How does France turn out if Napolean IV takes the throne?

[M79]

Napolean III was not in great health by 1869 and if France avoids the Franco-Prussian War then Napolean IV may take the throne in his mid-to-late 20s. Assuming he does, how does this change the fate of France? Is there still likely to be a World War?

 

[Lalli]

If Napoleon III dies around same time as in OTL (quiet possible since he died from complications of bladder stone surgery and hardly avoids such things ITTL) Napoleon IV would be teen ager. That's mean that he is politically quiet inexpericenced and probably surrounded by several advisors with their own political views. So things depends greatly what kind of politics them would have. IIRC Napoleon IV was quiet liberal so he might push France towards more constitutional state. On foreign politics there probably would be strong rivalry with Prussia (I would assume that ITTL Germany hasn't united) and probably close relationships with Austria-Hungary. This would change course of the Great War greatly.

 

[TRH]

This just got me to read Napoleon IV’s Wikipedia page, and hot damn, how many people got to have the Pope as their godfather?

 

[Galba Otho Vitelius]

France in 1869 was already a constitutional monarchy, or close to it, and it was the elected politicians who pushed France into the war. So no, the Franco-Prussian War is not averted.

Where this timeline gets interesting is that the early death of the younger Louis-Napoleon gets butterflied away. There is no need to send an ex-Emperor to a colonial war. He might get himself killed during the Franco-Prussian War, however.

 

[Lalli]

France in 1869 was already a constitutional monarchy, or close to it, and it was the elected politicians who pushed France into the war. So no, the Franco-Prussian War is not averted.

Where this timeline gets interesting is that the early death of the younger Louis-Napoleon gets butterflied away. There is no need to send an ex-Emperor to a colonial war. He might get himself killed during the Franco-Prussian War, however.

Perhaps POD would be before 1869? Or then France winning the war so monarchy is not ousted.

 

[M79]

Perhaps POD would be before 1869? Or then France winning the war so monarchy is not ousted.

What I had in mind as a PoD involved avoiding the Franco-Prussian War altogether, having France actually win it would likely mean getting Austria-Hungary involved. It might also mean France taking not only Luxembourg but also Wallonia and/or the Saar, depending on who else enters the conflict