Second French Empire survives to present day?

Hmm, from what I've read killing off Eugenie fairly early on would probably improve things immensely.
 
Hmm, from what I've read killing off Eugenie fairly early on would probably improve things immensely.


I doubt it. Napoleon III was more than capable of getting into trouble without any help from Eugenie. He was born to it as the sparks fly upward.

Better, though, if he marries a bit sooner - whether to Eugenie or anyone else. If his son turn 18 before 1870, then given his failing health the Emperor probably abdicates. But whether a young Napoleon IV fares any better is another question.
 
I doubt it. Napoleon III was more than capable of getting into trouble without any help from Eugenie. He was born to it as the sparks fly upward.

Better, though, if he marries a bit sooner - whether to Eugenie or anyone else. If his son turn 18 before 1870, then given his failing health the Emperor probably abdicates. But whether a young Napoleon IV fares any better is another question.
Meh, he actually did really well in domestic policy. France is France largely because of his decisions. Hmm, an interesting point though about his health. I've toyed with an idea of how to get France to win or at least do better in the FP war. Someone who has radical ideas about how to use machine guns? Maybe a new Emperor would be much more likely to go with new theories.
 
1. I left the Rhine border a bit vague as it would open several butterflies. But without Bismark, I think that Alsace would be a fair price for France's support in building a unified Northgerman state. Something that Nap III and Willi I could both accept.
One could argue that Napoleon III could have pissed of the Prussians by demanding more. This would lead evt. to a conflict down the line, probably with Willhelm II. But there is now a North-Germany, some independent Southern German states and a weak Austria. There are more gains in appeasing France and taking the rest of German speaking Europe. After that, a unified Germany can still go for the "French part of Germany". Also, nationalism being what it is, would cause France serious troubles - revolutions.
Without Bismark there would be nobody to stop Willhelm I from taking pieces out of Austria. I think that they would have no choice but to give Italy ALL the Italian speaking parts of Austria -something that France would ask for, even if Austria defeated Sardinia Piemont initialy. Austria would be left weak and ready for unrest, joining the Ottoman Empire as the weak men of Europe. thus leading to the eventual collaps from within and the annexation of the German speaking parts of Austria to the German Empire.

2. I would go with the - or very close to - the 1914 borders, thus making the 1866 war between Italy and Austria unneccessary and removing the dispute with France. Maximillian was far more intertested in Hungary and Bohemia - were the money was - and realist enough to know that if he keeps some part of Italy he only asks for another war. Plus it is a small price if it gives him peace and friendship with France.
By 1866 the French-Austrian alliance would be firmly established and Italy would stay out of the war, having no gain from it. It would be more interesting for Italy to seize the Papacy while France is busy in Germany, but that is another story.
The Großdeutsche Lösung would follow eventually with the fall of Prussia - Willhelm II would have gone to war with Austria-France, even and probably all by himself. This would have given Austria the opportunity split Prussia appart and to form a different Germany , very likely a more federal union than the "original", perhaps a United States of Germany with Bohemia, Hungaria, and the Balkanstates as Free-states within.
That would of course depend on how old Maximilan will become. If he reaches the same age as his brother he would make it until 1918. Enough time to establish a USG.

1 And a cheap price, since the Alsace at that point already was a part of the second French empire.;)

2 An idea for the Großdeutsche Lösung is that Prussia is forced to restore all states it had annexed after 1815 and Austria might regain Silesia.
 
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