Let's assume Napoleon is victorious by any means necessary; say his invasion of Russia is a success. This means that the Confederation of the Rhine continues to exist and that Austria and Prussia are weakened. How does the German states play out, including any German unification, if it happens at all?
fate of Germanies after Napoleonic victory
- Thread starter Mike
- Start date
I've always liked the idea that Napoleonic nationalism translates into Germany, especially with the foundation of the Confederation of the Rhine, resulting in an earlier unification of the greater German state and as a consequence the destruction of the French Empire.
Except the Confederation of the Rhine was a military alliance made for the convenience for Napoleon and nothing else... 
If France maintains hegemony in the coming decades, assume German nationalism will have strains that are Francophobe in the extreme. Die Wacht am Rhein and the like. I'd take a guess and say a Napoleonic creation, like Westphalia would be the center of riots as time goes on. The heavy use of French officials in its government did nothing to court the interest of locals.
If France maintains hegemony in the coming decades, assume German nationalism will have strains that are Francophobe in the extreme. Die Wacht am Rhein and the like. I'd take a guess and say a Napoleonic creation, like Westphalia would be the center of riots as time goes on. The heavy use of French officials in its government did nothing to court the interest of locals.
From the treaties of Westphalia on, France's policy was keeping the HRE divided.
Contrarily to what some historians wrote with hindsight, the Rhine confederacy did not pave the way to german unification. If Napoleon had won, then what we know ad Germany would have remained divided.
German unity was made through wars and prussian victories.
Even the movements of the first half of the 19th century were largely due to the fact that the 6th coalition not only created an opportunity to get free of the heavy demands french hegemony imposed to german States. It even forced the true strategic allies of France like Bavaria and Saxony to change sides.
Contrarily to what some historians wrote with hindsight, the Rhine confederacy did not pave the way to german unification. If Napoleon had won, then what we know ad Germany would have remained divided.
German unity was made through wars and prussian victories.
Even the movements of the first half of the 19th century were largely due to the fact that the 6th coalition not only created an opportunity to get free of the heavy demands french hegemony imposed to german States. It even forced the true strategic allies of France like Bavaria and Saxony to change sides.
Bismarck himself credited the Confederation of the Rhine with helping make German reunification possible.
(bump)
Someone must have some insight of the complexities of the German states, on how they would support an Austria or a Prussia for a greater Germany? In this TL I'm proposing, both Austria and Prussia have been weakened compared to OTL and France has expanded its borders to the Rhine. How do the German states react to that and to a three-way split between the Confederation of the Rhine, Austria and Prussia?
Someone must have some insight of the complexities of the German states, on how they would support an Austria or a Prussia for a greater Germany? In this TL I'm proposing, both Austria and Prussia have been weakened compared to OTL and France has expanded its borders to the Rhine. How do the German states react to that and to a three-way split between the Confederation of the Rhine, Austria and Prussia?