By 1812 Napoleon was master of Europe, from Moscow to the Atlantic. The French Army under General Napoleon had crushed all in his wake and had the Russians on the run. The French were camped in Moscow waiting for a Russian surrender when after a week of waiting and no response he made his move against Russian positions in Penza and routed the Russians. The Russian Tzar Alexander I went missing in the chaos and his body was never recovered. He was succeeded by Tzar Constantine I who declared that their would be no surrender and moved across the Volga and set up shop. He ordered General Alexander Tormasov to stop running and fight. General Tormasov marshaled 200,000 Russian soldiers, 200 Cossacks and 300 artillery in Kazan and prepared his troops. He sent the soldiers into houses and shops lining the main road into Kazan, the Cossacks were sent behind a nearby hill to defend the guns that were also put up their, only to fire after the attack started.
When Napoleon and his Grand Army entered the town the Russians opened fire from their cover. The French were caught by surprise and were sent into disarray and some started to flee, Napoleon stayed and fought, inspiring his men to join him. The French guns wreaked havoc on the Russian guns, disabling or destroying most of them, then opened fire on Kazan. After a epic battle that went on for almost the entire day the Russians retreated from Kazan leaving Izhevesk, the current Russian capital, wide open to attack. General Tormasov advised that the Tzar come with his men and find a more suitable refuge, but Constantine refused.
Constantine had some sympathies with the French, and they only grew with each passing victory. After the Battle of Kazan the Tzar and Emperor Napoleon met in Volgograd to discuss peace terms. After 3 weeks of negotiations the Treaty of the River was signed and put into effect. Under the Treaty the Tzar would recognise Frances gaines in Europe, pay reparations for the war and half its military for 10 years. Russia walked away from the table with revolts simmering and a military to small to fight them while France emerged the big boy on the block.
Now France had only one adversary left in its quest for European Hegemony, the British Empire. The British had observed Napoleon's Russian escapades and prepared a last ditch invasion of the Continent.
British Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson and King George IV both agreed that Duke Wellington would be put in charge of the invasion and devoted the riches of the East India Trade Company, and the British Army to him. Duke Wellington decided that a landing in Spain would be his best bet and started to mass troops.
French spies across the Channel observed unusually high troop concentrations and alerted Paris who in turn sent a message to the returning conqueror. Napoleon headed home at a even faster rate, but it would still take over a month to get to Normandy, leaving the heart of the French Empire guarded by conscripts. In a effort to buy himself some time his called on his old ally the Rhine Confederation to send troops to Normandy until he could arrive. They happily obliged and sent their forces.
While his army was wading through the swamps of Northern Ukraine Napoleon was bit by a mosquito and contracted malaria. He was bedridden for days before dying on the 4th of August, 1815. His brother Napoleon II ascended to the throne and took the name in honor of his brother, Master of Europe. While most of the Empire supported Louis's coronation, Napoleon's other brother Josef violently claimed the throne causing the court to take sides in the brewing war. Napoleon wanted the throne and saw Joseph as his only obstacle to having a secure hold on the throne, so devised a simple plan. He would send him to Rome as a official lifeline between France and the Pope to prevent another war between the two, even though it was obvious who would win.
When the local clergy in Dinan knocked on Josefs door with the glorious news, Josef said he had had enough and declared himself the King starting the Brothers War. Josef found allies in Britain who snuck a brigade of Redcoats into France to help Josef with his first attack against the government in Dole. The Brits are able to assist and the small local militia is quickly overwhelmed, most are captured by the Brits and set to England. Josef quickly goes on to capture all of Brittany and inspire revolts in Spain, Italy and the Rhine Confederation that sided with Napoleon II.
Napoleon II brooded in Paris for a week after the Fall of Brittany and planned a counter attack. His generals suggested that they put down the other rebellions before we focus on Josef and Louis agreed. The biggest rebellion was in a town called Vichy in Aquitaine. The Rebels had marshaled 190,000 men, 1000 horsemen and 20 guns and prepared to meet with Josef's forces in Brittany, which would give Josef a good number against Napoleon II's forces. Louis decided to fight the Rebs before they took off and gathered a second Grand Armie with 300,000 men, 2000 horses and 400 guns along with siege equipment as a preemptive measure. A rebel spy saw the army start off on the road to Vichy and rushed their warn the Rebels. The spy arrived almost two days before Napoleon II and gave the Rebs enough time to build up a defensive strategy that had to work.
As Napoleon II and his army arrived at Vichy they were met by the Rebs who let loose on the enemy, tearing through men and horses alike. Just before the Royalists could return fire Vichy citizens came to their window frames and threw pots, pans, silverware, anything they could get their hands on at them. With his first line dead or dodging flying cookware and his second line almost the same Louis ordered his guns to open fire on Vichy. The artillery let loose and rained hell on the town, damaging or collapsing most of the city. The Rebs split into many small groups and hid within the rubble, and watched the Royalists split up and give chase.
The Royalists are able to shrug off the attempted ambush and push the Rebels into the city square. The Rebel commander General Bisset formed a square around the ammo crates and waited for the Royalist attack. After a hour of waiting the clop of hooves could be heard echoing in the streets and before the Rebs could ask any questions 1500 horses charge from the surrounding streets and start the famous Red Charge of Vichy. The two forces battled for the majority of the day and into the night and eventually the constant rattle of sabers and rifles dies down and a eerie silence falls over the city. When dawn breaks Louis and the rest of his men walk into Vichy square and see a bloodbath. The entire Rebel force was gone, dead or fled, along with 90% of Louis's Calvary; it is said that the men were knee deep in blood.
The battle was a rousing success for Napoleon II and his forces but it gives the Brits enough time to land troops in French Spain, the Invasion of France has begun.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showpost.php?p=8433502&postcount=13 - The Invasion of France