup, and declares himself Emperor of France. He rules for several years, until in the War of the Third Coalition the rest of Europe crushes him, and the French Empire is dismantled.
True Steel: @TheGreatBear: Yeah, thats ASB alright. Ignoring the events previously, the chances of anyone, even Napolyon, being able to defeat the combined forces of Europe is almost zero.
DrWalt: I'm not so sure. Never count Napolyon out.
________________________________________________________________________
So, what does everyone think? Comments, questions, concerns?
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