Can Napoleon Personally Salvage Spain After Victory at Leipzig?

IMO, Napoleon knew he couldn't win in Spain. that's why he never went back. It wasn't a campaign that lent itself to victory by winning a decisive battle.
 
What it says. Say French forces captured the Tsar and the Prussian King, using them to put an end to that coalition.

No. The problem in Spain wasn't the lack of French victories but the black hole of men and resources that the Peninsular War had become. He could had won every battle but he would still be fighting a losing war against the Guerrillas.
 
IMO, Napoleon knew he couldn't win in Spain. that's why he never went back. It wasn't a campaign that lent itself to victory by winning a decisive battle.

This, pretty much. If Napoleon ever thought he could win in Spain by going there personally he would have done so in the three years between the treaty of Schonbrunn and the invasion of Russia.

In any case, with the exception of Catalonia which had been bypassed (and annexed to France anyway) there's nothing left of Spain to salvage - the Duke of Wellington had forced the French border and crossed into France almost two weeks before Leipzig. Napoleon would have to start again from scratch with an exhausted army consisting mostly of teenage conscripts against Wellington's veteran force. Not happening, sorry.
 

longsword14

Banned
Could have entered sooner but it would be reset and the ulcer continues. Napoleon kicks the British around for a campaign, they evacuate due to control over the waters. Possibly Suchet's base in Catalonia is reinforced and pacification is achieved, but it is like swatting flies, no real center of mass to hit.
 
Napoléon could make an earlier Treaty of Valençay (OTL Decembre 1813). In this situation, his army would not be "foreign oppressors" but "legitimate king backers", turning the table on Wellington.

Without an alliance of diplomacy and force he could not do much.
 
Napoléon could make an earlier Treaty of Valençay (OTL Decembre 1813). In this situation, his army would not be "foreign oppressors" but "legitimate king backers", turning the table on Wellington.

Without an alliance of diplomacy and force he could not do much.

The British had recognised Ferdinand VII as the legitimate king of Spain since the abdications of Bayonne. Napoleon coming slightly less late to the party wouldn't change a thing. The only significant delays on him returning to Spain were imposed by the Spanish government (they wanted him to accept the 1812 constitution first), not the British.
 

longsword14

Banned
Napoléon could make an earlier Treaty of Valençay (OTL Decembre 1813). In this situation, his army would not be "foreign oppressors" but "legitimate king backers", turning the table on Wellington.

Without an alliance of diplomacy and force he could not do much.
True, but the time was long past. If he backs Ferdinand then he has done all this for nothing.
Joseph would be happy to be rid of the headache though.
 
The British had recognised Ferdinand VII as the legitimate king of Spain since the abdications of Bayonne. Napoleon coming slightly less late to the party wouldn't change a thing. The only significant delays on him returning to Spain were imposed by the Spanish government (they wanted him to accept the 1812 constitution first), not the British.

True, but the time was long past. If he backs Ferdinand then he has done all this for nothing.
Joseph would be happy to be rid of the headache though.

Except Napoléon would be entering Spain with an army and the spanish King as "honored guest". Wellington would have his army only.
 
If Fernando had come back to Spain how an Nappy ally and with the French army backed him ... It's basically the best way for become the spanish campaign in a three sides war.
 

longsword14

Banned
If Fernando had come back to Spain how an Nappy ally and with the French army backed him ... It's basically the best way for become the spanish campaign in a three sides war.
Remember French intervention under the Bourbons? It managed to cut out the support completely for the Republicans because of who it was backing.
 
Remember French intervention under the Bourbons? It managed to cut out the support completely for the Republicans because of who it was backing.

However,we can not forget that Fernando would have returned to a country that had undergone a civil uprising... that had triggered in a war of independence that had fought both in a traditional and in an irregular way.

Also, he must face with a government of "national unity" organized for avoiding the continuation of the political power's void, govern and give direction for the war and the coordination with the British in the fight against Nappy and to which the units of the Spanish (that remained in Spain) army were loyal.

Just as Fernando had to take into account the people that were or decided went to the hills in the deep Spaniard countryside to fight and who were 'busy' killing how many soldiers of Nappy, could they reach. Beyond the more organized guerrilla bands, without more motivation or ideology than their shared hatred and desires of revenge against the invader...

Given the previous context it would be very difficult and unlikely that supporters of Fernando the 'Indeseado' (rejected) and his French ally (or puppet's masters) would gain control of the country and / or cut off any support to their opponents (who were not republican nor against the monarchy) also by whom he lost all his legitimacy and honor when he chose to join the french enemy and to return to the country with another Napoleonic army and to try to begin to reign / govern returning to the previous status quo Shameful and clownish like seemed the events of 1808...
As if "Time would not have elapsed," and his subjects would not have been fighting for years in a war against the French invasion and occupation.
Of course given his selfishness, intelligence level and love of rule that an absolutist king would very likely be if he had the opportunity or the offer of Nappy...he would have done so.

In view of the above, his only support would necessarily and ironically have come from two of the most opposing and irreconcilable Spanish groups / factions: the ultra conservative loyalists and those denominated contemptuously as 'Afrancesados' ( 'french turned') how as they were called to the francophiles, collaborators and / or sympathizers of the french illustration ideas; but by extension was broad and was used to name all the spaniards collaborators)...

Assuming, of course, that even among the conservatives and supporters of the old regime the support to him could have been unanimous or at least from the majority (rather dubious).
And that they acceptance of the new alliance / surrender of Ferdinand to the French enemy and desires from joined to the 'Afrancesados' faction; that is even more doubtful.
 
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