Best time for Napoleon to die (in power)

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My Username is Inigo Montoya

At some point between 18 Brumaire 1799 and June 22, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte exhausted his usefulness for the French Nation. Meaning, it would have better off had he died on that day. The question is, when is it (according to you)?

Poll forthcoming.
 

TheSevenLeggedFallyDowner

Just to clarify, we are talking best for the French nation, not best for the world or best for his legacy, or best in terms of creating a world I think would be cool, right?
 
Thande

Thande

Donor
mowque said:
What is 'useful' to the French nation exactly?
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Not getting them into wars they can't win (in the sense of being able to get to a point where a viable stable peace situation with weakened enemies is possible).

By that definition it would be about 1807-1808, although you have to accept the additional factor that the longer Nappy stays in power the more likely there is to be a stable succession rather than a chaotic power struggle, which wouldn't help France and might drag it into another war.
 

TheSevenLeggedFallyDowner

I'm going to go with sometime during the summer of 1802. The Treaty of Amiens was the last chance for a real peace with Britain. France couldn't win the fight with Britain long term, the best they could hope for is to not lose it. If Napoleon dies sometime between the signing of the treaty in March and tensions beginning to ratchet back up in autumn, then maybe whatever government replaces him can maintain that peace.
 

RGB

Thande said:
Not getting them into wars they can't win (in the sense of being able to get to a point where a viable stable peace situation with weakened enemies is possible).

By that definition it would be about 1807-1808, although you have to accept the additional factor that the longer Nappy stays in power the more likely there is to be a stable succession rather than a chaotic power struggle, which wouldn't help France and might drag it into another war.
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...or how about "the day he thought of replacing Ferdinand with Joseph in Spain".

After the little picnic of 1812 that was the most dramatic piece of folly he ever committed.

Though "the day after Tilsit" seems as good as any to me.
 
Thande

Thande

Donor
RGB said:
Though "the day after Tilsit" seems as good as any to me.
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I was thinking of Tilsit primarily when I gave my date, but you don't literally want it to be 'the day after Tilsit' because that would just lead to chaos in France, no agreed succession and probably rip up the treaty the next day because Alexander & co. see the decapitated French Empire, deprived of its charismatic leader and great general, as suddenly being more beatable if they start up the war again...
 

RGB

Thande said:
I was thinking of Tilsit primarily when I gave my date, but you don't literally want it to be 'the day after Tilsit' because that would just lead to chaos in France, no agreed succession and probably rip up the treaty the next day because Alexander & co. see the decapitated French Empire, deprived of its charismatic leader and great general, as suddenly being more beatable if they start up the war again...
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Yes, not exactly the day after but somewhere along there.

Of course if the peace treaty plans went through as hoped for, he could have gotten away with being around longer.
 

kclcmdr

1807... when Napoleon finally conquered Poland from Austria-Hungary, Prussia and Russia...

After 1808... the Spanish Ulcer...
Better to stop in 1807 with what Imperial France has under his military control and influence...
 

Mikestone8

Thande said:
I was thinking of Tilsit primarily when I gave my date, but you don't literally want it to be 'the day after Tilsit' because that would just lead to chaos in France, no agreed succession and probably rip up the treaty the next day because Alexander & co. see the decapitated French Empire, deprived of its charismatic leader and great general, as suddenly being more beatable if they start up the war again...
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Why? What territory could Alexander gain? Not Poland - Austria didn't lose West Galicia until 1809 so before that it's geographically impossible. That only leaves Finland or part of Turkey, and he can take those without needing to attack France.
 
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