alternatehistory.com

This is largely influenced by work on this thread, and sort of overlaps with this one.

I've recently checked out the relevant chapter in Charles Esdaile's new book, and his take is that the peace's collapse rests solely on Nappy's shoulders, and that it was his German interventionism in particular that pushed the limits of the powers' tolerance. Overall, I was struck by a remark by the Foreign Minister Talleyrand that Napoleon "lost all caution" after the peace was made.

My thought is this: changing only Napoleon's level of caution -- meaning that his grand ambitions and such are left intact -- how long could Amiens plausibly hold out? What are the implications for the French Empire, for the world, and for the war that (may) break out when the peace does fall?
Top