Plausibility:France takes Cape Colony before Revolution; Boers to Western Australia?

Suppose France takes the Cape Colony- maybe a Cliveless world where they retain more of India and want it for the same reason as Britain did.
They're also somewhat stronger and richer because of this, so they can hold off the Brits.

This is a Catholic France, which doesn't go down well with the Boers; also the French don't want hostile settlements in the interior, so they take a stronger stance against the Trekboers; trying to block their moves inland

An alternative is offered- they're welcome to pull up stakes and move to the western part of New Holland. Plausibility?
 
You need a POD that avoids British naval supremacy to achieve this.
SYW goes the other way round ? Big British losses on the sea means they progressively lose their superiority.
Plus I would find it amusing to have New York French as ... Le Nouveau-Havre ?
 
You need a POD that avoids British naval supremacy to achieve this.

Successful Franco-Spanish Armada of 1779, for one.

In a world where France does better in India, they will be somewhat stronger both at sea and financially, all else being equal. A battle here or there might be enough.

Was wondering more about the attitude of the Cape Dutch and the Netherlands itself.

Would the Boers be motivated enough by anti-Catholicism- even the Catholicism of 18th-century France - to actually consider moving to a new land?

Alternative- would some be inclined to go to the newly-independent USA?

Would the Dutch government be arsed enough about the Boers to undertake the task of setting up a governing authority in a new colony of Western Australia?
 
Successful Franco-Spanish Armada of 1779, for one.

In a world where France does better in India, they will be somewhat stronger both at sea and financially, all else being equal. A battle here or there might be enough.

Was wondering more about the attitude of the Cape Dutch and the Netherlands itself.

Would the Boers be motivated enough by anti-Catholicism- even the Catholicism of 18th-century France - to actually consider moving to a new land?

Alternative- would some be inclined to go to the newly-independent USA?

Would the Dutch government be arsed enough about the Boers to undertake the task of setting up a governing authority in a new colony of Western Australia?

The funds coming back from India - after the conquest of Bengal - were about 10% of what Britain was getting from the West Indies. France doing slightly better here in India is not going to radically change their finances. And besides, the Compagnie did not have much national backing to sustain dominant positions the way the Company did.

You're going to have to swing a lot of battles for France to win out. It can be done, but British superiority at sea wasn't a knife edge thing. You don't need to just win battles, you need to have some where you inflict major losses on the British.

If the French take it in 1779, then the British gain it in 1815 during Vienna.:cool:

If the French have naval supremacy, there won't be anything like the Treaty of Vienna in 1815.
 
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