What Would They Think?

[Tank Cdr]

I was thinking of Europe two hundred years ago and then what Europe is today. It got me wondering, what would the rulers of Europe in 1812 think of Europe 2012? What would Napoleon make of France? What would Wellington and Nelson make of Great Britain? What would the Hapsburgs think of Austria? What would the Romanovs think of Russia? What would the Prussians think of Germany? Would they be pleased or disappointed? Your thoughts please.

[PoeFacedKilla]

well the British would probably be a bit P'od especially since the nation they are at war with is in complete control of the world and they don't even own Irie anymore.

The Prussians on the other hand, i'm not sure.
They might be disgraced after hearing how an Austrian rose to power and defiled their name leading to the destruction of Prussia as a whole.

Napoleon would be pissed for sure, seeing as he controlled Europe, and then seeing how after him France can't seem to win a single damn war.

But then again who knows right?

[von kressenstein]

I could see the brits being miffed.. Prussia going uhm dis ist neicht goot.. wait.. the Austrians saying.. uh.. WHAT?!?! and dis ist neicht goot the Russians saying.. WHOA HORSEY!!! (or держать на лошади) the whole world screaming .. AHHHHH.. and The United States saying.. uhm.. we didnt really mean what we wrote... but ok.... oh and the french.. we surrender! j/k .. maybe not..

The balance of power in the world is so far removed from 200 years ago.. it would be true cultural shock..

question is would you want them going back to tell about things..

would that knowledge make the Tsar act differently or the Austrians think of their posessions in a different light.. the Prussians to be less hell bent on things.. (not that they were any different from any one else)

hopefully all in place would look at their greed and clue in...

[MNP]

I think they'd be puzzled as to why we care so much about not hurting foreigners, even when it isn't to our advantage.

[Tank Cdr]

I wonder what they would think about the loss of all their colonial possessions? I also wonder what they would think about the rise of the US and the rise of China, which would shock them more?

[Tank Cdr]

Originally Posted by MNP

I think they'd be puzzled as to why we care so much about not hurting foreigners, even when it isn't to our advantage.

Yes, I think the change in attitude would be truly shocking. All the colonial powers of Europe treating their former subjects as equals!?! That may sound callous, but I think it is true.

[RandomWriterGuy]

Well, let's just say maybe a time traveler told them their countries in 2012.

Britain would be ashamed they lost India and Ireland (and their whole colonial empire). They would be even more shocked that the US is the most powerful nation.

Napoleon would be outrageous about his eventual defeat in the Napoleonic Wars.

Prussia will be delighted about a unified Germany, while they would be terrified about their losses in WWI and WWII.

Austria would not be happy about a new powerful neighbor. However, it will be the destruction of Austria that would terrify them the most.

The Romanovs would be horrified about their end of their power.

[LSCatilina]

Originally Posted by Tank Cdr

What would Napoleon make of France?

Particularly pissed about his ultimate defeat, and would make a rant about how his generals, officers and soldiers were incompetent dicks.

Would be somewhat pleased to see the Napoleonian Code is still the legal base of the main part of Europe, as the importance of Napoleonic Legendarium.

He would probably see the V Republic as a compromise between his ideal of a state and Republic.

Would be extremly pleased to see Austria reduced into a kitsh caricature of what it was, and would most probably search to say that German and Italian unifications are all about him.

What would Wellington and Nelson make of Great Britain?

Somewhat pleased of the lasting prestige of UK, but worried about Ireland and Scotland. Probably really dubious about the foreign policy of 2012's UK as clearly, the colonial balance is not really a goal.

Nelson would be extremely interested about the submarines, as Wellington about Tanks, and they would ask what UK keeps such wonderful weapons unused except against New-Spain or whatever.

Both would said "What about India", followed by an ankward silence.

Wellington would probably see UK plagued by rempant republicanism and jabobinism.

Nelson would be more acceptive of the situation.

What would the Hapsburgs think of Austria?

Basically? Froze and shocked, while Napoleon pointing at them laughing insanely.

What would the Romanovs think of Russia?

"Ouch, we loose many territories. Who's the czar today, he should do something about it?"

What would the Prussians think of Germany?

"When did we were annexed by Poland?"

Originally Posted by PoeFacedKilla

Napoleon would be pissed for sure, seeing as he controlled Europe, and then seeing how after him France can't seem to win a single damn war.

[Tank Cdr]

Originally Posted by RandomWriterGuy

Well, let's just say maybe a time traveler told them their countries in 2012.

Britain would be ashamed they lost India and Ireland (and their whole colonial empire). They would be even more shocked that the US is the most powerful nation.

Napoleon would be outrageous about his eventual defeat in the Napoleonic Wars.

Prussia will be delighted about a unified Germany, while they would be terrified about their losses in WWI and WWII.

Austria would not be happy about a new powerful neighbor. However, it will be the destruction of Austria that would terrify them the most.

The Romanovs would be horrified about their end of their power.

I think the Hapsburgs and the Romanovs would be the most shocked. Most of the Romanovs were killed by the communists, so that bloodline is all but non-existent. As for the Hapsburgs, where are they.........ah who cares!?!

[Theodoric]

The existence of an independent country called Belgium between the Netherlands and France would be rather weird to them, for one, as would a republican non-Hapsburg independent Austria.

[Armored Diplomacy]

The British Admiralty has a collective heart attack as soon as they see the current state of the Royal Navy (in fairness, it is expanding, but won't be too strong until the 2020s).

[MNP]

Originally Posted by LSCatilina

"Ouch, we loose many territories. Who's the czar today, he should do something about it?"

Give him a little time.

[Tank Cdr]

Originally Posted by MNP

Give him a little time.

Now what would the Romanovs think of this guy?

[FDW]

Originally Posted by Tank Cdr

Now what would the Romanovs think of this guy?

I like to think that they'd just be completely baffled by him.

[Georgie Porgie]

Originally Posted by FDW

I like to think that they'd just be completely baffled by him.

I think they would support most of what he has done, just wonder why he boths with elections. Oh.... wait.... he doesn't!
Just a modern day Czar renamed.

[SavoyTruffle]

Originally Posted by Georgie Porgie

I think they would support most of what he has done, just wonder why he boths with elections. Oh.... wait.... he doesn't!
Just a modern day Czar renamed.

And better at manipulating public opinion than most of the Romanovs. I think Alexander I would be close enough, though.

States of 1812 reactions to their 200-years-in-the-future counterparts:

UK: We're number one for a century, then fall back and get displaced by colonials?

France: Napoleon fumes that he didn't think about Russia being his downfall, and perks up a bit when he sees that France continues being a power.

Russia: Lose territory, not good. Powerful state with a pseudo-Tsar? good.

Prussia: At least Berlin is the capital of this so-called Germany, even if we lost Prussia itself.

Austria: WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S A REPUBLIC? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BUDAPEST AND PRAGUE ARE INDEPENDENT?

USA: We're number one? didn't see that coming.

Spain: So we lost our colonial empire- wait, so your king told one of them American despots to shut up? COOL.

[Lord High Executioner]

Originally Posted by Tank Cdr

I think the Hapsburgs and the Romanovs would be the most shocked. Most of the Romanovs were killed by the communists, so that bloodline is all but non-existent. As for the Hapsburgs, where are they.........ah who cares!?!

The Romanovs are so extinct that they have been reduced to a mere two
branches disagreeing on who is the rightful ruler. (The Czar and his children
were killed, but his sisters and many other relatives were not.)

The Habsburgs are still in Austria, doing the sort of things European nobility
does these days.

[The Kiat]

Most of them (especially the Church) will wonder what happened to God. Why no mention of the religious factor? It was still a large part of European life in the 19th Century.

Originally Posted by MNP

I think they'd be puzzled as to why we care so much about not hurting foreigners, even when it isn't to our advantage.

Not to mention they will wonder what happened to their nations' pride.

[FDW]

We forgot the Turks. The Turks would be probably be shocked at how they've lost and how they ended up becoming the bitch of other European powers.

[Rhaegar I]

Japan and Italy are two fairly interesting ones. They go from relatively weak states, to modern colonial empires, to losers in a major war, back to reasonable power status.

I can only imagine how UK and France react when they see that they have been allies for over a hundred years.