AHC: Make French the Lingua Franca of the world

A win by Napoleon in 1812 would do it. Perhaps better Trafalgar even leads to an invasion of Britain? (19th century)

If earlier... Louis XIV does better in his wars in the 1600s?

Even earlier :p

Charlemagne-wank. He somehow marries Empress Irene and his descendants inherit both empires. Something similar to French becomes the dominant language? This empire continues to expand and spread its culture... ec cetera.
 
A win by Napoleon in 1812 would do it. Perhaps better Trafalgar even leads to an invasion of Britain? (19th century)

If earlier... Louis XIV does better in his wars in the 1600s?

Even earlier :p

Charlemagne-wank. He somehow marries Empress Irene and his descendants inherit both empires. Something similar to French becomes the dominant language? This empire continues to expand and spread its culture... ec cetera.
A Napoleonic Victory is certainly the easiest. French was still basically a global lingua franca until WWI. Why you have the King of England, the German Kaiser, and the Russian Czar all writing to each other in French although none of them are French.
 
A Napoleonic victory, something that decisively results in the displacement of Britain by France as the leading power of the West, would do it. Earlier PODs in the 17th or 18th century could also do it: What if the French won the Seven Years War, for instance?
 

longsword14

Banned
Louis XIV during the 17th century decides to favour maritime explorations and settlements. Start something small but has a large populations base in the new world. By the time mid 18th century rolls around France will have to concentrate more on their colonies.
If they manage to get a France dominated piece of land then it becomes impossible for French to be dislodged as at least one of the two major languages of the world.
 
For France to became lingua franca (franca? From were this term come? :) ) at least two things are needed:
- France to remain the dominant European power
- to beat the British in the colonial game to a large marge
 

longsword14

Banned
For France to became lingua franca (franca? From were this term come? :) ) at least two things are needed:
- France to remain the dominant European power
- to beat the British in the colonial game to a large marge
The first condition does not demand much more than what France under the Bourbons managed to do, giving the language a strong reputation throughout Europe. If Germany comes together in a different manner then I expect it to be even stronger.
Now if only the people living inside France produced as many children as the English and Germans did during the 19th century....
 
A France that became, or remained, the European hegemon could well have very different demographic trends compared to OTL. If nothing else, there's always the possibility of immigration.
 
I think that was in English. The Willy-Nicky Telegrams, by William II and Nicholas II, was in English.

I've always read most if them in French. Maybe some were in English but I've read letters of theirs in French. It'd be mighty strange for them to be translated into French.

Another example is during the siege of Peking everyone spoke French to each other including the relief force.
 
The USA, thankful for French help in the ARW, and hopeful for eventual rebellion in Quebec and their joining, the Articles of Confederation are written declaring that French will become the official language and all government documents are to be bilingual for 10 years and then only in French. The US Constitution is then written in French, and an official English translation but it's clear the French original is dominant for court decisions if the English translation, translations often being imperfect, perhaps has a wording implying something different than the original. With French dominance of the US, one sees French spread worldwide and possibly even stronger in western Canada. This could even cause changes to history in Mexico 1860s and French is a common second language there today.
 

Deleted member 97083

The USA, thankful for French help in the ARW, and hopeful for eventual rebellion in Quebec and their joining, the Articles of Confederation are written declaring that French will become the official language and all government documents are to be bilingual for 10 years and then only in French. The US Constitution is then written in French, and an official English translation but it's clear the French original is dominant for court decisions if the English translation, translations often being imperfect, perhaps has a wording implying something different than the original. With French dominance of the US, one sees French spread worldwide and possibly even stronger in western Canada. This could even cause changes to history in Mexico 1860s and French is a common second language there today.
That would be cool, but almost inconceivable due to the low population of French speakers in the US. Even adopting German would be a stretch, and that had an actual significant population of speakers in Pennsylvania.
 
The USA, thankful for French help in the ARW, and hopeful for eventual rebellion in Quebec and their joining, the Articles of Confederation are written declaring that French will become the official language and all government documents are to be bilingual for 10 years and then only in French. The US Constitution is then written in French, and an official English translation but it's clear the French original is dominant for court decisions if the English translation, translations often being imperfect, perhaps has a wording implying something different than the original. With French dominance of the US, one sees French spread worldwide and possibly even stronger in western Canada. This could even cause changes to history in Mexico 1860s and French is a common second language there today.

This is not a possibility, not least because Francophones are such a small minority of the American population.
 
Send a lot more people to New France. The dominant language of North America will be the global lingua franca.
What makes a global lingua franca is not being the language of the greatest economy. Being the language that two or more nations, in communicating officially, decide to use a language that is not dominant in any of those nations or the nation they are summiting in. Greatest example is that OPEC meets in Vienna, but use English as their official language when realistically using Arabic would probably be easier.

There's no reason to suggest New France would impose their will on the world culturally similar to the USA wank of OTL.
 
What makes a global lingua franca is not being the language of the greatest economy. Being the language that two or more nations, in communicating officially, decide to use a language that is not dominant in any of those nations or the nation they are summiting in. Greatest example is that OPEC meets in Vienna, but use English as their official language when realistically using Arabic would probably be easier.

There's no reason to suggest New France would impose their will on the world culturally similar to the USA wank of OTL.

Actually I'd argue that it is. It's not only an issue of economics, though; the United States has enormous military and cultural influence ("hard" and "soft" power) so it is in the interests of people elsewhere to learn its language - especially since Americans rarely speak other languages (partly due to being isolated geographically, in North America). If you need to do business with Americans and you can't expect them to know your language, you'll have to learn theirs. Nowadays, English is studied in every country in the world, so it's a logical choice for a global lingua franca. In the case of OPEC, while many of its members speak Arabic, others (like Venezuela) don't speak it at all.

French was the dominant language of diplomacy for the same historic reason. France once was the demographic powerhouse of Europe and the dominant military power. It had enormous prestige, and so aristocrats across the continent learned its language (sometimes better than their own national language, as in the case of the Prussian/Russian royal houses). French remained a dominant language in Europe well into the 20th century; it was the main language of the EEC before the UK joined. If a powerful francophone nation had emerged in North America, French could have kept this advantage to the present day.
 
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longsword14

Banned
Actually I'd argue that it is. It's not only an issue of economics, though; the United States has enormous military and cultural influence ("hard" and "soft" power) so it is in the interests of people elsewhere to learn its language - especially since Americans rarely speak other languages (partly due to being isolated geographically, in North America). If you need to do business with Americans and you can't expect them to know your language, you'll have to learn theirs. Nowadays, English is studied in every country in the world, so it's a logical choice for a global lingua franca. In the case of OPEC, while many of its members speak Arabic, others (like Venezuela) don't speak it at all.

French was the dominant language of diplomacy for the same historic reason. France once was the demographic powerhouse of Europe and the dominant military power. It had enormous prestige, and so aristocrats across the continent learned its language (sometimes better than their own national language, as in the case of the Prussian/Russian royal houses). French remained a dominant language in Europe well into the 20th century; it was the main language of the EEC before the UK joined. If a powerful francophone nation had emerged in North America, French could have kept this advantage to the present day.
France with a larger colonial interests would definitely dominate, plus remember that having a powerful nation with a stronger economy speaking English led to English becoming quite important in the post-war world (and this country is not the UK).
In case French is the language in the Western Hemisphere then I expect the far east (China,Japan etc.) to use it much more than any other language.
 
Actually I'd argue that it is. It's not only an issue of economics, though; the United States has enormous military and cultural influence ("hard" and "soft" power) so it is in the interests of people elsewhere to learn its language - especially since Americans rarely speak other languages (partly due to being isolated geographically, in North America). If you need to do business with Americans and you can't expect them to know your language, you'll have to learn theirs. Nowadays, English is studied in every country in the world, so it's a logical choice for a global lingua franca. In the case of OPEC, while many of its members speak Arabic, others (like Venezuela) don't speak it at all.

French was the dominant language of diplomacy for the same historic reason. France once was the demographic powerhouse of Europe and the dominant military power. It had enormous prestige, and so aristocrats across the continent learned its language (sometimes better than their own national language, as in the case of the Prussian/Russian royal houses). French remained a dominant language in Europe well into the 20th century; it was the main language of the EEC before the UK joined. If a powerful francophone nation had emerged in North America, French could have kept this advantage to the present day.
I disagree about your assumption that the largest economy will by default be the lingua franca. Lingua franca of the Persian Empire wasn't an Iranian language, it was Aramaic (at that point Persia and majority of the world are pretty much the same thing, even China has never had as large of a percentage of the world's people or GDP as the Persians did at their heyday).

Only way to prove it is wait 100 years and see if Chinese ever becomes a lingua franca; im betting no. Resume this convo in 100 years?
 
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