Equuleus said:
Assuming Nappy somehow manages to keep his Empire. How do you see Italian Nationalism playing out long term in the French annexed parts, the Kingdom of Italy, and Naples? Would there be a push to unite Naples and Italy, and perhaps demands for France to fork over some of her holdings in Italy. If so, how much?
Could you potentially see an 1848 style Revolution in Italy and Germany with a possible Austrian intervention and a new coalition after an extended period of peace?
Could France and Italy potentially fuse into an Austro Hungarian Style Union?
Also assuming Nappy is not able to seize Sardinia and maybe Sicily, how does nationalism play out on those islands?
Italian Unification in case of Napoleonic Triumph seems plausible in my eyes. Napoleon was very proud of his corsican origins and had a very good opinion on Italians. I think he could go for Italian Unification.
Besides, look at Italy in OTL under Napoleon at his Empire's apogee :
-In the North, there is the Kingdom of Italy, with Milan as its capital.
-Napoleon holds the Italian Crown, but the real power in the hands of the Viceroy, Eugene de Beauharnais (Napoleon's stepson).
-In the South, the Kingdom of Naples under Joachim Murat, Napoleon's stepbrother (he is the husband of Caroline, one of Napoleon's sisters).
-The Papal States are under french control, as is Piemont.
-Sicily and Sardinia are independent and allied to the Brits.
-And there are very few Italian Minor States that are loyal to Napoleon.
Considering how close Napoleon was to his stepson and the fact he had promised him the crown of Italy if he had no second son, I see Eugene de Beauharnais as the king of a unified Italy. To keep Murat as an ally, Napoleon will probably get him another crown or give him a huge importance in the new kingdom, although I'd go for the first.
Convincing the Italian Minors to unite under Eugene will be easy. The conquest of Sardinia and Sicily might be a little harder, but if there is a unified Mainland Italy, maybe the nationalist will pressure or rebel against their kings to have the islands join the new kingdom.
Napoleon could relinquish the Papal States as he will have no need for them and they aren't land-connected to his Empire. He will keep Piemont incorporated in the French Empire though.
On a side note, Napoleon had also wish to give the Illyrian Provinces to the kingdom of Italy.