AHC: Napoleon wins the Peninsular War

Capturing the Braganza Portuguese royal family is going to be tough. They had been planning their escape for quite a while, fairly seriously since the War of Oranges several years earlier, and knew an invasion was coming well in advance. All they basically had to do is board the ships and leave. The French were racing hell bent for leather as fast as they could, leaving cannon behind in their haste, and still couldn't get there in time.

Not sure it really mattered anyway. Not like the colonies would have gone to France. Britain would have snagged them for herself.

Not securing the country and allowing the lines of Torres Vedras to be built gave the Brits a base to operate from. That was a big mistake.
 
Honestly this was more a case of "the only winning move is simply not to play."

If a Peninsular War were to happen though, I feel the only best way I can imagine it playing out is just have Ferdinand be allowed to depose his father and remove Godoy. Since Ferdinand was pro-British anyway, just have France trounce them and gain territory at their expense, but keep Ferdinand on the throne.

Basically just treat the matter as if fighting Prussia, Russia or Austria really.
 
Honestly this was more a case of "the only winning move is simply not to play."

If a Peninsular War were to happen though, I feel the only best way I can imagine it playing out is just have Ferdinand be allowed to depose his father and remove Godoy. Since Ferdinand was pro-British anyway, just have France trounce them and gain territory at their expense, but keep Ferdinand on the throne.

Basically just treat the matter as if fighting Prussia, Russia or Austria really.
Napoleon is going to want all of Iberia in the continental system and that still requires an occupation of Portugal and a more cooperative Spanish government.
 
Honestly this was more a case of "the only winning move is simply not to play."

If a Peninsular War were to happen though, I feel the only best way I can imagine it playing out is just have Ferdinand be allowed to depose his father and remove Godoy. Since Ferdinand was pro-British anyway, just have France trounce them and gain territory at their expense, but keep Ferdinand on the throne.

Basically just treat the matter as if fighting Prussia, Russia or Austria really.
a nitpick: treating the matter as if fighting Prussia is still playing the game, and it's a game that needs to be played. Spain was becoming more and more unreliable as an ally and needed to be knocked down a peg. Nap obviously misjudged the ability to install Joseph, and then misplayed implementing it. But, that wasn't the only option in the game.
 
Napoleon is going to want all of Iberia in the continental system and that still requires an occupation of Portugal and a more cooperative Spanish government.
the continental system is a game he never should have played. Too impossible to implement because he couldn't enforce it 100% and couldn't lose face by not enforcing it 100%. Portugal was not critical to success, but he couldn't allow Portugal to not adhere to it. He could have taken Portugal if he hadn't tied it to taking over Spain, but even shutting off Portugal, and cowing Spain would not prevent leaks in the system elsewhere.
 

longsword14

Banned
the continental system is a game he never should have played.
Too true. All it did was screw coastal European merchants when it did not leak. Have to wonder what Napoleon thought he would do after getting into Russia ? Make the Russians pinky-promise not to trade ?
Place his officials in every port in Europe ?
 
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