L’Aigle Triomphant: A Napoleonic Victory TL

Nearby Passau:

Envoy: Sir, dire news! The Poles have defeated Schwarzenberg, and forced him into a retreat.

Archduke Charles: Well, that isn't exactly good news, but at least his army is intact...

Envoy: Further, most of the Prussian army has been destroyed at Leipzig, and King Fridrich has been captured.

Archduke Charles (as recorded by historians): It seems that the spirit of Friedrich II. is truly dead.

Archduke Charles (in reality): ..... "curses entirely inapropriate for a Habsburg prince"

More seriously, quite the good job. Makes sense that the allied armies would attack from further West, instead of the more successfull OTL approach taken by the Austrians. And the additional years were clearly well used by Poniatowski (Davout must be quite happy). I have the strangest feeling, that the house of Brandenburg is not geting another miracle, and Prussias partition is going to be... very much not pretty. Now, Austria is the last continental powert against Napoleon, and while the Archduke will likely have had much more time and success in his reforms, he has to face the full might of a very angry Napoleon. Will be interesting to see how it ends.

Interesing fact, Schwarzenberg and Poniatowski were good friends, having known each other from the latters time in Austrian services against the Ottomans. They kept up correspondence, and Schwarzenberg expressed his deep sadness after Poniatowski's death.
Indeed. The one saving grace for Charles, of course, is that Napoleon is all the way up in Berlin while he's still plotting ways to attack Passau (and as May arrives, looping through Klatovy to strike through Cham could be an option, though that brings him dangerously close to the French up north). Fighting a multi-theater war is not going to be feasible much longer.

That is pretty interesting! I did not know that. In that case, I'd have to imagine that after the war Schwarzenberg and Poniatowski regard their clash at Czechostowa as a gentlemanly bout between friends in which one proved his mettle and intelligence as a man and warrior, rather than anything that could produce a feud.
 
I imagine East Prussia and Brandenburg will be split up and at least the “Brandenburg” portion territorially reduced even further. Probably a Marshal or family member of Napoleon on one or both of them too.
 
I imagine East Prussia and Brandenburg will be split up and at least the “Brandenburg” portion territorially reduced even further. Probably a Marshal or family member of Napoleon on one or both of them too.
Send Berthier to Brandenburg and Frederick William to Neuchatel.
 
Glad to see this back. So Prussia falls... And they fall hard, I almost don't want to see the resulting peace treaty, almost. Thanks for the new chapter!
 
Glad to see this back. So Prussia falls... And they fall hard, I almost don't want to see the resulting peace treaty, almost. Thanks for the new chapter!
Where’s the fun in not seeing Prussia’s comeuppance? 🤪 It won’t be the next update (which will instead cover the Italian theater) but the one after that.
 
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Where’s the fun in not seeing Prussia’s comeuppance? 🤪 It won’t be the next update (which will instead cover the Italian theater) but the one after that.
If Italy isn't going well either... Then it might be more in Austria's interests to sell Prussia down the river and hope to get Silesia.
 
(which will instead cover the Italian theater)
Speaking of Italy, who's in command there? Archduke John was with Scwarzenberg and Eugene is in Germany. Marmont migh still be in Dalmatia, and MacDonald in Italy, so likely one of them for the French? For the Austrians, the amount of options is rather large.
 
The reputation of a small, poor, agrarian state sandwiched between Germany and Poland and in the Russian sphere of influence that got wrekt by Nappy twice within 8 years for getting too big for its britches will be somewhere between bad and "a detail," yes. Well put!
How about a neutral “had been”? It is also kind of a reputation. 😜
 
Indeed. The one saving grace for Charles, of course, is that Napoleon is all the way up in Berlin while he's still plotting ways to attack Passau (and as May arrives, looping through Klatovy to strike through Cham could be an option, though that brings him dangerously close to the French up north). Fighting a multi-theater war is not going to be feasible much longer.

That is pretty interesting! I did not know that. In that case, I'd have to imagine that after the war Schwarzenberg and Poniatowski regard their clash at Czechostowa as a gentlemanly bout between friends in which one proved his mettle and intelligence as a man and warrior, rather than anything that could produce a feud.
Nothing unusual there: of course, Nappy was not a friend with Charles (or anybody else besides himself) but he described their relations as “honorable for both sides” and Charles was (IIRC) his proxy at the marriage ceremony in Vienna.
 
Seems like a good solution, then
But (a) at least in OTL Nappy did not give a state to those who were not family members and (b) this would make Berthier useless for him with a need for a replacement and probably serious reshuffling of the existing staff system, which was too much “Berthier-oriented” (look at how it functioned during the 100 Days).
 
Speaking of Italy, who's in command there? Archduke John was with Scwarzenberg and Eugene is in Germany. Marmont migh still be in Dalmatia, and MacDonald in Italy, so likely one of them for the French?
Don’t forget about Governor of the Rome (whatever his present title). 😜
 
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