L’Aigle Triomphant: A Napoleonic Victory TL

[Kurd Gossemer]

I don't know, maybe north africa, the piracy in the mediteranean won't be tolerated for much longer and with french better demographic it might be enought to frenchify the region.
I really don't know where France would get a settler colonies at this point.

Honestly, they have the kingdom of Holland as their ally/puppet state and the Cape colony is still very much restricted to the Southern edges, so France grabbing the the area of otl Namibia all the way towards otl eastern and northeastern south Africa (which would come with the areas of Zimbabwe, Botswana and southern Mozambique), which has abundant natural resources (ESPECIALLY gold and diamonds) and are very fertile land as well as securing a pathway to India.

As for North Africa, I'd say let the Spanish deal with that one, think it's another crusade and let them get stuck in the quagmire of nasty guerrilla warfare and "pacification of the local population"

 

[Xgentis]

Honestly, they have the kingdom of Holland as their ally/puppet state and the Cape colony is still very much restricted to the Southern edges, so France grabbing the the area of otl Namibia all the way towards otl eastern and northeastern south Africa (which would come with the areas of Zimbabwe, Botswana and southern Mozambique), which has abundant natural resources (ESPECIALLY gold and diamonds) and are very fertile land as well as securing a pathway to India.

As for North Africa, I'd say let the Spanish deal with that one, think it's another crusade and let them get stuck in the quagmire of nasty guerrilla warfare and "pacification of the local population"

Sadly I doubt any strong french government will pass up the mean to increase their control of the mediteranean. Spain might not always be a french ally and I suspect France would rather not allow it's sea access to be blocaded that easily again. So controling part of the north african coast make perfect sense.

 

[Kurd Gossemer]

Sadly I doubt any strong french government will pass up the mean to increase their control of the mediteranean. Spain might not always be a french ally and I suspect France would rather not allow it's sea access to be blocaded that easily again. So controling part of the north african coast make perfect sense.

In that case, Morocco is probably the best option, gives access to both seas and has a decent amount of farmland in it.

 

[Gabingston]

Sadly I doubt any strong french government will pass up the mean to increase their control of the mediteranean. Spain might not always be a french ally and I suspect France would rather not allow it's sea access to be blocaded that easily again. So controling part of the north african coast make perfect sense.

I think the Med is and should be the biggest priority for France's naval policy. Maybe they can build TTL's Suez Canal.

 

[Gabingston]

Also, with Brazil getting it's first share of immigrants coming in, I can imagine a lot of them coming not only from Iberia, but also Catholic Germany, Austrian empire (especially Hungarians and Croats) as well as Poles and Baltics fleeing Russian persecution, probably Jews too since Pedro is already being groomed for taking ownership (or even doing things in his father's place given João's indecisive nature) and despite making Catholicism the official religion of Brazil, the first official synagogue was open during his reign as well as the fact he didn't have any sort of animosity against them, we could see Brazil actually have a significant Jewish population.

I could see a large Sephardic Jewish population in that case, due to their Iberian origins (even if they did mostly live in the Ottoman Empire by this time due to the expulsions that took place at the end of the 15th Century). The Ashkenazi would probably come later, although I still think they'll mostly go to North America and maybe the Dutch Cape Colony.

 

[Xgentis]

I think the Med is and should be the biggest priority for France's naval policy. Maybe they can build TTL's Suez Canal.

At least the western part should be made a french lake, still the Atlantic and the North Sea cannot be neglected, trade with the Americas will will increase and France will have to be able to protect it's trade links.
The british navy is still the biggest threat to France and can still shoke it's economy, the french will need to be able to rival the the royal navy in the long run.

 

[Alpha-King98760]

It’s be pretty interesting if the Summer of 1816 leads to a massive flight of Irish to Brazil.

 

[Xgentis]

It will take until 1818 for the weather to go back to normal. In fact 1818 had an excellent harvest.

 

[thenextguy]

Mount Tambora in the British East Indies

When did the Brits pick up the Lesser Sundas? Am I forgetting something?

 

[Xgentis]

When did the Brits pick up the Lesser Sundas? Am I forgetting something?

They did not give back the Dutch East Indies because they stayed in the french alliance.

 

[Azureora]

After the usual offers of employment for state construction, you could also offer pay for military reservists training. IE, have the people participate in military exercises, much better then simply having them dig holes and filling them up.

Edit: A military solution, to an economic/social problem.

 

[Xgentis]

In that case, Morocco is probably the best option, gives access to both seas and has a decent amount of farmland in it.

No because the barbary states piracy must be ended and Morocco isn't enought to stop it. Algier, Tunis and Tripoli must be neutralized if the mediteranean slaves trade is to be destroyed.

 

[Kurd Gossemer]

No because the barbary states piracy must be ended and Morocco isn't enought to stop it. Algier, Tunis and Tripoli must be neutralized if the mediteranean slaves trade is to be destroyed.

Thing is, French invasion of Algeria started mostly because the reinstalled bourbon kings needed something to give them legitimacy to the people and this had the best casus beli ("moorish slavers attacking good christians"), in here, Napoleon doesn't need to prove himself to anyone so there's no reason for him to go and start a costly war against a resistant population for no gain other than some coastal strip.

Like I said, it's better to build up the French navy and have them gain experience by patrolling the Mediterranean and using allied and satellite states harbours to strike at them, and to let the Spanish actually deal with the costs of brutalizing and colonizing those areas, it gives them something to do, would "rally the people around the flag" and gives a excellent opportunity for French businesses to sell guns and other necessities to the Spanish given they're still lagging behind, it's easy, it's cheap and it allows France to wash any hands in accusations of "war mongering" "barbaric crimes against the local population" and "building their armies for disrupting the balance of power"

 

[Xgentis]

Thing is, French invasion of Algeria started mostly because the reinstalled bourbon kings needed something to give them legitimacy to the people and this had the best casus beli ("moorish slavers attacking good christians"), in here, Napoleon doesn't need to prove himself to anyone so there's no reason for him to go and start a costly war against a resistant population for no gain other than some coastal strip.

Like I said, it's better to build up the French navy and have them gain experience by patrolling the Mediterranean and using allied and satellite states harbours to strike at them, and to let the Spanish actually deal with the costs of brutalizing and colonizing those areas, it gives them something to do, would "rally the people around the flag" and gives a excellent opportunity for French businesses to sell guns and other necessities to the Spanish given they're still lagging behind, it's easy, it's cheap and it allows France to wash any hands in accusations of "war mongering" "barbaric crimes against the local population" and "building their armies for disrupting the balance of power"

Let's agree to disagree.

 

[Gabingston]

Let's agree to disagree.

Dang it, man, you could've used the Anchorman GIF.

Spoiler: The Anchorman GIF

 

[Xgentis]

Dang it, man, you could've used the Anchorman GIF.

Spoiler: The Anchorman GIF

I would if I ever watched that movie.

 

[Azureora]

Let's agree to disagree.

Well it is Algeria, a country with massive desert borders and a significantly differing culture and religion. I don’t forsee how conquering and holding that territory would be anyway beneficial to Napoleonic France.

 

[Xgentis]

Well it is Algeria, a country with massive desert borders and a significantly differing culture and religion. I don’t forsee how conquering and holding that territory would be anyway beneficial to Napoleonic France.

It stop the pirates from raiding the mediteranean.

 

[TheCataphract]

It stop the pirates from raiding the mediteranean.

That is a good point. At least in holding the ports, you can end piracy that has been at times ruinous for the Mediterranean economy since the fall of Roman Africa.

 

[Xgentis]

That is a good point. At least in holding the ports, you can end piracy that has been at times ruinous for the Mediterranean economy since the fall of Roman Africa.

OTL in ended with the french invasion of Algeria in 1830. I don't see any other way for it to end. They are still nominaly Ottoman subjects but it has little power to do anything, worse they are a big purchaser of mediteranean slaves.
Morroco already supreced piracy so invading them is useless, better forge friendly relations with them.