Disaster at Lützen: Napoleon dies in battle

Anarch King of Dipsodes

El Maestro said:
So, what if somehow Napoleon was killed at Lützen in 1813? How will this affect European history?
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The Napoleonic Wars end almost at once. Ney probably assumes command of the Grand Armée, and retreats toward France. There is a political crisis in France. Napoleon's son "inherits" - Marie-Louise may become regent. I don't know who would actually run things. It's not yet time for a Bourbon restoration, and the Austrian Emperor may want to see his grandson stay on the French throne, especially if his daughter controls the government.

The Napoleonic coalition dissolves. The French abandon Spain; there may be a rebellion in the Netherlands. Bavaria probably bolts at once.
 

freivolk

A major point would be, that Prussia and Russia would have defeated Napoleon basically alone and would try establish a peace order on their own biding. At the time of Lützen the Allies still hoped for a great german national uprising and the Freiherr von Stein was set in as chief of a central bureaucracy for occupied german territories which he hoped to use to form the core of a german national state. t seems at least possible that Prussta would try, with Russian support, to unite at least Northern Germany under his rule.
 
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Jan Olbracht

So tsar have (almost) free hand to realise his dreams of Polish throne and Prussians could take whole Saxony. That's mean UK and Austria would very quickly make alliance with France under restored Burbons against Petersburg and Berlin to stop them, maybe even by force...
 

freivolk

Svetonius21 said:
So tsar have (almost) free hand to realise his dreams of Polish throne and Prussians could take whole Saxony. That's mean UK and Austria would very quickly make alliance with France under restored Burbons against Petersburg and Berlin to stop them, maybe even by force...
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It is questionable if the Bourbons would be restored at this time. Its likley that Russia and Prussia would simply stop at the Rhine.
 

Direwolf22

Nice title.

Napoleon is of course married to an Austrian, so I imagine Austria would be keen on peace and the protection of a regency as Anarch said.

But Britain wouldn't be keen on seeing Russia/Prussia divide Europe between them, so a negotiated peace with the new French government might be on the cards. May actually result in more favourable terms for France than Vienna did.
 

Matteo

El Maestro said:
So, what if somehow Napoleon was killed at Lützen in 1813? How will this affect European history?
Click to expand...

At what moment of the battle is he killed and does this affect the result of the battle which was a french victory (like Bautzen 2 weeks later) ?

If early in the battle, Lutzen may turn into a french defeat.
If at the end in the battle (some kind of Trafalgar scenario on land), it does not change its course but certainly changes the rest of the german campaign.

Ney is definitly not going to assume the command of the army. He was a very good leader and cavalry man. But he knew lothing to strategy and was absolutely unable to lead a 180,000 men army.

The interesting point is : will the french government be able tostrike a deal with the coalition or to split the coalition ?

This is not certain.

Austria would stand for no less than France evacuating all Germany and most of Italy (except maybe Piedmont).

Alexander of Russia had sworn the oath to go to Paris, though he was a man full of contradictions and was not necessarily a hardliner on the french frontiers. But he wanted Napoleon out of Germany. That's in fact what Napoleon had not understood : Alexander did consider himself as the referee of German affairs.

The UK would be the tougher partner for peace on the french frontiers question.

Prussia would not matter much and would have to comply with the majority : it was the junior partner in the great coalition.
 

freivolk

Matteo said:
At what moment of the battle is he killed and does this affect the result of the battle which was a french victory (like Bautzen 2 weeks later) ?

If early in the battle, Lutzen may turn into a french defeat.
If at the end in the battle (some kind of Trafalgar scenario on land), it does not change its course but certainly changes the rest of the german campaign.
.
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Lutzen wasn´t a decesive victory. The french loses were double as high then the one of the Allies. The Allies actually wanted to restart the battle the next day, but then decided to retreat. As far as I know, Napoleon nearly got killed in the evening hours, as a last attack, leaded by Blücher personaly, nearly broke through to him.
 
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