The title should hopefully explain everything. This is a TL about a possible Napoleonic victory in Russia in 1812. Hopefully, when it's completed it will stretch from 1812 to the present day.
Part I: The Late Napoleonic Wars (1812 to 1816)
1812:
In response to Russia's refusal to submit to the Continental system, Napoleon launches a massive invasion of the country supported by Austria, Prussia, Naples and his other allies. Russian forces are brushed aside and Napoleon captures Moscow. However the Russians burn down their own capital and leave the French army without any supplies or shelter. Realizing that he will not be able to defeat the Russians this year, Napoleon orders the Grand Army to withdraw to Vilnius. This will protect it from the full fury of the Russian army and it's winter...
Meanwhile, the USA and Britain become involved in a war over the British seizing American ships in the Atlantic and forcing it's sailors into the Royal Navy. The US invasion of Canada quickly bogs down and the war settles into a stalemate that neither are able to break.
1813:
Regrouping in Vilnius Napoleon relaunches his invasion in May 1813, having now allied with Sweden. The Allied and Russian armies collide at Smolensk, triggering the largest battle in Europe in history up to that point. Although inflicting massive casulaties on the French, the Russians are eventually routed. Tsar Alexander I flees and is presumed to have been killed. In fact he has actually fled to a remote monastry to live out his days in peace.
Napoleon enters St. Petersburg in triumph to be recieved by Grand Duke Constantine. A few days later, Constantine is crowned Tsar of Russia by Napoleon, who proceeds to dictate terms to Constantine. A Duchy of the Baltic (consisting of Latvia, Lithuinia and Estonia, as well as parts of Poland and Prussia) is created. Sweden gains Finland and the Karelian pennisula. An independent Kingdom of Poland and Ukraine are created. Russia is forced to pay reperations and to subscribe to the continental system.
In North America, US troops advance up lower Ontario. The British launch an invasion of Maine, but this is beaten back. The British forces in Canada are low on reinforcements because they are being increasingly stripped to reinforce the Iberian front, which will meet the full force of Napoleon's grand army in the following year.
1814:
Allied forces flood into Spain, overwhelming the British, Spanish and Portugese by sheer weight of numbers. Dissent against the war is growing in Britain and Ireland and there is talk in the British Parliament of seeing an armistice with the French.This is compounded by the American capture of Toronto in the spring and then the defeat of a major British army in New Brunswick.
1815:
Desperate to even the playing field, Arthur Welsley withdraws his troops to dug-in positions around Guadalajara to bleed the French and their Allies out. The tactic almost works, with French casulaties running into thousands. Desperate to breakthrough, Napoleon sends his Imperial Guard, who quickly find a weak spot in the British lines and cut through it. Welsley's troops in Guadalajara* are cut off and although Welsley is able to smash through the French lines, only 12000 British and Portugese troops are able to escape the pocket.
Using cavalry to move quickly behind British lines, Napoleon's liutenient Ney isolates a large British force at Operto in Portugal. Welsley scrapes together what remains of his armies and orders those that can to retreat towards Gibraltar, where hopefully they can be evacuated. The war in Spain has degenerated into a slogging match which leads to spiralling casulaties.
Montreal falls to the Americans. The last British troops in Canada surrender. Although skirmishes countinue at sea until the Treaty of Paris, the war between Britain and America is effectively over.
1816:
While on route to Spain to evacuate the British troops still fighting there, the Royal Navy runs into the rebuilt French fleet, which is strengthened by the addition of the Spanish and Dutch fleet. Both sides suffer heavy casulaties, but for once the British come off worse and are forced to turn back. Lord Liverpool calls a halt of the evacuation of British troops in Spain so the Royal Navy can be preserved to hold off a French invasion.
The British armies holding at Gibraltar and Operto surrender. On August 10th 1816, Britain asks France for an armistice. Napoleon, exhausted by years of war agrees, knowing that he will not be able to invade the British Isles.
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*Yes, Guadalajara was the battle of the Nations but with the British as the French.
-Next: The Treaty of Paris and the postwar settlement.
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The North American theatre is a particuarly poor spot for me, as I know so little about the War of 1812, so advice there would be very useful. I'm thinking that the British will withdraw most of their forces from America (or not send them at all) during 1813 and this allows the Americans to become much more succesful than they would otherwise have been.
Here are some other questions:
-What terms should Napoleon offer the British in the upcoming Treaty of Paris?
-Is the campaign in Iberia between 1814 and 1816 plausiable? If not, should I rectify the timeline so the British and French come to an armistice directly after the end of the Russian campaign?
----
Please leave feedback.
Part I: The Late Napoleonic Wars (1812 to 1816)
1812:
In response to Russia's refusal to submit to the Continental system, Napoleon launches a massive invasion of the country supported by Austria, Prussia, Naples and his other allies. Russian forces are brushed aside and Napoleon captures Moscow. However the Russians burn down their own capital and leave the French army without any supplies or shelter. Realizing that he will not be able to defeat the Russians this year, Napoleon orders the Grand Army to withdraw to Vilnius. This will protect it from the full fury of the Russian army and it's winter...
Meanwhile, the USA and Britain become involved in a war over the British seizing American ships in the Atlantic and forcing it's sailors into the Royal Navy. The US invasion of Canada quickly bogs down and the war settles into a stalemate that neither are able to break.
1813:
Regrouping in Vilnius Napoleon relaunches his invasion in May 1813, having now allied with Sweden. The Allied and Russian armies collide at Smolensk, triggering the largest battle in Europe in history up to that point. Although inflicting massive casulaties on the French, the Russians are eventually routed. Tsar Alexander I flees and is presumed to have been killed. In fact he has actually fled to a remote monastry to live out his days in peace.
Napoleon enters St. Petersburg in triumph to be recieved by Grand Duke Constantine. A few days later, Constantine is crowned Tsar of Russia by Napoleon, who proceeds to dictate terms to Constantine. A Duchy of the Baltic (consisting of Latvia, Lithuinia and Estonia, as well as parts of Poland and Prussia) is created. Sweden gains Finland and the Karelian pennisula. An independent Kingdom of Poland and Ukraine are created. Russia is forced to pay reperations and to subscribe to the continental system.
In North America, US troops advance up lower Ontario. The British launch an invasion of Maine, but this is beaten back. The British forces in Canada are low on reinforcements because they are being increasingly stripped to reinforce the Iberian front, which will meet the full force of Napoleon's grand army in the following year.
1814:
Allied forces flood into Spain, overwhelming the British, Spanish and Portugese by sheer weight of numbers. Dissent against the war is growing in Britain and Ireland and there is talk in the British Parliament of seeing an armistice with the French.This is compounded by the American capture of Toronto in the spring and then the defeat of a major British army in New Brunswick.
1815:
Desperate to even the playing field, Arthur Welsley withdraws his troops to dug-in positions around Guadalajara to bleed the French and their Allies out. The tactic almost works, with French casulaties running into thousands. Desperate to breakthrough, Napoleon sends his Imperial Guard, who quickly find a weak spot in the British lines and cut through it. Welsley's troops in Guadalajara* are cut off and although Welsley is able to smash through the French lines, only 12000 British and Portugese troops are able to escape the pocket.
Using cavalry to move quickly behind British lines, Napoleon's liutenient Ney isolates a large British force at Operto in Portugal. Welsley scrapes together what remains of his armies and orders those that can to retreat towards Gibraltar, where hopefully they can be evacuated. The war in Spain has degenerated into a slogging match which leads to spiralling casulaties.
Montreal falls to the Americans. The last British troops in Canada surrender. Although skirmishes countinue at sea until the Treaty of Paris, the war between Britain and America is effectively over.
1816:
While on route to Spain to evacuate the British troops still fighting there, the Royal Navy runs into the rebuilt French fleet, which is strengthened by the addition of the Spanish and Dutch fleet. Both sides suffer heavy casulaties, but for once the British come off worse and are forced to turn back. Lord Liverpool calls a halt of the evacuation of British troops in Spain so the Royal Navy can be preserved to hold off a French invasion.
The British armies holding at Gibraltar and Operto surrender. On August 10th 1816, Britain asks France for an armistice. Napoleon, exhausted by years of war agrees, knowing that he will not be able to invade the British Isles.
----
*Yes, Guadalajara was the battle of the Nations but with the British as the French.
-Next: The Treaty of Paris and the postwar settlement.
----
The North American theatre is a particuarly poor spot for me, as I know so little about the War of 1812, so advice there would be very useful. I'm thinking that the British will withdraw most of their forces from America (or not send them at all) during 1813 and this allows the Americans to become much more succesful than they would otherwise have been.
Here are some other questions:
-What terms should Napoleon offer the British in the upcoming Treaty of Paris?
-Is the campaign in Iberia between 1814 and 1816 plausiable? If not, should I rectify the timeline so the British and French come to an armistice directly after the end of the Russian campaign?
----
Please leave feedback.