A New TL

I have been thinking about starting up a new timeline for some time now. The only question is, what should I write about? Like RoIF, I want to make this timeline centered around France, specifically in the 18th/19th centuries. Though it won't be all about France, the focus is mostly the France of that period. RoIF has a lot going for it, and I will slowly, slowly continue it, but it has lost a bit of its credibility. I thought I planned out and thought through things enough- quite evidently, I have not, which is one of the reasons why I am making a new TL. So, the point is, what do you guys think my new timeline should be about:


1. A Bourbon France that manages to defeat its rivals and survive the French Revolution, staying as one of the world's strongest powers through the 19th century.

2. France under the Orleanists, better known as the July Monarchy, surviving through the Revolution of 1848 and managing to recapture the glory that France once possessed.

3. Same thing RoIF was based on; imperial France surviving through the 19th century and beyond.

4. Other (please specify details)


One quick note, I was going to put this over in the Help section, but I find that it would be better for me to post it here because I can see the reactions and opinions of the Before 1900 community and see them discuss which option is the most interesting, so I posted it here. Thanks in advance!
 
1. While it could be interesting, "Bourbons survive Revolution, ergo more powerful" had been done to death. You'd need to make something of quality to be distinguished there.

2. "Orleans" and "glory" in the same sentance somewhat bugs me. [REJECTED]

3. Same than 1.

4. What about Bourbons not being able to deal with French Revolution, but managing to flee France, contrary as IOTL and not even trying to concily? With Feuillants being even more decredibilized than IOTL [Humiliation Conga!] meaning an clear Jacobin (Not to confuse Jacobins with Montagnards, both being parallel (while often compatible) concept) rise in an earlier Republican France?
Furthermore, with the King leading emigration in a foreign power, you may have radicals joining up with Girondins regarding a possible war.
 
1. While it could be interesting, "Bourbons survive Revolution, ergo more powerful" had been done to death. You'd need to make something of quality to be distinguished there.

2. "Orleans" and "glory" in the same sentance somewhat bugs me. [REJECTED]

3. Same than 1.

4. What about Bourbons not being able to deal with French Revolution, but managing to flee France, contrary as IOTL and not even trying to concily? With Feuillants being even more decredibilized than IOTL [Humiliation Conga!] meaning an clear Jacobin (Not to confuse Jacobins with Montagnards, both being parallel (while often compatible) concept) rise in an earlier Republican France?
Furthermore, with the King leading emigration in a foreign power, you may have radicals joining up with Girondins regarding a possible war.


I'm thinking about doing number 1, possibly with something similar to what you said for number 4. The only thing is, I would want the Bourbons ruling as a constitutional monarchy, and I'm really attached to the tricolor. Any ideas on how to plausibly shift France from the white-flag bearing Ancien Regime into a still-Bourbon, tricolor-waving constitutional monarchy?
 
I'm thinking about doing number 1, possibly with something similar to what you said for number 4. The only thing is, I would want the Bourbons ruling as a constitutional monarchy, and I'm really attached to the tricolor. Any ideas on how to plausibly shift France from the white-flag bearing Ancien Regime into a still-Bourbon, tricolor-waving constitutional monarchy?

Henri mans up and accepts the Tricolor whilst retaining the white lily flag as a personal royal standard.
 
Henri mans up and accepts the Tricolor whilst retaining the white lily flag as a personal royal standard.


Thanks, that would be great and all, but I'm looking for a constitutional Bourbon France sporting the Tricolor earlier in the 19th century, not in the 1870's. Any ideas on how to do that?
 
Thanks, that would be great and all, but I'm looking for a constitutional Bourbon France sporting the Tricolor earlier in the 19th century, not in the 1870's. Any ideas on how to do that?

Emperor Constantine had a TL called The Reign of the Miracle King where the child Henri V (as king) adopts a slightly tweaked tricolor. That said, there aren't a whole lot of July Monarchy threads lying around (so maybe Louis Philippe dies in the assassination attempt, the duc de Chartres succeeds as king and proves more amenable to change than his father, and also avoids his unfortunate carriage accident).
 
Any ideas on how to plausibly shift France from the white-flag bearing Ancien Regime into a still-Bourbon, tricolor-waving constitutional monarchy?

It would mean Louis XVI actually accepting the changes (that goes in a circular logic : there were great expectation from diverse classes since the beggining of his reign, and conceeding only gives room for more) and that would probably ask for a quite different personality with an early PoD (assuming Revolution still happening) and a contrdictory one with that : strong enough to face differents factions (court, parlementarians, high clergy, etc.) in order to allow himself to be weak enough to accept passivly the situation.
 
Other pro-Legitimist PODs could be that Madame Royal, duchesse d'Angoulême, really is pregnant when she believed she was with child (once in England in 1813, and again in France in 1819/1820). That Charles X dies before he succeeds or shortly thereafter, allowing for Louis XIX's English-minded rule. Or that the duc de Berri simply doesn't go to the Opéra that night.

Personally, I like the Angoulême's having a baby, though in 1813 is more likely than 1819/1820. In 1813 the duchesse is only 35, 3 years younger than Anne of Austria when Louis XIV was born, and 4 years younger than her grandmother, Empress Maria Theresia, when she gave birth to Archduke Max.
 
Other pro-Legitimist PODs could be that Madame Royal, duchesse d'Angoulême, really is pregnant when she believed she was with child (once in England in 1813, and again in France in 1819/1820). That Charles X dies before he succeeds or shortly thereafter, allowing for Louis XIX's English-minded rule. Or that the duc de Berri simply doesn't go to the Opéra that night.

Personally, I like the Angoulême's having a baby, though in 1813 is more likely than 1819/1820. In 1813 the duchesse is only 35, 3 years younger than Anne of Austria when Louis XIV was born, and 4 years younger than her grandmother, Empress Maria Theresia, when she gave birth to Archduke Max.

Whoa, this is good information. If she didn't have a miscarriage and gave birth to a son, do you think it's plausible to have him assume power in 1830? By then, he would be 17.
 
Most definitely. And also, this boy (call him Louis Charles, after her brother), will spend his formative years under Louis XVIII where his father's admiration of the English system doesn't seem so bad; true he's still got Madame Royal as his mother, but she was traditionalist enough to accept that Louis XVIII would be the power to dictate what education etc her son would have. Although, when Chateaubriand offered to educate the Cte de Chambord OTL, she flat out refused, and put the Count into the care of the Jesuits.

Likewise, Charles X might be seen as more a temporary (kinda like James II until it wasn't) reign, what with a more liberal son and grandson in prospect. However, if the July Revolution still happens, with the slew of abdications, Louis Philippe might find it a little more difficult to stand in the way of a 17/18yo, probably already married, than of a 10yo child.
 
If I can make a suggestion.

I dunno if this falls under the category of Number 1. But, what if Louis XVI did not flee to Varennes, but decides in a change of character, to stay and let the plans fall through. Perhaps a continued Constitutional Monarchy ala the French Kingdom of 1791?

Though a France that never suffers a French Revolution (either threw victory in the Seven Years War or through no American Revolution/No French Support) would also be interesting.
 
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