1808: Napoleonic peace?

The fact that Britain enjoyed crushing naval supremacy just implied that Britain could not be crushed and was invincible at home.

However it did not mean Britain would win the war. Just that it could not be crushed.

What Napoleon had to do was enduring and waiting for Britain to get tired of a never-ending ruinous war. Let me just remember that the population was 3 times as big as the UK’s population (that is Ireland included).

Britain was not the most decisive country in bringing the downfall of napoleonic France. Prussia even less. Russia and Austria were.

Had Napoleon found a real agreement with Russia or defeated Russia in 1812/1813, Britain would not have been able to defeat napoleonic France for a generation. And then it would have seriously considered concluding a lasting peace treaty with France. And although Napoleon would have been asked to give up territories over which he had some kind of control, such a peace treaty, given the unbalance of powers in 1808, would still have let napoleonic France in hegemonic position on all western continental Europe.
 
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1808 or even 1807 strike me as too late. 1806 had a window, but after it closed, there wasn't going to be peace for a long time.
How's this:
  • Joseph stays in Naples
  • Bourbons kept in Spain
  • French defeat Portugal
  • Napoleon allies Russia
  • Continent settles down
  • French gains recognised
  • Peace treaty signed
 
How's this:
  • Joseph stays in Naples
  • Bourbons kept in Spain
  • French defeat Portugal
  • Napoleon allies Russia
  • Continent settles down
Peace with honour
  • French gains recognised
  • Continental System ends

That’s essentially what happens in my timeline, omitting a few details. Still, there, we don’t see peace until 1814.
 
That’s essentially what happens in my timeline, omitting a few details. Still, there, we don’t see peace until 1814.
Edited, RE ending Continental System, is this necessary? I'm thinking it would take several years for Britain to sue for peace anyway, possibly with France having rebuilt some of its navy.
 
How's this:
  • Joseph stays in Naples
  • Bourbons kept in Spain
  • French defeat Portugal
  • Napoleon allies Russia
  • Continent settles down
Peace with honour
  • French gains recognised
  • Continental System ends

I would see a different settlement.

If Napoleon wants a real enduring peace, he needs to satisfy both Russia and Austria.

If he does, then Britain will have no choice but to come to terms.

Satisfying Russia means not controlling Germany and Prussia.

Satisfying Austria means handing back Habsburg German patrimonial principalities that had been given to Bavaria (Tyrol and Voralberg) and either neutralizing Germany or Italy.

So if Nappy is clever enough to connect the dots, he will go for a neutralization if the Rhine confederacy he had established in Germany and will loosen his control over the kingdom of Italy.

Britain will want the restoration of an independent Dutch State and Nappy will easily agree to it.

Continental blockade, which also was a retaliatory measure to naval blockade and harassment, will of course end like the British naval blockade.

Spain remains independent under the Bourbons and friendly.

Joseph remains king in Naples and the Bourbons in Sicily.
 
I would see a different settlement.

If Napoleon wants a real enduring peace, he needs to satisfy both Russia and Austria.

If he does, then Britain will have no choice but to come to terms.

Satisfying Russia means not controlling Germany and Prussia.

Satisfying Austria means handing back Habsburg German patrimonial principalities that had been given to Bavaria (Tyrol and Voralberg) and either neutralizing Germany or Italy.

So if Nappy is clever enough to connect the dots, he will go for a neutralization if the Rhine confederacy he had established in Germany and will loosen his control over the kingdom of Italy.

Britain will want the restoration of an independent Dutch State and Nappy will easily agree to it.

Continental blockade, which also was a retaliatory measure to naval blockade and harassment, will of course end like the British naval blockade.

Spain remains independent under the Bourbons and friendly.

Joseph remains king in Naples and the Bourbons in Sicily.

So... give up essentially everything he's done to expand French power and influence than? Sorry, but this is as close to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory as you can get.
 
So... give up essentially everything he's done to expand French power and influence than? Sorry, but this is as close to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory as you can get.

I think you misunderstood Napoleon and the napoleonic wars.

Before his treacherous overthrow of the Spanish Bourbons and the beginning of the peninsular war, all wars fought by napoleonic France were defensive wars.

Napoleon took more because other European powers did not want France to keep less and so he thought that taking more guarantees and weakening rival powers would enable him to achieve lasting peace.

France retaining its 1806 borders and keeping friendly governments in Spain, the Italian kingdoms and the German States of the Rhine confederacy would still lead France far more powerful than it had ever been.

That’s the principles Talleyrand advocated : relative moderation in peace terms.
 
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