Napoleon III Assassinated in 1858

As he wasn't that able a leader it could mean that either the 3rd Republic is declared early or someone rules as a regent for his son(born 1856) until he comes of age. The only major differences I can think of is less foreign military adventures,less involvement in Indo-China and perhaps less beautification of Paris as He was a driving force behind the construction.
 
No unification of Italy? or maybe at a later time ...

No stupid war with Prussia >> no three hurrays for the German empire ...

A Hohenzollern as a King of Spain?

too many butterflies ...
 
As I've said in a different link I think that Italian unification was reaching a boiling point regardless of what Napoleon did. His intervention strangely made it both easier, by siding with Sardinia against Austria, and harder, by protecting the Pope, taking Nice and Savoy and signing a premature treaty with Austria. Either way though Cavour and Garibaldi were still working to unite the Italian states.

Germany too was moving unceasingly towards unification. It is likely that without Napoleon, France could have avoided a humiliating war. But having been top dog on the Continent for so long, conceding this spot to a united Germany would have been a bitter pill to swallow. Even without Napoleon it is likely there would have been a war between Prussia/the German states and France. Without Napoleon's ego it is more likely that France could have found some allies, perhaps Austria or Russia, before jumping into the conflict unprepared.

Benjamin
 
Top