This is an overhaul of my previous alternate history scenario. I feel that alternate Napoleonic Victories suffer the same nostalgic unrealism that often plagues WW2 alternate histories. Much like Nazi Germany, France had no realistic chance of invading the British Isle, fully-subjugating Russia, or the like. This is my take on a realistic successful Napoleonic Scenario, with a simple Point of Divergence where-by the French Empire is able to survive Napoleon for at least a few decades (maybe more, I'm not fully done).
Europe: 1825
Full Res Reddit Version:
Below is the heavily truncated summary of events to 1825. I welcome all variety of questions, advice, and feedback. While this is my pet project, it's an on-going one, I'm open to making changes if something is deemed to unrealistic (although I'll admit I made some choices just for fun). I will also be posting additional content for the next few weeks (more maps and lore).
(TLDR at bottom)
The point of divergence is that, in 1812, Napoleon decides to finish the Peninsular War in Iberia before invading Russia.
Russia, with no looming French Invasion, continues their war with the Ottomans. Russia secured the entire Danube Delta and Ottoman recognition of a tiny Serbian state. Ottoman decline accelerates from this prolonged war.
Napoleon still active, Britain refused to lift their embargo of American goods to continental Europe nor end impressment of American Citizens. The Burning of Washington, rather than encouraging a cessation of hostilities, was viewed by many Americans as an early 9/11. This, combined with General Jackson’s victory in the south, lead to a massive upsurge of moral and national hatred for the British, with British soldiers murdered in the streets by random Americans. The war dragged on until both exhausted sides agreed to status quo.
These years were no less strenuous for the French. What Napoleon expected would take one year took well over three. His military genius had little impact on Spanish guerrilla warfare. Napoleon trekked across Spain to reconquer territories that would slip back into enemy control sometime the day he left. Finally, however, Napoleon won, driving out the British and firmly stomping down on Spanish and Portuguese rebels.
Napoleon turned his sights to Russia in late 1816, but received an invitation from Greece. The Balkans, with wartime devastation, rising taxes, and successful breakaway of northern Serbia, faced mass agitation amongst Christians. Napoleon, intrigued with the possibility of seizing Ottoman Bosnia to form a friendly client state to apply pressure to Austria from the south, along with winning much needed clout among the philhellenic European aristocracy, agreed to aid the Greek Revolutionaries. After negotiations with the Ottomans failed, Napoleon declared war, diverting his army south.
Bosnians welcomed Napoleon’s arrival by ejecting ottoman garrisons and giving supplies. Terrified France would spark similar welcome everywhere on their march to Greece, the Ottomans felt forced to halt Napoleon's progress. The Ottomans met the French at Vares. Napoleon anticipated this desperate move and defeated them.
News of Vares spread, turning from a defeat to capture to annihilation, with French liberation of the entire Balkans imminent. Celebratory riots sprouted throughout the Balkans. The Ottomans, now with depleted garrisons, funds, and a demoralized army, were willing to part with Bosnia and Greece (IRL 1825 borders if the French withdrew.
In 1818 Napoleon once more turns his sights to Russia, and failed. Whether his declining health is due to the official diagnosis of stomach cancer, the culmination of stress and injuries he sustained in Spain, or if the British had succeeded in poisoning him, Napoleon would trust no one else to head the Russian Campaign, and he called it off. The last five years of his life in France were spent dictating his empire from a capital he left less and less often. The greatest general the world had ever known died in early 1823.
Napoleon dead, Prussia, Sweden, Austria, and Russia, with British backing, massed the 6th coalition to oust the Bonapartes from Europe once and for all. Their plan was a pincer movement. The Austrians would invade through Southern Germany while Prussia and Sweden would invade through northern Germany. Their hasty invasion proved miscalculated, however. Russia wasn’t given time to assemble their army. Napoleon was dead, but France still had its army, and its allies had no reason to rebel. The Austrians were halted outside Munich by Bavaria and the Prusso-Swede army was defeated at Frankfurt by the French.
The cracks in the French wall proved false, peace talks commenced. The result was the Peace of Paris. Napoleon’s son was technically Emperor, but he served the interests of the dominant cabal in French Politics, which sought to maintain a beneficial status quo, and discourage more coalitions. The key provisions thus were Switzerland was restored to pre-revolution borers and its neutrality respected. Stralsund was returned to Sweden. The continental system, a proven two-decade failure, was abolished. Austria, though it had broken three treaties with Napoleon, received part of its coastline back, in return for Slavonia. Finally, more radical elements of the Napoleonic Code were culled to dial down the “revolutionary” rhetoric used against France.
After finishing it’s international dealings, France looked inward. The abolition of the continental system made coast-occupation unnecessary. Napoleon’s brothers were restored to their kingdoms. France merged it’s Balkan holdings into an Illyrian Client state. Finally, Italy was reorganized into three easily manageable client kingdoms, with the Northern Kingdom of Italy in a direct personal Union with France.
Not everyone was happy, however. Britain refused any peace that didn’t return a balance of power to Europe (withdrawal from Spain, Germany, Italy, and the Low Countries) With no mainland allies, however, Britain could do nothing but continue an increasingly unpopular French blockade. Russia was unwilling to act alone, Sweden lacks the care, and Prussia and Austria are terrified of stated French repercussions should they break another peace treaty. Nor were the French People happy. The Bonapartes, looking more monarchical by the day, removed many rights in the Napoleonic Code in order to appease European Monarchies. In other words, France showed their neighbors they had no means of starting any more revolutions by killing their own. Regardless, by 1825 France remains King of the Continent.
The question remains, however, without Napoleon, can they keep it?
TLDR:
Napoleon decides to finish up Peninsular War before Russian Invasion. Peninsular War, Russo-Turkish War, and War of 1812 all last much longer. Napoleon again delays to invade vulnerable Ottomans for land. Napoleon is struck down with stomach cancer and unable to invade Russia, dies in 1823. A hasty 6th coalition fails and relative status quo is kept.
Again, comments and feedback are welcome.
Europe: 1825
Full Res Reddit Version:
Below is the heavily truncated summary of events to 1825. I welcome all variety of questions, advice, and feedback. While this is my pet project, it's an on-going one, I'm open to making changes if something is deemed to unrealistic (although I'll admit I made some choices just for fun). I will also be posting additional content for the next few weeks (more maps and lore).
(TLDR at bottom)
The point of divergence is that, in 1812, Napoleon decides to finish the Peninsular War in Iberia before invading Russia.
Russia, with no looming French Invasion, continues their war with the Ottomans. Russia secured the entire Danube Delta and Ottoman recognition of a tiny Serbian state. Ottoman decline accelerates from this prolonged war.
Napoleon still active, Britain refused to lift their embargo of American goods to continental Europe nor end impressment of American Citizens. The Burning of Washington, rather than encouraging a cessation of hostilities, was viewed by many Americans as an early 9/11. This, combined with General Jackson’s victory in the south, lead to a massive upsurge of moral and national hatred for the British, with British soldiers murdered in the streets by random Americans. The war dragged on until both exhausted sides agreed to status quo.
These years were no less strenuous for the French. What Napoleon expected would take one year took well over three. His military genius had little impact on Spanish guerrilla warfare. Napoleon trekked across Spain to reconquer territories that would slip back into enemy control sometime the day he left. Finally, however, Napoleon won, driving out the British and firmly stomping down on Spanish and Portuguese rebels.
Napoleon turned his sights to Russia in late 1816, but received an invitation from Greece. The Balkans, with wartime devastation, rising taxes, and successful breakaway of northern Serbia, faced mass agitation amongst Christians. Napoleon, intrigued with the possibility of seizing Ottoman Bosnia to form a friendly client state to apply pressure to Austria from the south, along with winning much needed clout among the philhellenic European aristocracy, agreed to aid the Greek Revolutionaries. After negotiations with the Ottomans failed, Napoleon declared war, diverting his army south.
Bosnians welcomed Napoleon’s arrival by ejecting ottoman garrisons and giving supplies. Terrified France would spark similar welcome everywhere on their march to Greece, the Ottomans felt forced to halt Napoleon's progress. The Ottomans met the French at Vares. Napoleon anticipated this desperate move and defeated them.
News of Vares spread, turning from a defeat to capture to annihilation, with French liberation of the entire Balkans imminent. Celebratory riots sprouted throughout the Balkans. The Ottomans, now with depleted garrisons, funds, and a demoralized army, were willing to part with Bosnia and Greece (IRL 1825 borders if the French withdrew.
In 1818 Napoleon once more turns his sights to Russia, and failed. Whether his declining health is due to the official diagnosis of stomach cancer, the culmination of stress and injuries he sustained in Spain, or if the British had succeeded in poisoning him, Napoleon would trust no one else to head the Russian Campaign, and he called it off. The last five years of his life in France were spent dictating his empire from a capital he left less and less often. The greatest general the world had ever known died in early 1823.
Napoleon dead, Prussia, Sweden, Austria, and Russia, with British backing, massed the 6th coalition to oust the Bonapartes from Europe once and for all. Their plan was a pincer movement. The Austrians would invade through Southern Germany while Prussia and Sweden would invade through northern Germany. Their hasty invasion proved miscalculated, however. Russia wasn’t given time to assemble their army. Napoleon was dead, but France still had its army, and its allies had no reason to rebel. The Austrians were halted outside Munich by Bavaria and the Prusso-Swede army was defeated at Frankfurt by the French.
The cracks in the French wall proved false, peace talks commenced. The result was the Peace of Paris. Napoleon’s son was technically Emperor, but he served the interests of the dominant cabal in French Politics, which sought to maintain a beneficial status quo, and discourage more coalitions. The key provisions thus were Switzerland was restored to pre-revolution borers and its neutrality respected. Stralsund was returned to Sweden. The continental system, a proven two-decade failure, was abolished. Austria, though it had broken three treaties with Napoleon, received part of its coastline back, in return for Slavonia. Finally, more radical elements of the Napoleonic Code were culled to dial down the “revolutionary” rhetoric used against France.
After finishing it’s international dealings, France looked inward. The abolition of the continental system made coast-occupation unnecessary. Napoleon’s brothers were restored to their kingdoms. France merged it’s Balkan holdings into an Illyrian Client state. Finally, Italy was reorganized into three easily manageable client kingdoms, with the Northern Kingdom of Italy in a direct personal Union with France.
Not everyone was happy, however. Britain refused any peace that didn’t return a balance of power to Europe (withdrawal from Spain, Germany, Italy, and the Low Countries) With no mainland allies, however, Britain could do nothing but continue an increasingly unpopular French blockade. Russia was unwilling to act alone, Sweden lacks the care, and Prussia and Austria are terrified of stated French repercussions should they break another peace treaty. Nor were the French People happy. The Bonapartes, looking more monarchical by the day, removed many rights in the Napoleonic Code in order to appease European Monarchies. In other words, France showed their neighbors they had no means of starting any more revolutions by killing their own. Regardless, by 1825 France remains King of the Continent.
The question remains, however, without Napoleon, can they keep it?
TLDR:
Napoleon decides to finish up Peninsular War before Russian Invasion. Peninsular War, Russo-Turkish War, and War of 1812 all last much longer. Napoleon again delays to invade vulnerable Ottomans for land. Napoleon is struck down with stomach cancer and unable to invade Russia, dies in 1823. A hasty 6th coalition fails and relative status quo is kept.
Again, comments and feedback are welcome.
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(don't worry, for mine western Europe will be more of a side dish than the main course, and Nap's not dead... just on a bit of an ummm... enforced vacation 