Otl, France has long, long been on top of the world. The Rhinish conquests secured their eastern flank and gave Gaul one of the wealthiest industrial base of western Europe since the 17th century, and its colonial empire has long been beyond the others (especially after Spain collapsed). From India, the Kongo, Mozambique and Madagascar, the mighty Mississippi basin in the territory of Louisiana, arabia, even Indochina and malaya, nearly a quarter of the planet bows to paris. But is there anyway to sideline it? Not necessarily screw, though that would be interesting, just leave it so France isnt #1?

I feel like England might be our best bet. Otl, they were kinda screwed after Scotland, one of France's best buds, conquered most of ireland during the Hundred Years War, and had much more comparable manpower pools to england after the fact.
 

Dolan

Banned
Simple, prevent Henry II (Henry IV of England) from winning The Plantagenet War and gaining The French Throne, only for him to split up his Empire and give Kingdom of England to his second son, Thomas. (But obviously not an alternate Timeline where Henry choose to give everything to his son Henry III, that would make England merely a French province later on).

If the weak Valois Kings survived, the France would be kept in state of Warring Nobles, so much that they never had time to consolidate themselves.
 
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