WI Challenge: Post-1812 Napoleon Victory

Anaxagoras

Banned
This one shouldn't be *too* hard, but I'd be interested in what people have to say.

With a POD no earlier than January 1, 1813, how can Napoleon win a military victory that ensures the Napoleon dynasty remains on the throne of France and that France maintains its 1792 borders?
 
Wellington is killed during the May 1813 Battle of Burgos and the Anglo-Portu-Spanish forces flee back behind their lines at Torres Vedras. Thus the Prussian-Russian alliance continues to waver following their setbacks at Lutzen and Bautzen and suffer more defeats at the hands of Napoleon. Eventually the anti-French coalitions will break apart and agree to cease fighting.
 

Faeelin

Banned
I would actually say have him win at Leipzig, and then die horribly. Austria's in no mood for another war, and there is now a Habsburg regent.

That cracking sound was the Coalition falling apart.
 
I believe the best Napoleon can hope for after 1812 is a harsh peace. Even if Wellington did die and the Battle of Leipzig was won (by the French), the forces in motion against France at this point were very invested.

By the end of 1812, all but northern Spain was free in Iberia. Wellington would have been replaced by Beresford, who, though he is no Wellington, was not a pushover. The youth of France was drained, and even asssuming Napoleon wins at Leipzig and other major battles, Russia, Prussia, Austria, and others had by this point the advantage of numbers, and Napoleon was almost out of support.
 

Titus_Pullo

Banned
This one shouldn't be *too* hard, but I'd be interested in what people have to say.

With a POD no earlier than January 1, 1813, how can Napoleon win a military victory that ensures the Napoleon dynasty remains on the throne of France and that France maintains its 1792 borders?

A platoon of French army Leclerc main battle tanks run into a strange storm while on NATO field maneuvers and suddenly find themselves lost and without radio communications. Puzzled that they can't pick up any radio signals they eventually come across a detachment of Prussian light cavalry on reconaissance and whom they mistake for reenactors. However they realize this is not a game when one of the armored crewmen is shot by a freightened young Prussian cavalryman. You guessed it they're in Germany in 1813.
What happens then? Nap crushes the allies.
 
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Anaxagoras

Banned
A platoon of French army Leclerc main battle tanks run into a strange storm while on NATO field maneuvers and suddenly find themselves lost and without radio communications. Puzzled that they can't pick up any radio signals they eventually come across a detachment of Prussian light cavalry on reconaissance and whom they mistake for reenactors. However they realize this is not a game when one of the armored crewmen is shot by a freightened young Prussian cavalryman. You guessed it they're in Germany in 1813.
What happens then? Nap crushes the allies.

Ahem. . . perhaps I was not clear.

No ASBs!!!!!
 

Redbeard

Banned
If the fate of Wellington should be relevant, it would only be bacause the British are defeated in Spain so early, that substantial French reinforcements from Spain can reach Saxony in time to inflict a decisive victory on the allies there. Without a (very) decdisive voictory over the allies in central Europe - there will be no French victory in the war - no matter what happens in Spain or with Wellington.

The most certain way to ensure a French victory in Saxony, would be letting the Austrians stay neutral. In 1813 they provided the biggest contintgent to the allied army and also its very competent leadership through Schwarzenberg (the Eisenhower of Nap.Wars) and Radetzky (the mastermind of the succesful allied grand plan).

A decisive British defeat in Spain in early 1813 could contribute too the Austrians staying neutral, but a more flexible French diplomacy, like in promising the Austrians their lost territories back (but not the HRE), would have been more important in this context.

OTL Leipzig could IMHO very well have been won by the French. If say Schwarzenberg had obliged to the Zar's demand of no troops west of the Pleisse, then at least two more French Armycorps (incl Young Guard) would have been available in the decisive central south sector (in OTL they were diverted to engage the Austrian III and IV AC sent west of Pleisse). Where more allied troops in the central south sector probably only would have led to "traffic jams", more French troops at the decisive moments very well could have led to a general rout in the allied main army.

The battle also, especially at day one, had many incidents, where butterfly intervention could have accelerated drastically different outcomes. Napoleon winning day one at Leipzig, would still leave him with Bernadotte and Benningsen, but the first would most likely turn around and go for Sweden ASASP, and even if joining up with Benningsen they would in numbers and quality be greatly inferior to the Grande Armee.

If being decisively defeated in Saxony, I very much doubt the allied continental powers could stay in the war - before the battle they were almost as exhausted as the French. With the job done in Saxony it will only be a matter of short time before the British will have to evacuate the continent.

They might opt for a prolonged war, but with the chances of rasing new powerful allies on the continent being remote and more expensive than ever, I guess some kind of peace will be found leaving Europe to Napoleon.

But perhaps the British will now turn their attention to the Americas? It would provide sweet and comforting revenge over traitors and renegades - even some that Napoleon can't do much right now to help...

Waterloo is too late, too many and too good allied troops converging on France.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
The battle also, especially at day one, had many incidents, where butterfly intervention could have accelerated drastically different outcomes.

Indeed. As I recall, the Czar, the King of Prussia and some of their top generals were nearly captured by a French cavalry patrol, escaping with only seconds to spare. Had they fallen into Napoleon's hands, everything would have changed instantly.
 
Depending on what you define as a military victory but I thought that in negotiations during the winter after Leipzig he was actually offered France's 'natural borders' but was stupid enough to refuse. Not sure such a deal would have been stable given mutual mis-trust and possibly either/both sides were playing for time but if they were serious and Napoleon agreed to them that would make a big difference to developments.

Steve
 
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