Given that Napoleon increasingly had health concerns even while his French Empire was at its height I wonder what would happen if Napoleon died through illness or accident before the dismantling of the French Empire? Who would succeed him? Would members of his family squabble for power? Would some of the client states or A French Republic be able negotiate surviving rule or peace with Britain? Would the Empire fall? Anyone capable of taking his place? Etc
Napoleon Dead Before Defeat
- Thread starter Malta
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Depending on his death, I thinks Joseph or (latter on) his son. I am not sure the empire could continue without him, though in the short-run it had no shortage of good commanders.
Joseph was a reasonable man who could make concession. If he is Napoleon II regent there might be a way for the empire to survive and for Austria it could be a win win situation afterall the new french emperor is alf Hapsburg and can be influenced while he is growing. And yes the french empire did not lack skilled commanders.
Whith Joseph in charge I don't think so. But that depend on when Napoleon I die.
He'll probably call for a peace conference to try to get a lasting peace. He was not a warrior he was originally a lawyer.
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When is Napoleon supposed to have died?
If it's after his son' birth, then the Regent-designate is Marie Louise, not Joseph. She was indeed the nominal Regent during his absence on the Moscow campaign.
Not that it matters. "Napoleon II" would be lucky to reign more than a week before some general seized the throne. When Malet and his co-conspirators announced Napoleon's death in Oct 1812, nobody, whatever their sympathies, bothered even to mention the Empire's own succession laws. It was just assumed that Napoeon's family had fallen from power with his death.
If it's after his son' birth, then the Regent-designate is Marie Louise, not Joseph. She was indeed the nominal Regent during his absence on the Moscow campaign.
Not that it matters. "Napoleon II" would be lucky to reign more than a week before some general seized the throne. When Malet and his co-conspirators announced Napoleon's death in Oct 1812, nobody, whatever their sympathies, bothered even to mention the Empire's own succession laws. It was just assumed that Napoeon's family had fallen from power with his death.
Napoleon was slightly wounded in the heel by a spent shot at Ratisbon during the 1809 campaign. But supposing he had been killed then. Eugene asJosephine;s son might ave been a contender but he was too young and inexperienced. One of Napoleon's brothers perhaps Joseph though he was already King of Spain at this time. Maybe one of the Marshals like Davout who was on the spot migt have take power for the time being. It may be that France would have gone back to the Republican system despite its instability but under a strong leader it might have worked. Perhaps Davout does a Cromwell. Of course, at some point if everyone is agreeable to it perhaps the Bourbons come back as some form of constitutional monarchy rather than being re-imposed as in 1814 and 1815 by Coalition Bayonets, Whether the Confederation of the Rhine survives all this is another matter but, if the French armies had not been defeated, and in April 1809 they were not although there had been a temporary setback in Italy at Sacile. The Kingdom of Italy and he Confederation of the Rhine probably stay under France. Some form of settlement involcvg the return of Ferdinand and the Portugese Royal family, the withdrawl of French and Britiish armies might be reached as part of a general European settlement.
I doubt it the situation in 1812 was really different Napoleon was defeated.
How long could a Non-Russia Invading French Empire last if Russia remained neutral?
As for a civil war I wonder what sides would form. If it was an attempt by one or more of the generals against the Napoleonic Family then I wonder what portions of the French and Native armies would side with who. Joseph/Murat in Naples, Louis in Holland, Jerome in Westphalia. Who could settle with the British. Though if Napoleon left this world during the events of the Peninsular War then more then likely Joseph would abandon Spain post haste. He wasn't very keen on taking the Throne though.
The most akward of these would be Bourbon Ferdinand in Sicily protected by the British.
As for a civil war I wonder what sides would form. If it was an attempt by one or more of the generals against the Napoleonic Family then I wonder what portions of the French and Native armies would side with who. Joseph/Murat in Naples, Louis in Holland, Jerome in Westphalia. Who could settle with the British. Though if Napoleon left this world during the events of the Peninsular War then more then likely Joseph would abandon Spain post haste. He wasn't very keen on taking the Throne though.
The most akward of these would be Bourbon Ferdinand in Sicily protected by the British.
At the time of the Malet coup, Napoleon had only just left Moscow, and the news of this had yet to reach France. The disastrous retreat was still in the future. As far as people in France knew the Emperor was still occupying Moscow.