Alternate Napoleon WI

I've been reading book about the French Revolution the Napoleonic Wars called War of Wars. It mentions that Napoleon expressed interest in becomming a sailor, as well as the necessary mathematical skills and only went into the Army because there was no room in the French Navy. But what if he had been able to join the French Navy? How would Admiral Bonaparte have fared against Admiral Nelson?
 
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Is this the one by Robert Harvey- a work of genius. Anyway, he might have just become a normal officer; he might not have any hand in any Corsican insurrections for example. His skills in mathematics might not have served him well in the Navy- typical tactics were to simply aim the cannons either at the rigging or the other gun crews.
One word: NAVIGATION.
 

Thande

Donor
One word: NAVIGATION.

Indeed, naval captains tended to be extraordinarily proficient in maths in this era. I wonder if Boney would have become more of a Surcouf-type captain in the French navy, going to the ends of the Earth and raiding with a frigate? I don't think he'd have liked having a ship of the line and being stuck in set-piece battles (though once he made admiral, I could see him doing the same revolutionary ninety-degree attack tactic as Nelson in OTL).
 
A naval Napoleon is definately an interesting idea...

All the conditions are still right for him to rapidly rise through the ranks of the Navy; IIRC the naval officer corps suffered from emigration just as much as the army, and I'd expect Napoleon will still be quite tactically brilliant, which should give him opportunities to advance.

On the other hand, he probably would not have nearly so many opportunities for glory and renown as he had in the army; assuming his friendship with Augustin Robespierre its not butterflied away we might see Napoleon's career cut short during the Thermidorean Reaction. If that's not an issue, he's still unlikely to have the chance to crush the Vendemiaire uprising, so he would need to find some sort of other opportunity to rise in status.
 
Is this the one by Robert Harvey- a work of genius. Anyway, he might have just become a normal officer; he might not have any hand in any Corsican insurrections for example. His skills in mathematics might not have served him well in the Navy- typical tactics were to simply aim the cannons either at the rigging or the other gun crews.

Yes, this WI was inspired by War of Wars by Robert Harvey and yes its pretty good book so far.
 
Indeed, naval captains tended to be extraordinarily proficient in maths in this era. I wonder if Boney would have become more of a Surcouf-type captain in the French navy, going to the ends of the Earth and raiding with a frigate? I don't think he'd have liked having a ship of the line and being stuck in set-piece battles (though once he made admiral, I could see him doing the same revolutionary ninety-degree attack tactic as Nelson in OTL).

I'm inclined to agree. I don't think he would have liked just being another captain, but give him some free reign and he may very well be a match Nelson. You can't tell that Nelson vs Napoleon wouldn't be an interesting sea battle.
 
If Napoleon joins the navy, he probably succeeds in his application to join La Pérouse's 1785 voyage of exploration. If Napoleon isn't one of the men lost at Lituya Bay, Alaska in 1786 or killed by Samoans in 1787, then he disappears with the rest of the expediton in 1788. Any attempts by TTL's Alternate History Discussion Board to use this obscure character are dismissed as ASBs.:D
 
If Napoleon joins the navy, he probably succeeds in his application to join La Pérouse's 1785 voyage of exploration. If Napoleon isn't one of the men lost at Lituya Bay, Alaska in 1786 or killed by Samoans in 1787, then he disappears with the rest of the expediton in 1788. Any attempts by TTL's Alternate History Discussion Board to use this obscure character are dismissed as ASBs.:D

Ah, but would having Napoleon on the crew alter the outcome of La Perouse's expeditions?
 
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