BTW, mapmakers desperately needed.
Anybody wanna help with that?
If so, please apply on the following thread.
Anybody wanna help with that?
If so, please apply on the following thread.
Stars & Stripes: The Rise of the United States.
- Thread starter CaliBoy1990
- Start date
I really do need some mapmaking help.
Also, I apologize for the continued delay but this whole bit about the Napoleonic Wars has been especially hard to write.
Hopefully, things'll really pick up afterwards, though.
Also, I apologize for the continued delay but this whole bit about the Napoleonic Wars has been especially hard to write.
Hopefully, things'll really pick up afterwards, though. Finally done with post #14!
I sincerely apologize for having taken over 2 weeks to post this, but this really has been HARD to write. Hope you guys enjoy this, though.
Stars & Stripes #14: The End of Napoleon's Game, Part I & Trouble's Brewing in the States.
This was taken from “Victor's Annotated Guide: the Napoleonic Wars”
© 1952, T. Franklin Langley
Victor's Military History: Philadelphia, Penn.
Chapter 22: The First Attack on Prussia.
After the French loss at Strasbourg, Napoleon was desperate; he feared that if he didn't strike again fast, and strike hard, then France might be crushed by the German Powers and their allies, perhaps forever. It was during his stay in Normandy that he devised what seemed like a brilliant plan; the French Army was to undergo one last great mobilization of men and artillery, and make a strike straight for the one country whom Napoleon feared was most dangerous to his nation's existence outside Austria...none other than the Kingdom of Prussia. On the morning of June 20th, the first French Army divisions began their long and treacherous trek[1] towards their destination. The resistance was rather sparse at first; the few German states and principalities who did choose to fight Napoleon's men found themselves badly outnumbered and outgunned. On July 10th, a couple of the divisions reached Magdeburg, in Upper Saxony, recently reinforced by the Prussians, with another arriving in the town of Brandenburg. This may seem like poor tactics to some, but it actually served as a distraction of sorts from the main force; they arrived at a depot about 25 miles west of Berlin 2 days later, about 250,000 strong. The Prussians, however, had prepared for just such a possibility, and decided on a pincer movement to try to corner the French Army. Unfortunate move on their part; the French admirals almost universally agreed upon a contingency plan that involved their evacuation to the east, and by the early morning hours of the 13th were just outside of Berlin. It was then, that the Siege of Berlin was to begin...
--
July 13, 1813
Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia
Ferdinand von Bismarck woke with a start on this somewhat coolish summer morning. The former cavalryman had been aware for some time that the Frenchmen might attack his country, but the boom that ended his slumber was all the proof he needed. He then shook his wife a little. “Wilhelmine?”...she woke up with a start. “Ja, Ferdinand?” she replied groggily. Ferdinand replied, somewhat hoarsely, “The French.....I think they're here....”. Wilhelmine looked a little startled. “Wait, wha....” “We have to get out of here, now!” Ferdinand replied hurriedly. “All right, Ferdy. Let me get dressed.” Wilhelmine went to the dresser to find some decent clothes.
“Please, Wilhelmine, for the love of God, do hurry.”
“Don't worry, darling, I'm ready now.”
As soon as they came out, they found a carriage waiting for them outside their home. They rushed towards it, in a desperate attempt to flee the fighting; they then asked the driver to take them to Schönhausen. As they left, more and more artillery batteries began to fire in the distance.
Just 20 minutes after they left, a stray artillery shell destroyed their posh apartment...they had only barely escaped death. And the siege of Berlin had begun...
--
Selected Excerpts From: “Camden's Wartime Library: An Illustrated Overview of the Napoleonic Wars(In Full Color)”
© 1953 Dr. D.K. Colwood
John Adams University
Clinton House: Halifax, Nova Scotia: Used with permission.
Chapter 18: Timeline of the Siege of Berlin & Associated Battles
July 12th:
The first French troops arrive in Brandenburg, about 25,000 strong.
July 13th:
The first artillery sieges begin to affect Berlin, in an attempt to destroy some entrenched Prussian troops.
July 15th:
The Brandenburg Gate is hit by a number stray artillery shells on this day.
July 17th:
The town of Potsdam is captured by the French; 5,000 of their men perish in doing so.
July 18th:
The French Army takes Stahnsdorf but they are checked at Ludwigsfelde and Rudersdorf.
July 20th:
The first major French rush into Berlin occurs; they manage to capture much of the western-central part of the city.
July 21st:
The French Army captures Teltow, Marienfelde, and Heinerdorf, but nearly loses Stahnsdorf in the process. Another French division captures Grunheide, Erkner, and Spreewerder.
July 22nd:
The Prussians check the French at Neuenhagen, but lose Uhlenhorst.
July 23rd:
The French break through a major defense line in central Berlin and begin to move thru the eastern side of the city, with the Prussians countering back with a forward advance right in front of the French.
July 25th:
The French begin to attempt to overrun the village of Lichtenberg. The Prussians begin to desperately try to hold off the French on both sides. There is some good news for the Prussians, however; they are able to retake Potsdam.
July 26th:
Lichtenberg has been totally destroyed. Hermsdorf, Stolpe, Rixdorf, Malchow, Kladow, Kaulsdorf, Schmargendorf, and Mahlsdorf are also in serious danger.
July 28th:
The town of Petershagen is briefly occupied by the French, but they are quickly rebuffed by the Prussians. The town of Uhlenhorst is razed by the French.
July 29th:
The French Army is able to cut right through the city of Berlin. The Prussians make a mad scramble to retake the city by any means; a major artillery barrage begins to occur. Gesundbrunnen, Potsdam, Charlottenburg, Rosenthal, and Blankenfelde are now in danger of destruction.
July 30th:
The town of Bernau is devastated by a sudden and massive French artillery barrage.
July 31st:
Intense fighting occurs in the town of Ahrendsfelde during most of the day; it is razed by the retreating Prussians to avoid capture by the French.
August 1st:
The Prussians manage to push the Frenchmen back a little in regards to Berlin, but the towns of Altlandsberg, Wildau, and Spreenhagen are occupied in response. An artillery barrage completely destroys whatever is left of Blankenfelde; over 500 people in the town die within 3 hours.
August 2nd:
Birkenwerder becomes the site of another heated battle between the Prussians and the French.
August 3rd:
A second intense bombardment occurs in Berlin between the French and the defending Prussians. Unfortunately for the Prussians, amongst the 5,000 who will die, a number of members of the royal family are killed. They were Frederick Wilhelm Ludwig, Frederick Charles, and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
August 4th:
The town of Nennhausen is sacked by a secondary French division during the late morning hours.
August 5th:
The French attempt to capture Liebenwalde and Oranienburg. Oranienburg falls to the French, though they are checked near Liebenwalde, but not before one last artillery barrage damages much of the town.
August 6th:
Oranienburg is retaken by the Prussians, and French marshal Laurent de Saint-Cyr is gravely wounded during the retreat.
August 7th:
Marshal de Saint-Cyr dies of his injuries. On the other hand, the Prussian general Friedrich Ludwig zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, is also killed in battle. Wandlitz is attacked by the French, and badly damaged over the next few days.
August 9th:
The French leave Wandlitz, but there is nothing for the Prussians to defend.
August 10th:
Altlandsberg is captured by the French. They also try to capture Werder an der Havel, which succeeds, but not without a significant amassing of Prussians outside of Potsdam.
August 11th: The French suffer a significant setback in the siege of Berlin as two French marshals are killed by Prussian artillery fire; morale suffers amongst some divisions and they retreat back to the west.
August 12th: The French make a headlong rush towards Potsdam; the Prussian Army, however, is able to fight back, and harshly. The fighting will last well into the next day.
August 13th: The French are chased out of Potsdam but the damage to the city has been quite severe.
August 14th: The town of Furstenwalde is attacked, and largely devastated, by the French. In the southern part of Brandenburg, the town of Juterbog is also under siege. The Prussians, however, are able to take Altlandsberg back.
August 15th: Juterbog lies in ruins, with up to 3,000 Prussians laying in state amongst them. The French suffer another loss as Werder an der Havel is recaptured by the Prussians. The town of Premnitz falls to the French, and dozens of civilians die in crossfire between the two warring groups.
August 16th: The French leave Premnitz.
August 17th: The town of Neuruppin is taken by the French, but are heavily contested by the Prussians.
August 20th: Another artillery barrage occurs in Berlin, this time in the southwestern part of the city: a French marshal is amongst the dead.
August 21st: The French capture Zehdenick, but both divisions who took the city are decimated by a Prussian artillery barrage.
August 22nd: Farther north into Brandenburg, the garrisoned town of Rheinsberg is razed by the French.
1,000 Prussian soldiers die in the process.
August 23rd: A last massive French reinforcement begins to arrive in the Berlin area.
August 25th: The town of Wiesenburg is razed by the French.
August 27th: Thousands of French soldiers not within a 25 mile radius of Berlin are ordered to begin a retreat back to the home country.
August 29th: Retreating French troops battle thru and raze, the towns of Bensdorf, Ziesar, and Seeblick.
August 30th: The Battle of Magdeburg begins.
August 31st: The city of Helmstedt burns after the French destroy the small Prussian garrison there.
September 1st: The desperate French seize Brunswick and a fierce battle begins between them and the Prussians. Magdeburg is no longer occupied by the French, but a final artillery barrage destroys much of the center of the city, killing as many as 5,000 of the Prussians, and over 10,000 civilians, to boot!
September 2nd: A missed French artillery shell destroys an ammunition storage building in the town of Alfeld, sparking a fire that destroys much of the place.
September 3rd: A French marshal dies in a botched attack on Harsewinkel.
September 4th: The French leave Brunswick in an awful state indeed; not only is much of the town in ruins, but 10,000 people have lost their lives, including a few royals.
September 5th: The fighting around Berlin intensifies one last time as both French and Prussian artillery open up.
September 6th: The towns of of Bovenden and Hofgeismar are attacked by the French. Though the they are forced out of the former, the latter town is razed.
September 7th: The French siege of Gottingen is their last successful major offensive during their retreat.
September 8th: The French attempt to raze Kassel on this day, fails miserably. A French marshal is left behind in the retreat, and imprisoned.
September 9th: 300 French soldiers die in a massive ambush just outside the town of Fulda.
September 14th: A few thousand lost French soldiers end up in Leipzig. The Saxons, believing them to be plotting an attack, annihilate most of them.
September 15th: The Prussian government orders many of its remaining troops outside of Berlin, to begin a 'Grand Circle' around the city, in a final attempt to halt the siege of their beloved capital once and for all. The gamble is somewhat risky, but seen as beneficial, and perhaps a way to finally end the French attacks on the Prussian homeland.
September 18th: The rest of the Prussian Army, along with several allied nations, begins their march towards France, hoping to end the Napoleonic Wars once and for all.
September 19th: A French contingent surrenders about 50 miles west of Potsdam.
September 20th: The Grand Circle arrives in the vicinity of Berlin. The remaining 50,000 French troops fight for their lives. One advantage they still have is several surviving artillery pieces, which they use with impunity against the slowly advancing Prussians.
September 21st: The Prussian general Karl von Borcke is assassinated in Wolfenbuttel, causing confusion and chaos for the next day. (A French veteran who spoke to an American researcher 25 years later claimed that he was the assassin)
September 22nd: The first Prussian troops arrive in French territory, near Strasbourg.
September 23rd: Napoleon orders all troops not already returning to France to do so as soon as possible to begin the defense of the home country.
September 24th: A French army division comes across the town of Pforzheim, occupied by the Prussians. The French chase them out, and then raze the town.
September 25th: The Grand Circle enters the outskirts of Berlin itself and the final French fight for survival begins.
September 26th: The French Army is defeated in Berlin; all survivors are captured by the Prussians. Over 80,000 people died in Berlin during the siege, including several persons of note.
September 27th: The last French stragglers surrender to the Prussian Army during this afternoon.
--
Extracted from “Napoleon's Follies: The Fall, And Exile, of France's First And Last Emperor”
By Dominic Duvall
La Defenserie University
Versailles, France
Translated by Richard T. Carleton and Anne Roseley, St. Albans University, Parsons' Green, West London, Great Britain.
© 1949 St. Albans Press, London. Used with permission.
Chapter 18: Napoleon's Final Defeat.
After the unfortunate failure of the Siege of Berlin, Napoleon's military tactics took a desperate turn towards defense; this despite the large numbers of men who had begun to desert the Army to go back home to their families. Still, it mattered not to Bonaparte; to quote the man himself, “'Tis better to have lost a thousand cowards than a dozen warriors, in this great war of ours.” Unfortunately, this mentality would backfire on him, and the consequences would be quick to catch up to him.....[2]
--
October 2, 1813
Versailles, France
Napoleon Bonaparte looked out the window of his palace. It was a calm, warm, and sunny morning, but he felt horribly troubled on the inside. “Is something wrong, sir?” A pretty young maid asked. The Corsican replied, sighing, “Have you not heard the news? The Prussian storm is coming. And the deluge could devastate our beloved France, perhaps even destroy it. Their bloodlust knows no bounds.”
“I have family in Brittany. I do hope they will not be harmed.”, the maid replied. Napoleon looked at the girl and said, “Then perhaps you should go to them. Paris may soon be in flames, and nowhere in this area will be safe from the Prussian menace.”[3] The girl nodded and said politely, “Thank you kindly, sir.” and began to prepare for her leave. The Emperor went back to the window, and stared at the sky. Silently, he prayed for France's salvation..........[4]
--
[1] This word of Afrikaner origin has proven itself to be just as ubiquitous as in OTL.
[2] Napoleon will sincerely regret this.
[3] Even Napoleon can have a heart, non?
[4] Things are going to get a little dark soon, for poor France.
--
Any thoughts and stuff?
I sincerely apologize for having taken over 2 weeks to post this, but this really has been HARD to write. Hope you guys enjoy this, though.
Stars & Stripes #14: The End of Napoleon's Game, Part I & Trouble's Brewing in the States.
This was taken from “Victor's Annotated Guide: the Napoleonic Wars”
© 1952, T. Franklin Langley
Victor's Military History: Philadelphia, Penn.
Chapter 22: The First Attack on Prussia.
After the French loss at Strasbourg, Napoleon was desperate; he feared that if he didn't strike again fast, and strike hard, then France might be crushed by the German Powers and their allies, perhaps forever. It was during his stay in Normandy that he devised what seemed like a brilliant plan; the French Army was to undergo one last great mobilization of men and artillery, and make a strike straight for the one country whom Napoleon feared was most dangerous to his nation's existence outside Austria...none other than the Kingdom of Prussia. On the morning of June 20th, the first French Army divisions began their long and treacherous trek[1] towards their destination. The resistance was rather sparse at first; the few German states and principalities who did choose to fight Napoleon's men found themselves badly outnumbered and outgunned. On July 10th, a couple of the divisions reached Magdeburg, in Upper Saxony, recently reinforced by the Prussians, with another arriving in the town of Brandenburg. This may seem like poor tactics to some, but it actually served as a distraction of sorts from the main force; they arrived at a depot about 25 miles west of Berlin 2 days later, about 250,000 strong. The Prussians, however, had prepared for just such a possibility, and decided on a pincer movement to try to corner the French Army. Unfortunate move on their part; the French admirals almost universally agreed upon a contingency plan that involved their evacuation to the east, and by the early morning hours of the 13th were just outside of Berlin. It was then, that the Siege of Berlin was to begin...
--
July 13, 1813
Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia
Ferdinand von Bismarck woke with a start on this somewhat coolish summer morning. The former cavalryman had been aware for some time that the Frenchmen might attack his country, but the boom that ended his slumber was all the proof he needed. He then shook his wife a little. “Wilhelmine?”...she woke up with a start. “Ja, Ferdinand?” she replied groggily. Ferdinand replied, somewhat hoarsely, “The French.....I think they're here....”. Wilhelmine looked a little startled. “Wait, wha....” “We have to get out of here, now!” Ferdinand replied hurriedly. “All right, Ferdy. Let me get dressed.” Wilhelmine went to the dresser to find some decent clothes.
“Please, Wilhelmine, for the love of God, do hurry.”
“Don't worry, darling, I'm ready now.”
As soon as they came out, they found a carriage waiting for them outside their home. They rushed towards it, in a desperate attempt to flee the fighting; they then asked the driver to take them to Schönhausen. As they left, more and more artillery batteries began to fire in the distance.
Just 20 minutes after they left, a stray artillery shell destroyed their posh apartment...they had only barely escaped death. And the siege of Berlin had begun...
--
Selected Excerpts From: “Camden's Wartime Library: An Illustrated Overview of the Napoleonic Wars(In Full Color)”
© 1953 Dr. D.K. Colwood
John Adams University
Clinton House: Halifax, Nova Scotia: Used with permission.
Chapter 18: Timeline of the Siege of Berlin & Associated Battles
July 12th:
The first French troops arrive in Brandenburg, about 25,000 strong.
July 13th:
The first artillery sieges begin to affect Berlin, in an attempt to destroy some entrenched Prussian troops.
July 15th:
The Brandenburg Gate is hit by a number stray artillery shells on this day.
July 17th:
The town of Potsdam is captured by the French; 5,000 of their men perish in doing so.
July 18th:
The French Army takes Stahnsdorf but they are checked at Ludwigsfelde and Rudersdorf.
July 20th:
The first major French rush into Berlin occurs; they manage to capture much of the western-central part of the city.
July 21st:
The French Army captures Teltow, Marienfelde, and Heinerdorf, but nearly loses Stahnsdorf in the process. Another French division captures Grunheide, Erkner, and Spreewerder.
July 22nd:
The Prussians check the French at Neuenhagen, but lose Uhlenhorst.
July 23rd:
The French break through a major defense line in central Berlin and begin to move thru the eastern side of the city, with the Prussians countering back with a forward advance right in front of the French.
July 25th:
The French begin to attempt to overrun the village of Lichtenberg. The Prussians begin to desperately try to hold off the French on both sides. There is some good news for the Prussians, however; they are able to retake Potsdam.
July 26th:
Lichtenberg has been totally destroyed. Hermsdorf, Stolpe, Rixdorf, Malchow, Kladow, Kaulsdorf, Schmargendorf, and Mahlsdorf are also in serious danger.
July 28th:
The town of Petershagen is briefly occupied by the French, but they are quickly rebuffed by the Prussians. The town of Uhlenhorst is razed by the French.
July 29th:
The French Army is able to cut right through the city of Berlin. The Prussians make a mad scramble to retake the city by any means; a major artillery barrage begins to occur. Gesundbrunnen, Potsdam, Charlottenburg, Rosenthal, and Blankenfelde are now in danger of destruction.
July 30th:
The town of Bernau is devastated by a sudden and massive French artillery barrage.
July 31st:
Intense fighting occurs in the town of Ahrendsfelde during most of the day; it is razed by the retreating Prussians to avoid capture by the French.
August 1st:
The Prussians manage to push the Frenchmen back a little in regards to Berlin, but the towns of Altlandsberg, Wildau, and Spreenhagen are occupied in response. An artillery barrage completely destroys whatever is left of Blankenfelde; over 500 people in the town die within 3 hours.
August 2nd:
Birkenwerder becomes the site of another heated battle between the Prussians and the French.
August 3rd:
A second intense bombardment occurs in Berlin between the French and the defending Prussians. Unfortunately for the Prussians, amongst the 5,000 who will die, a number of members of the royal family are killed. They were Frederick Wilhelm Ludwig, Frederick Charles, and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
August 4th:
The town of Nennhausen is sacked by a secondary French division during the late morning hours.
August 5th:
The French attempt to capture Liebenwalde and Oranienburg. Oranienburg falls to the French, though they are checked near Liebenwalde, but not before one last artillery barrage damages much of the town.
August 6th:
Oranienburg is retaken by the Prussians, and French marshal Laurent de Saint-Cyr is gravely wounded during the retreat.
August 7th:
Marshal de Saint-Cyr dies of his injuries. On the other hand, the Prussian general Friedrich Ludwig zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, is also killed in battle. Wandlitz is attacked by the French, and badly damaged over the next few days.
August 9th:
The French leave Wandlitz, but there is nothing for the Prussians to defend.
August 10th:
Altlandsberg is captured by the French. They also try to capture Werder an der Havel, which succeeds, but not without a significant amassing of Prussians outside of Potsdam.
August 11th: The French suffer a significant setback in the siege of Berlin as two French marshals are killed by Prussian artillery fire; morale suffers amongst some divisions and they retreat back to the west.
August 12th: The French make a headlong rush towards Potsdam; the Prussian Army, however, is able to fight back, and harshly. The fighting will last well into the next day.
August 13th: The French are chased out of Potsdam but the damage to the city has been quite severe.
August 14th: The town of Furstenwalde is attacked, and largely devastated, by the French. In the southern part of Brandenburg, the town of Juterbog is also under siege. The Prussians, however, are able to take Altlandsberg back.
August 15th: Juterbog lies in ruins, with up to 3,000 Prussians laying in state amongst them. The French suffer another loss as Werder an der Havel is recaptured by the Prussians. The town of Premnitz falls to the French, and dozens of civilians die in crossfire between the two warring groups.
August 16th: The French leave Premnitz.
August 17th: The town of Neuruppin is taken by the French, but are heavily contested by the Prussians.
August 20th: Another artillery barrage occurs in Berlin, this time in the southwestern part of the city: a French marshal is amongst the dead.
August 21st: The French capture Zehdenick, but both divisions who took the city are decimated by a Prussian artillery barrage.
August 22nd: Farther north into Brandenburg, the garrisoned town of Rheinsberg is razed by the French.
1,000 Prussian soldiers die in the process.
August 23rd: A last massive French reinforcement begins to arrive in the Berlin area.
August 25th: The town of Wiesenburg is razed by the French.
August 27th: Thousands of French soldiers not within a 25 mile radius of Berlin are ordered to begin a retreat back to the home country.
August 29th: Retreating French troops battle thru and raze, the towns of Bensdorf, Ziesar, and Seeblick.
August 30th: The Battle of Magdeburg begins.
August 31st: The city of Helmstedt burns after the French destroy the small Prussian garrison there.
September 1st: The desperate French seize Brunswick and a fierce battle begins between them and the Prussians. Magdeburg is no longer occupied by the French, but a final artillery barrage destroys much of the center of the city, killing as many as 5,000 of the Prussians, and over 10,000 civilians, to boot!
September 2nd: A missed French artillery shell destroys an ammunition storage building in the town of Alfeld, sparking a fire that destroys much of the place.
September 3rd: A French marshal dies in a botched attack on Harsewinkel.
September 4th: The French leave Brunswick in an awful state indeed; not only is much of the town in ruins, but 10,000 people have lost their lives, including a few royals.
September 5th: The fighting around Berlin intensifies one last time as both French and Prussian artillery open up.
September 6th: The towns of of Bovenden and Hofgeismar are attacked by the French. Though the they are forced out of the former, the latter town is razed.
September 7th: The French siege of Gottingen is their last successful major offensive during their retreat.
September 8th: The French attempt to raze Kassel on this day, fails miserably. A French marshal is left behind in the retreat, and imprisoned.
September 9th: 300 French soldiers die in a massive ambush just outside the town of Fulda.
September 14th: A few thousand lost French soldiers end up in Leipzig. The Saxons, believing them to be plotting an attack, annihilate most of them.
September 15th: The Prussian government orders many of its remaining troops outside of Berlin, to begin a 'Grand Circle' around the city, in a final attempt to halt the siege of their beloved capital once and for all. The gamble is somewhat risky, but seen as beneficial, and perhaps a way to finally end the French attacks on the Prussian homeland.
September 18th: The rest of the Prussian Army, along with several allied nations, begins their march towards France, hoping to end the Napoleonic Wars once and for all.
September 19th: A French contingent surrenders about 50 miles west of Potsdam.
September 20th: The Grand Circle arrives in the vicinity of Berlin. The remaining 50,000 French troops fight for their lives. One advantage they still have is several surviving artillery pieces, which they use with impunity against the slowly advancing Prussians.
September 21st: The Prussian general Karl von Borcke is assassinated in Wolfenbuttel, causing confusion and chaos for the next day. (A French veteran who spoke to an American researcher 25 years later claimed that he was the assassin)
September 22nd: The first Prussian troops arrive in French territory, near Strasbourg.
September 23rd: Napoleon orders all troops not already returning to France to do so as soon as possible to begin the defense of the home country.
September 24th: A French army division comes across the town of Pforzheim, occupied by the Prussians. The French chase them out, and then raze the town.
September 25th: The Grand Circle enters the outskirts of Berlin itself and the final French fight for survival begins.
September 26th: The French Army is defeated in Berlin; all survivors are captured by the Prussians. Over 80,000 people died in Berlin during the siege, including several persons of note.
September 27th: The last French stragglers surrender to the Prussian Army during this afternoon.
--
Extracted from “Napoleon's Follies: The Fall, And Exile, of France's First And Last Emperor”
By Dominic Duvall
La Defenserie University
Versailles, France
Translated by Richard T. Carleton and Anne Roseley, St. Albans University, Parsons' Green, West London, Great Britain.
© 1949 St. Albans Press, London. Used with permission.
Chapter 18: Napoleon's Final Defeat.
After the unfortunate failure of the Siege of Berlin, Napoleon's military tactics took a desperate turn towards defense; this despite the large numbers of men who had begun to desert the Army to go back home to their families. Still, it mattered not to Bonaparte; to quote the man himself, “'Tis better to have lost a thousand cowards than a dozen warriors, in this great war of ours.” Unfortunately, this mentality would backfire on him, and the consequences would be quick to catch up to him.....[2]
--
October 2, 1813
Versailles, France
Napoleon Bonaparte looked out the window of his palace. It was a calm, warm, and sunny morning, but he felt horribly troubled on the inside. “Is something wrong, sir?” A pretty young maid asked. The Corsican replied, sighing, “Have you not heard the news? The Prussian storm is coming. And the deluge could devastate our beloved France, perhaps even destroy it. Their bloodlust knows no bounds.”
“I have family in Brittany. I do hope they will not be harmed.”, the maid replied. Napoleon looked at the girl and said, “Then perhaps you should go to them. Paris may soon be in flames, and nowhere in this area will be safe from the Prussian menace.”[3] The girl nodded and said politely, “Thank you kindly, sir.” and began to prepare for her leave. The Emperor went back to the window, and stared at the sky. Silently, he prayed for France's salvation..........[4]
--
[1] This word of Afrikaner origin has proven itself to be just as ubiquitous as in OTL.
[2] Napoleon will sincerely regret this.
[3] Even Napoleon can have a heart, non?
[4] Things are going to get a little dark soon, for poor France.
--
Any thoughts and stuff?
Thanks. Just started working on one of the final chapters of the Napoleon saga.......stay tuned, you won't wanna miss it.
Just barely managed to finish this chapter tonight. I do hope you enjoy it, though.
Stars & Stripes #15-The End of Napoleon's Game, Part II
Extracted from “Napoleon's Follies: The Fall, And Exile, of France's First And Last Emperor”
By Dominic Duvall
La Defenserie University
Versailles, France
Translated by Richard T. Carleton and Anne Roseley, St. Albans University, Parsons' Green, West London, Great Britain.
...Napoleon's Grand Plan was as follows[1]:
1.) Any soldier still in German territory was to be recalled.
2.) Any civilians who became members of the militias were to be put on full operational alert.
3.) Paris was to begin evacuation of its citizens, followed by Lyon, Dijon, Marseilles, and Rheims.
4.) Anyone suspected of sabotage was to be imprisoned, due to widespread fears concerning spies.
5.) Any embassies belonging to any of the enemy German nations or outside the rest of Europe were to be closed, and their diplomats sent home in most cases: Germans were to be detained until the war ended.
6.) French civilians caught aiding the enemy were to be fined & imprisoned for minor offenses. Those convicted of major related offenses could be tried for treason, and if found guilty, shot.
7.) Any civilian factories within a 100 km radius of Paris that were still in operation were to be converted to military production, and their owners compensated.
8.) Any government official who tried to surrender or negotiate without executive approval was to be forced to resign and disciplined.
It was hoped that France could survive long enough to completely exhaust the German forces so a draw could be declared and that the government could rebuild. Unfortunately for Napoleon, things didn't go quite as he had hoped....
...Meanwhile, Washington was soon to receive word of the closing of the embassy in Paris. Madison's reaction was interesting, to say the least.
--
October 20, 1813
The White House
Washington D.C.
“They've proceeded to do what, exactly?”, President Madison inquired. “They've closed the embassy in Paris, and are sending Adams and Jefferson home.”, replied James Monroe[2], the Secretary of State.
Madison sighed. “Oh dear Lord. Well, whatever for? Surely the French aren't angered by our lack of involvement on their behalf? Just this last year they hadn't said a word about it.”. “Sir, I was told this was a safety measure in our case, due to fears that the Prussians and their German allies could destroy Paris in retaliation for the raids on Berlin, although the diplomats of those German nations who fought against Napoleon are being detained and being investigated for possible espionage.”, the Secretary replied, somewhat hastily. Madison sighed again. Had Napoleon gone mad? It had been known for some time that the Emperor was starting to become a bit paranoid, but the recent events made it as clear as the morning sky: He was, in fact, going mad indeed, as it seemed. Yet, somehow, there was a method to this madness as well[3]. All Washington could do now was just stand by and hope for the best. “Perhaps Napoleon has finally begun to lose his damned mind. I only hope our friendship with the French hasn't provoked the British to anger all this time, as well, despite our neutrality in this war of his.” “Well sir,” Monroe said, “perhaps diplomacy will be able to solve at least some of these pressing matters. But we may have to prepare for future British agitation also.”
Madison stood up and stretched. “Thank you, James, you are dismissed. Let us keep the French people in our thoughts tonight.” Monroe nodded and then walked out the door.
--
November 5, 1813
Paris, France
It was a cold and dreary morning in the French capital. Not many people had remained in town except a few civilians and some 50,000 military men, many of them militia, who had been ordered to guard the city, while Napoleon had retreated to Chartres, along with many of his key advisors. Some had believed that even with the destruction of Berlin, the Germans couldn't possibly try to make a move for the French heartland, let alone Paris itself. Yet, soon, many would see the truth for themselves, all too late.....[4]
Extracted from “The Napoleonic Wars: The Roots, The Battles, and The Aftermath”
By. J. Denison Armitage
New Orleans, Louisiana
© 1953 LeFavre House: New Orleans.
Chapter 25: The Drive Towards Paris
….Early in October, the Prussian government, which had been headquarted in Brandenburg since July, began to make plans for a final rush towards the French heartland, partly as revenge for the devastation of Berlin but also to end the war once and for all. However, they had lost many troops to the French and realized that one final alliance would be necessary for a swift, yet punishing, end to the decade-long conflict. So, in mid-September, the Prussian King called for a conference of all the anti-Napoleon German powers in Frankfurt to discuss possible scenarios for carrying out a raid on the French territories. The Saxonians suggested a drive thru the Swiss highlands and then diffusing to ensure a swift occupation of the entire nation. Westphalia's government offered a solution in which the Germans would move from a fixed point somewhere in Germany then immediately starting off in different directions: Prussia and Saxony thru Belgium, Austria thru Switzerland, and the others across the Rhine River. The Duke of Hanover truly had strangest idea of all: they would use spies disguised as commoners to stir up trouble and discontent in the cities, distracting the militias, and perhaps some of the Army if they were efficient enough, and then they would all select their target cities on the go.
The delegates and leaders argued & debated amongst themselves for some time and there were concerns that nothing might come to fruition, however, though, a compromise was agreed upon: The majority of the troops would make a straight bee-line for Paris, via Strasbourg. However, though, a small number of them would also be allocated elsewhere to fight off remaining resistance in the rest of France. It was also agreed that espionage could be used as well, but only to a certain point; activities such as poisoning the water supply or plotting to assassinate Napoleon were strictly forbidden(much to the chagrin of the Prussians, and to a lesser extent, the Saxonians).
In any case, the Austrians were the only ones who declined to send large numbers of troops, instead focusing on rebuilding their nation and supporting the espionage efforts. Everyone else was to begin sending troops on the orders of the Prussians, who were to head the operation; this started on October 15th. Though there was much resistance on the part of the French citizenry(Strasbourg had to be massively bombarded twice to get the citizens there to surrender), the militias were badly outgunned at this point; not only that, but they also began to have some serious internal issues to deal with; particularly the alarming numbers of men who had begun to desert and leave for home, or even worse, slip away towards the other side. One by one, the northern militias began to fall, one by one, as if they had been Dominoes in a row, pushed by the finger that was the German armies.[5] By the 6th of November, the Germans had reached the outskirts of Paris, and were about to deliver the final crushing blow to Napoleon's Empire.....
Nov. 9, 1813
Paris, France
Dawn broke over the battered Paris. What was once called the ''City of Lovers' now saw smoking ruins scattered across the city from end to end, mixed with those buildings still standing. The few people who had remained here were now under complete and total martial law; many of those who dared cross the Prussians or any of the other Germans soon found themselves thrown in prison with hardened criminals, or even, in some more serious cases, lined up against the nearest wall and shot. The Jews had it even worse; they were seen as the power behind Napoleon by some of the Prussian elite[6], and thanks to the destruction of Berlin, there were some amongst fighting men who were all too happy to do as they pleased with them, though a good number of their superiors opposed this, even if mainly to keep the French public from rioting, given the relative[7] lack of anti-Semitism these days.
Joseph was sixteen, and in a state of fear. All his life he had known nothing but kindness and warmth in this beautiful city. He had been born in a small farmhouse just outside of Versailles but had been to Paris back and forth since childhood with his grandmother and moved here with his parents at the age of nine. He used to enjoy living here. Not anymore; his father had been a militia volunteer and was a proud French citizen. Now he, his mother, and brother Francois as well, lay dead, their entire street in ruins, dashed to pieces by Prussian artillery fire. Only Joseph and his 5-year-old sister Marie-Claire were still alive. He feared that if he were to stay in the city, that a renegade soldier might murder him and her, because their father was a militiaman; because they were French, and most importantly, because they were half-Jewish.......Joseph decided the only way to keep him and his little sister safe, might be to not just leave Paris, but France itself[8]. That night, they'd sneak past multiple sleeping Prussians and out of the city, where their adventure would begin..........
--
[1]A rather hastily drawn up plan, it must be admitted, but then again, Napoleon was pretty desperate.......
[2]Got his office a little later than OTL; Robert Smith died of a heart attack on April 27th, 1811.
[3]You can figure out what I'm referring to, right?
[4]As seen below; the Prussians were in no mood for Madeleines or coffee, you see.
[5]Yes, they were that disorganized. Some of the men had no real wish to fight, anyway.
[6]A letter had been circulated amongst many members of the Prussian nobility and military elite in 1810, concerning his beliefs that 'Jewish bankers' had been somehow responsible for Napoleon's rise. This was, of course, a complete piece of crock best suited for usage as toilet paper, or lining for a birdcage, or some other similar purpose, but sadly, some actually did believe this....
[7]Napoleon's regime had been rather kind to the Jewish people, compared to many other French governments over the course of that nation's history. Still, though, even then, anti-Semitism could not be totally extinguished......
[8]Tens of thousands of Frenchmen would leave their country ITTL, many headed for the United States, but some for Canada as well; a few of them pretty much scattered across the globe. More on the French Diaspora is to come in the near future. =)
Stars & Stripes #15-The End of Napoleon's Game, Part II
Extracted from “Napoleon's Follies: The Fall, And Exile, of France's First And Last Emperor”
By Dominic Duvall
La Defenserie University
Versailles, France
Translated by Richard T. Carleton and Anne Roseley, St. Albans University, Parsons' Green, West London, Great Britain.
...Napoleon's Grand Plan was as follows[1]:
1.) Any soldier still in German territory was to be recalled.
2.) Any civilians who became members of the militias were to be put on full operational alert.
3.) Paris was to begin evacuation of its citizens, followed by Lyon, Dijon, Marseilles, and Rheims.
4.) Anyone suspected of sabotage was to be imprisoned, due to widespread fears concerning spies.
5.) Any embassies belonging to any of the enemy German nations or outside the rest of Europe were to be closed, and their diplomats sent home in most cases: Germans were to be detained until the war ended.
6.) French civilians caught aiding the enemy were to be fined & imprisoned for minor offenses. Those convicted of major related offenses could be tried for treason, and if found guilty, shot.
7.) Any civilian factories within a 100 km radius of Paris that were still in operation were to be converted to military production, and their owners compensated.
8.) Any government official who tried to surrender or negotiate without executive approval was to be forced to resign and disciplined.
It was hoped that France could survive long enough to completely exhaust the German forces so a draw could be declared and that the government could rebuild. Unfortunately for Napoleon, things didn't go quite as he had hoped....
...Meanwhile, Washington was soon to receive word of the closing of the embassy in Paris. Madison's reaction was interesting, to say the least.
--
October 20, 1813
The White House
Washington D.C.
“They've proceeded to do what, exactly?”, President Madison inquired. “They've closed the embassy in Paris, and are sending Adams and Jefferson home.”, replied James Monroe[2], the Secretary of State.
Madison sighed. “Oh dear Lord. Well, whatever for? Surely the French aren't angered by our lack of involvement on their behalf? Just this last year they hadn't said a word about it.”. “Sir, I was told this was a safety measure in our case, due to fears that the Prussians and their German allies could destroy Paris in retaliation for the raids on Berlin, although the diplomats of those German nations who fought against Napoleon are being detained and being investigated for possible espionage.”, the Secretary replied, somewhat hastily. Madison sighed again. Had Napoleon gone mad? It had been known for some time that the Emperor was starting to become a bit paranoid, but the recent events made it as clear as the morning sky: He was, in fact, going mad indeed, as it seemed. Yet, somehow, there was a method to this madness as well[3]. All Washington could do now was just stand by and hope for the best. “Perhaps Napoleon has finally begun to lose his damned mind. I only hope our friendship with the French hasn't provoked the British to anger all this time, as well, despite our neutrality in this war of his.” “Well sir,” Monroe said, “perhaps diplomacy will be able to solve at least some of these pressing matters. But we may have to prepare for future British agitation also.”
Madison stood up and stretched. “Thank you, James, you are dismissed. Let us keep the French people in our thoughts tonight.” Monroe nodded and then walked out the door.
--
November 5, 1813
Paris, France
It was a cold and dreary morning in the French capital. Not many people had remained in town except a few civilians and some 50,000 military men, many of them militia, who had been ordered to guard the city, while Napoleon had retreated to Chartres, along with many of his key advisors. Some had believed that even with the destruction of Berlin, the Germans couldn't possibly try to make a move for the French heartland, let alone Paris itself. Yet, soon, many would see the truth for themselves, all too late.....[4]
Extracted from “The Napoleonic Wars: The Roots, The Battles, and The Aftermath”
By. J. Denison Armitage
New Orleans, Louisiana
© 1953 LeFavre House: New Orleans.
Chapter 25: The Drive Towards Paris
….Early in October, the Prussian government, which had been headquarted in Brandenburg since July, began to make plans for a final rush towards the French heartland, partly as revenge for the devastation of Berlin but also to end the war once and for all. However, they had lost many troops to the French and realized that one final alliance would be necessary for a swift, yet punishing, end to the decade-long conflict. So, in mid-September, the Prussian King called for a conference of all the anti-Napoleon German powers in Frankfurt to discuss possible scenarios for carrying out a raid on the French territories. The Saxonians suggested a drive thru the Swiss highlands and then diffusing to ensure a swift occupation of the entire nation. Westphalia's government offered a solution in which the Germans would move from a fixed point somewhere in Germany then immediately starting off in different directions: Prussia and Saxony thru Belgium, Austria thru Switzerland, and the others across the Rhine River. The Duke of Hanover truly had strangest idea of all: they would use spies disguised as commoners to stir up trouble and discontent in the cities, distracting the militias, and perhaps some of the Army if they were efficient enough, and then they would all select their target cities on the go.
The delegates and leaders argued & debated amongst themselves for some time and there were concerns that nothing might come to fruition, however, though, a compromise was agreed upon: The majority of the troops would make a straight bee-line for Paris, via Strasbourg. However, though, a small number of them would also be allocated elsewhere to fight off remaining resistance in the rest of France. It was also agreed that espionage could be used as well, but only to a certain point; activities such as poisoning the water supply or plotting to assassinate Napoleon were strictly forbidden(much to the chagrin of the Prussians, and to a lesser extent, the Saxonians).
In any case, the Austrians were the only ones who declined to send large numbers of troops, instead focusing on rebuilding their nation and supporting the espionage efforts. Everyone else was to begin sending troops on the orders of the Prussians, who were to head the operation; this started on October 15th. Though there was much resistance on the part of the French citizenry(Strasbourg had to be massively bombarded twice to get the citizens there to surrender), the militias were badly outgunned at this point; not only that, but they also began to have some serious internal issues to deal with; particularly the alarming numbers of men who had begun to desert and leave for home, or even worse, slip away towards the other side. One by one, the northern militias began to fall, one by one, as if they had been Dominoes in a row, pushed by the finger that was the German armies.[5] By the 6th of November, the Germans had reached the outskirts of Paris, and were about to deliver the final crushing blow to Napoleon's Empire.....
Nov. 9, 1813
Paris, France
Dawn broke over the battered Paris. What was once called the ''City of Lovers' now saw smoking ruins scattered across the city from end to end, mixed with those buildings still standing. The few people who had remained here were now under complete and total martial law; many of those who dared cross the Prussians or any of the other Germans soon found themselves thrown in prison with hardened criminals, or even, in some more serious cases, lined up against the nearest wall and shot. The Jews had it even worse; they were seen as the power behind Napoleon by some of the Prussian elite[6], and thanks to the destruction of Berlin, there were some amongst fighting men who were all too happy to do as they pleased with them, though a good number of their superiors opposed this, even if mainly to keep the French public from rioting, given the relative[7] lack of anti-Semitism these days.
Joseph was sixteen, and in a state of fear. All his life he had known nothing but kindness and warmth in this beautiful city. He had been born in a small farmhouse just outside of Versailles but had been to Paris back and forth since childhood with his grandmother and moved here with his parents at the age of nine. He used to enjoy living here. Not anymore; his father had been a militia volunteer and was a proud French citizen. Now he, his mother, and brother Francois as well, lay dead, their entire street in ruins, dashed to pieces by Prussian artillery fire. Only Joseph and his 5-year-old sister Marie-Claire were still alive. He feared that if he were to stay in the city, that a renegade soldier might murder him and her, because their father was a militiaman; because they were French, and most importantly, because they were half-Jewish.......Joseph decided the only way to keep him and his little sister safe, might be to not just leave Paris, but France itself[8]. That night, they'd sneak past multiple sleeping Prussians and out of the city, where their adventure would begin..........
--
[1]A rather hastily drawn up plan, it must be admitted, but then again, Napoleon was pretty desperate.......
[2]Got his office a little later than OTL; Robert Smith died of a heart attack on April 27th, 1811.
[3]You can figure out what I'm referring to, right?
[4]As seen below; the Prussians were in no mood for Madeleines or coffee, you see.
[5]Yes, they were that disorganized. Some of the men had no real wish to fight, anyway.
[6]A letter had been circulated amongst many members of the Prussian nobility and military elite in 1810, concerning his beliefs that 'Jewish bankers' had been somehow responsible for Napoleon's rise. This was, of course, a complete piece of crock best suited for usage as toilet paper, or lining for a birdcage, or some other similar purpose, but sadly, some actually did believe this....
[7]Napoleon's regime had been rather kind to the Jewish people, compared to many other French governments over the course of that nation's history. Still, though, even then, anti-Semitism could not be totally extinguished......
[8]Tens of thousands of Frenchmen would leave their country ITTL, many headed for the United States, but some for Canada as well; a few of them pretty much scattered across the globe. More on the French Diaspora is to come in the near future. =)
Lycaon pictus
Donor
I suspect there'll be a lot of French immigration to the United States in the next few years.
Oh, there will be some, trust me. I'll try to elaborate on that sometime.
In the meantime, the end is just around the corner for Napoleon and friends. What will happen? Well, stay tuned, and you'll find out.
Okay, folks, time to move on.
Stars & Stripes #16-The End of Napoleon's Game, Final Part
Extracted from “The Napoleonic Wars: The Roots, The Battles, and The Aftermath”
By. J. Denison Armitage
New Orleans, Louisiana
© 1953 LeFavre House: New Orleans.
Chapter 26: The Empire is Lost, Napoleon Cornered.
After the capture and sacking of Paris, the entire French war machine had, at last, ground to a final and screeching halt. No longer were men & boys willing to sacrifice themselves for the Emperor and his grand schemes. It could be said, quite verily, that “Napoleon's Empire was to 1813, as the Roman Empire was to 410. Its capital sacked by a foreign power, its people weary of constant war, and the nation itself about to pass into the history books.”, as quipped by famous Canadian historian Arline DuParry[1]. The Prussian occupation had been a bit harsh by our modern standards; some citizens who tried to resist often found themselves being held hostage, or even occasionally shot, by the occupying soldiers. Many more were forced to work, some people being as young as 9 or 10. Starvation and disease were also a terrible problem; in early December, as many as 4,000 people per day were dying from both factors.[2]
Meanwhile, Napoleon remained in Chartres for a time, surrounded by dozens of guards. That is, of course, until news of the sacking of Paris and possible invasion of Chartres came early on the morning of the 8th. The French Emperor decided to flee that same day, knowing that the battle had finally been lost for good. Taking only his most valuable possessions and closest friends with him, Napoleon left just after the stroke of noon, hoping to get away from the advancing Germans.
The Flight to Remalard was to be the Emperor's last desperate hope[3]. The tiny Ornais village had only about 400 people, but was a perfect hiding spot, even for one such as Napoleon; it certainly helped that everyone in his entourage was wearing a disguise of some sort, which would make it far easier to blend in. Arriving late in the afternoon, Napoleon decided to eat dinner at the local inn with his subordinates, and then retired early at said establishment for the night. Things finally seemed to be looking up for Napoleon, but at 7 am the next morning, he was woken up by a harried assistant who told had overheard the conversation of someone who seemed to know a little too much about the Emperor's whereabouts. Once again, he found himself in quite the dilemma: Run, and risk making a scene? Or stay and risk possibly being caught? He decided on the former, and quickly gathered his associates. They hailed the carriageman they had hired to take them out of Versailles and told him to start to the southwest, and as quickly as possible; Napoleon appeared to have made a wise decision because not long after his departure, a foreign cavalry contingent swept thru the town looking for the besieged Emperor. It is also said that the assistant happened to spot the man to whom he was referring just as they were leaving, and that Napoleon recognized the man as one of the other patrons at the inn. Fearing that a German spy had outed him, the Emperor ordered the carriageman to go full speed ahead, and soon, Napoleon and company were rushing down the French countryside as if their very lives depended on it. Eventually, one of his lieutenants spotted a road on which they could travel more efficiently. Napoleon barked his newest command, and soon, they found themselves on the street now known as Rue de la Delmée. However, though, the horses were getting a little tired, and the Emperor decided to stop near the town of Verrieres so they could rest for a little while.
Unfortunately for Napoleon, this was to be his final mistake; not long after his arrival in Verrieres, hundreds of cavalrymen from the armies of no less than 4 different nations encircled the town, with the Emperor right smack in the middle. It seemed that Monsieur Bonaparte's era at the top of the pile had finally come to an end....[4]
--
From the private journal of Johann von Thielmann[5], 9 November, 1813, archived by Wundler & Schonemuhl, Berlin[6].
“So here stands the king of fools, lord of jokers, and enemy of the rightful system of government, this man calling himself Napoleon Bonaparte. Ha! The grandest of ironies has unfolded before us; here was a man who once sought to dominate all of western Europe, nay, even the world, a mere decade past. But now, his empire has fallen, with France itself trampled under the boots of German might. And yet, even in these days, I find there are still those who worship the Emperor, as if he were a saint of some kind. These lovers of Napoleon, are themselves fools, for having placed their trust in their 'republic' and their Emperor, rather than their God and their King. May God have mercy on their deluded and misguided souls.....”[7]
--
Nov. 12, 1813
Versailles, France
It was over for Napoleon. Everything he had worked for in the past 10 years had been taken from him in one fell swoop, his riches, his prestige, everything, had been lost to the German interlopers. All he had now was his dignity, and he intended to use every bit of it. The carriage win which he had ridden soon arrived at his former palace. Flanked by his two remaining bodyguards, the former Emperor walked into the building, where he was ushered into one of the state rooms. “Please, Herr Bonaparte, do sit down. We have much to discuss.”, someone said. Napoleon looked around; it was none other than the Austrian Emperor, Francis the 1st, himself. The Austrian spoke again. “Now, concerning the terms of surrender.....”
Extracted from “The Napoleonic Wars: The Roots, The Battles, and The Aftermath”
By. J. Denison Armitage
New Orleans, Louisiana
© 1953 LeFavre House: New Orleans.
Chapter 27: Napoleon Surrenders
...Napoleon's capture had proven to be the final blow to the French Empire. Much of the country was in a state of disarray with entire regions suffering from a severe case of lawlessness. Even worse, there wasn't much the remaining militias could do for the time being other than just do their damnedest to keep law & order, even if that meant detaining rioters.....or worse! To make matters even more complicated, there were some German soldiers who had been caught looting in many a town and village; in those areas where militias were present this was often met by gunfire; it is suggested that as many as 2,500 of the occupying Germans died in this matter; nearly half of them came from Prussia alone. Rape was also an unfortunate problem, especially in the eastern most areas of the country which were the most heavily occupied by the foreign troops, although some of the Germans were slow to react(to the credit of the Austrians, however, they reacted swiftly to any accusations, with immediate discipline of offenders). All this, plus the failing economy and seemed to be enough to break any leader down to size. Napoleon, however, saw fit to play along with his enemies, hoping to get a fair deal for his troubles, and France's, for that matter.
The same day Napoleon arrived in the Palace, the Congress of Versailles[8] was to start, with the first negotiations revolving around the timetable for the withdrawal of German troops, and Napoleon demanding swifter and more exacting discipline for those soldiers who engaged in dishonorable acts...
Extracts taken from: "Modern Western History: The Complete Encyclopedia"
By Albert J. Callahan & Dr. Jonathan P. Wellesley(Principal Authors)
(c) 1962 Capstone Press: Wellington, N.Z. Full credit given to authors.
The Treaty of Erlangen & Congress of Versailles.
[The latter is basically the equivalent of OTL's Congress of Vienna. An asterisk shows a significantly different
outcome than OTL.]
12 Nov. 1813 - 5 April 1814
After the end of the war, the delegates of all the great European powers whose nations had participated in the decade long conflict met in Versailles in November 1813 to commence discussions of what was to be done about territorial concessions, amongst other things. Russia, Britain, France, Prussia, Austria, Bavaria, and later on, the Netherlands & Sweden, were all participants.
The Congress was a rather informal matter compared to settlements of years past, however, it was to be a rather important turning point in the continent's history. The main goal of the Congress was to try not to heap too great a reward on the winners, or punish too harshly those who had lost, but rather, an attempt at a fair and just settlement for all involved. This was all to culminate in the Treaty of Erlangen on 10 April, 1814.
Here are the main outcomes of the Treaty as it was signed:
Austria:
-received most of Illyria(that is, Carinthia and Carniola) except Trieste.*
-Retained Salzburg and recieved most of Tyrol.
-retained all of eastern Galicia, including Krakow.
-took possession of Berchtesgaden from Bavaria.*
Prussia:
- was given a considerable amount of extra territory from other German-speaking lands, including most of Hesse, all of Pomerania, much of Westphalia, and parts of Poland, including Gdansk, Torun, and Poznan, as well as parts of the Rhineland, with one piece of stretching from Julich to Cologne, and another between Cologne and Hanover.
-Also had a prince installed on the Bohemian throne.
-started an occupation of Luxembourg for a period of 25 years.
Britain:
-gained Malta, and set up a naval base in Valletta.
-gained Heligoland, installed a naval base & barracks.
-received Tobago and Mauritius, *but returned St. Lucia and Martinique, which had been occupied during the war.
-obtained Ceylon from Holland, but traded them *Antigua & Barbuda to appease Amsterdam.
Bavaria:
-Lost the city of Berchtesgaden and was forced to pay war reparations to Austria, but did receive some
compensation, by being allowed to annex all of Nassau's territory on the right bank of the Rhine River.
Russia:
-received most of eastern Poland and allowed for the eventual creation of the Grand Duchy of Poland, whose capital
was still to be determined.
-maintained Bessarabia.
-Annexed Finland, though allowed it to be semi-autonomous, and with it's own dukes*.[9]
Sweden:
-Lost Finland completely but was allowed to install their own monarch in Norway.*
-Received over 1 million francs in reparations from France but allowed them to receive Guadeloupe as compensation*.
-Gained Iceland from Denmark
Holland[10]:
-Was forced to give East Frisia back to Germany.
-Abolished all remnants of the Bonaparte monarchy, and the Orange family received control of the throne.
-Lost Ceylon to Britain but gained Antigua and Barbuda.*
-Lost Limburg to a neighboring German state.
France:
-Napoleon forced to step down or face imprisonment in either Austria or Prussia.
-Gained Guadeloupe from Sweden in exchange for 1 million francs' worth of war reparations.
-Lost Mauritius & Tobago to Britain but had St. Lucia & Martinique returned to them.
-Received French Guiana from Portugal, but was forced to pay Lisbon over 500 thousand francs for this transaction.
Other States-
The Minor German Lands:
-An attempt an early confederation failed miserably but a mass consolidation did eventually occur with many of them merging in April, 1816; once there were over 300. After 21 April, however, only 38 states existed. It was also eventually decided that the creation of a Pan-German Council was needed, and the first meeting took place in Erfurt in Sept. of that same year.
-Hanover was granted Hildesheim.
-Nassau was granted a broad area of land between Frankfurt and Munster*.
The Italian States:
-Ferdinand IV confirmed as the King of the Two Sicilies.
-Modena was granted to Francois d'Este.
-Genoa was allowed to remain independent, but was forced to pay 20 years' worth of tribute to Sardinia.
-Tuscany was given to several minor Italian families, but was to pay 10 years' tribute to Austria and was to be demilitarized.
-Lombardy was to receive an Austrian prince, but was allowed to become independent.
Switzerland:
-Became Europe's first full-fledged neutral nation.
-Received Geneva, Neuchatel, and Wallis.
-Republican system installed at suggestion of Napoleon & Jefferson, the former American president.*[]
-Multiple embassies established in Geneva, with permission of the Swiss government.*
Ottoman Empire*:
-Lost most of Bosnia to the Austrians, although Sarajevo remained in Turkish hands.*
-Herzegovina and Montenegro were made independent, and merged into a single republic, as suggested by Thomas Jefferson.*[]
-Romania was to start the road to independence in October, 1816, to become fully so over the next decade.*
--
[1]Only real difference is, the Roman Empire lasted over 1,000 years whereas Napoleon's only around a decade, according to Mme. DuParry....although the good Canadian neglected to mention what would happen to France not 3 years afterwards...
[2]The occupation ended on 9 Feb., 1814, as per the negotiations. Tragically, the average starvation & disease death rate over those 92 days was approximately 1,650 a day. Added up, that makes for a total of about 150,000 unfortunate Parisian souls.
[3]Note the irony here; just 20 years earlier, Louis the 16th tried the exact same routine! And look where that got him.
[4]And boy, did he fall hard.
[5]Saxon general, who was ironically an ally of Napoleon IOTL, believe it or not.
[6]A Prussian(Wundler) and Pomeranian(Schonemuhl) came together in Berlin in 1806, and founded this publishing company best known later in its existence for producing war propaganda. I should probably mention that this was published in 1865, btw.
[7]I had something a little harsher in mind in terms of von Thielmann's dialogue...I gave in, though, for the sake of not making him look like a Goering wanna-be.
[8]In case you hadn't noticed already, this really is just an ATL version of the Congress of Vienna.
[9]As for the Finns...while some of them longed to be under Swedish administration again, many others hoped that the Russians would allow them to be more independent.
[10]Despite Louis's partial abdication in 1809, he remained influential until the end of the war, although the Van Oranje family had been able to take over much of the southern half of the country, after a major Anglo-Prussian offensive in 1811. They were fully restored in 1815.
[11, 12]Jefferson was viewed as an ace statesman by many, and many of his suggestions were well respected by virtually all parties(with the possible exception of the Prussians).
I'd also like to say that although Switzerland's republican system was respected by some, particularly the French, the British, and the Dutch, others were somewhat opposed to it, particularly the Prussians, who complained of having to deal with “yet another France”, in reference to Napoleon's influence in the matter. Montenegro & Herzegovina would also begin to reap enormous benefits from their new system as well, although this irked both the Austrians and the Ottomans to no end...more on this later.
--
So, there you have it. The Napoleonic Wars are finally over.
BTW, folks, I am really going to need some people to help me out with the writing of this story. If anyone wants to consider helping me out, please do send me a personal message(if you want me to give you some pointers, as in, suggestions on what we can work on, please don't hesitate to ask). I would greatly appreciate it.
Stars & Stripes #16-The End of Napoleon's Game, Final Part
Extracted from “The Napoleonic Wars: The Roots, The Battles, and The Aftermath”
By. J. Denison Armitage
New Orleans, Louisiana
© 1953 LeFavre House: New Orleans.
Chapter 26: The Empire is Lost, Napoleon Cornered.
After the capture and sacking of Paris, the entire French war machine had, at last, ground to a final and screeching halt. No longer were men & boys willing to sacrifice themselves for the Emperor and his grand schemes. It could be said, quite verily, that “Napoleon's Empire was to 1813, as the Roman Empire was to 410. Its capital sacked by a foreign power, its people weary of constant war, and the nation itself about to pass into the history books.”, as quipped by famous Canadian historian Arline DuParry[1]. The Prussian occupation had been a bit harsh by our modern standards; some citizens who tried to resist often found themselves being held hostage, or even occasionally shot, by the occupying soldiers. Many more were forced to work, some people being as young as 9 or 10. Starvation and disease were also a terrible problem; in early December, as many as 4,000 people per day were dying from both factors.[2]
Meanwhile, Napoleon remained in Chartres for a time, surrounded by dozens of guards. That is, of course, until news of the sacking of Paris and possible invasion of Chartres came early on the morning of the 8th. The French Emperor decided to flee that same day, knowing that the battle had finally been lost for good. Taking only his most valuable possessions and closest friends with him, Napoleon left just after the stroke of noon, hoping to get away from the advancing Germans.
The Flight to Remalard was to be the Emperor's last desperate hope[3]. The tiny Ornais village had only about 400 people, but was a perfect hiding spot, even for one such as Napoleon; it certainly helped that everyone in his entourage was wearing a disguise of some sort, which would make it far easier to blend in. Arriving late in the afternoon, Napoleon decided to eat dinner at the local inn with his subordinates, and then retired early at said establishment for the night. Things finally seemed to be looking up for Napoleon, but at 7 am the next morning, he was woken up by a harried assistant who told had overheard the conversation of someone who seemed to know a little too much about the Emperor's whereabouts. Once again, he found himself in quite the dilemma: Run, and risk making a scene? Or stay and risk possibly being caught? He decided on the former, and quickly gathered his associates. They hailed the carriageman they had hired to take them out of Versailles and told him to start to the southwest, and as quickly as possible; Napoleon appeared to have made a wise decision because not long after his departure, a foreign cavalry contingent swept thru the town looking for the besieged Emperor. It is also said that the assistant happened to spot the man to whom he was referring just as they were leaving, and that Napoleon recognized the man as one of the other patrons at the inn. Fearing that a German spy had outed him, the Emperor ordered the carriageman to go full speed ahead, and soon, Napoleon and company were rushing down the French countryside as if their very lives depended on it. Eventually, one of his lieutenants spotted a road on which they could travel more efficiently. Napoleon barked his newest command, and soon, they found themselves on the street now known as Rue de la Delmée. However, though, the horses were getting a little tired, and the Emperor decided to stop near the town of Verrieres so they could rest for a little while.
Unfortunately for Napoleon, this was to be his final mistake; not long after his arrival in Verrieres, hundreds of cavalrymen from the armies of no less than 4 different nations encircled the town, with the Emperor right smack in the middle. It seemed that Monsieur Bonaparte's era at the top of the pile had finally come to an end....[4]
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From the private journal of Johann von Thielmann[5], 9 November, 1813, archived by Wundler & Schonemuhl, Berlin[6].
“So here stands the king of fools, lord of jokers, and enemy of the rightful system of government, this man calling himself Napoleon Bonaparte. Ha! The grandest of ironies has unfolded before us; here was a man who once sought to dominate all of western Europe, nay, even the world, a mere decade past. But now, his empire has fallen, with France itself trampled under the boots of German might. And yet, even in these days, I find there are still those who worship the Emperor, as if he were a saint of some kind. These lovers of Napoleon, are themselves fools, for having placed their trust in their 'republic' and their Emperor, rather than their God and their King. May God have mercy on their deluded and misguided souls.....”[7]
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Nov. 12, 1813
Versailles, France
It was over for Napoleon. Everything he had worked for in the past 10 years had been taken from him in one fell swoop, his riches, his prestige, everything, had been lost to the German interlopers. All he had now was his dignity, and he intended to use every bit of it. The carriage win which he had ridden soon arrived at his former palace. Flanked by his two remaining bodyguards, the former Emperor walked into the building, where he was ushered into one of the state rooms. “Please, Herr Bonaparte, do sit down. We have much to discuss.”, someone said. Napoleon looked around; it was none other than the Austrian Emperor, Francis the 1st, himself. The Austrian spoke again. “Now, concerning the terms of surrender.....”
Extracted from “The Napoleonic Wars: The Roots, The Battles, and The Aftermath”
By. J. Denison Armitage
New Orleans, Louisiana
© 1953 LeFavre House: New Orleans.
Chapter 27: Napoleon Surrenders
...Napoleon's capture had proven to be the final blow to the French Empire. Much of the country was in a state of disarray with entire regions suffering from a severe case of lawlessness. Even worse, there wasn't much the remaining militias could do for the time being other than just do their damnedest to keep law & order, even if that meant detaining rioters.....or worse! To make matters even more complicated, there were some German soldiers who had been caught looting in many a town and village; in those areas where militias were present this was often met by gunfire; it is suggested that as many as 2,500 of the occupying Germans died in this matter; nearly half of them came from Prussia alone. Rape was also an unfortunate problem, especially in the eastern most areas of the country which were the most heavily occupied by the foreign troops, although some of the Germans were slow to react(to the credit of the Austrians, however, they reacted swiftly to any accusations, with immediate discipline of offenders). All this, plus the failing economy and seemed to be enough to break any leader down to size. Napoleon, however, saw fit to play along with his enemies, hoping to get a fair deal for his troubles, and France's, for that matter.
The same day Napoleon arrived in the Palace, the Congress of Versailles[8] was to start, with the first negotiations revolving around the timetable for the withdrawal of German troops, and Napoleon demanding swifter and more exacting discipline for those soldiers who engaged in dishonorable acts...
Extracts taken from: "Modern Western History: The Complete Encyclopedia"
By Albert J. Callahan & Dr. Jonathan P. Wellesley(Principal Authors)
(c) 1962 Capstone Press: Wellington, N.Z. Full credit given to authors.
The Treaty of Erlangen & Congress of Versailles.
[The latter is basically the equivalent of OTL's Congress of Vienna. An asterisk shows a significantly different
outcome than OTL.]
12 Nov. 1813 - 5 April 1814
After the end of the war, the delegates of all the great European powers whose nations had participated in the decade long conflict met in Versailles in November 1813 to commence discussions of what was to be done about territorial concessions, amongst other things. Russia, Britain, France, Prussia, Austria, Bavaria, and later on, the Netherlands & Sweden, were all participants.
The Congress was a rather informal matter compared to settlements of years past, however, it was to be a rather important turning point in the continent's history. The main goal of the Congress was to try not to heap too great a reward on the winners, or punish too harshly those who had lost, but rather, an attempt at a fair and just settlement for all involved. This was all to culminate in the Treaty of Erlangen on 10 April, 1814.
Here are the main outcomes of the Treaty as it was signed:
Austria:
-received most of Illyria(that is, Carinthia and Carniola) except Trieste.*
-Retained Salzburg and recieved most of Tyrol.
-retained all of eastern Galicia, including Krakow.
-took possession of Berchtesgaden from Bavaria.*
Prussia:
- was given a considerable amount of extra territory from other German-speaking lands, including most of Hesse, all of Pomerania, much of Westphalia, and parts of Poland, including Gdansk, Torun, and Poznan, as well as parts of the Rhineland, with one piece of stretching from Julich to Cologne, and another between Cologne and Hanover.
-Also had a prince installed on the Bohemian throne.
-started an occupation of Luxembourg for a period of 25 years.
Britain:
-gained Malta, and set up a naval base in Valletta.
-gained Heligoland, installed a naval base & barracks.
-received Tobago and Mauritius, *but returned St. Lucia and Martinique, which had been occupied during the war.
-obtained Ceylon from Holland, but traded them *Antigua & Barbuda to appease Amsterdam.
Bavaria:
-Lost the city of Berchtesgaden and was forced to pay war reparations to Austria, but did receive some
compensation, by being allowed to annex all of Nassau's territory on the right bank of the Rhine River.
Russia:
-received most of eastern Poland and allowed for the eventual creation of the Grand Duchy of Poland, whose capital
was still to be determined.
-maintained Bessarabia.
-Annexed Finland, though allowed it to be semi-autonomous, and with it's own dukes*.[9]
Sweden:
-Lost Finland completely but was allowed to install their own monarch in Norway.*
-Received over 1 million francs in reparations from France but allowed them to receive Guadeloupe as compensation*.
-Gained Iceland from Denmark
Holland[10]:
-Was forced to give East Frisia back to Germany.
-Abolished all remnants of the Bonaparte monarchy, and the Orange family received control of the throne.
-Lost Ceylon to Britain but gained Antigua and Barbuda.*
-Lost Limburg to a neighboring German state.
France:
-Napoleon forced to step down or face imprisonment in either Austria or Prussia.
-Gained Guadeloupe from Sweden in exchange for 1 million francs' worth of war reparations.
-Lost Mauritius & Tobago to Britain but had St. Lucia & Martinique returned to them.
-Received French Guiana from Portugal, but was forced to pay Lisbon over 500 thousand francs for this transaction.
Other States-
The Minor German Lands:
-An attempt an early confederation failed miserably but a mass consolidation did eventually occur with many of them merging in April, 1816; once there were over 300. After 21 April, however, only 38 states existed. It was also eventually decided that the creation of a Pan-German Council was needed, and the first meeting took place in Erfurt in Sept. of that same year.
-Hanover was granted Hildesheim.
-Nassau was granted a broad area of land between Frankfurt and Munster*.
The Italian States:
-Ferdinand IV confirmed as the King of the Two Sicilies.
-Modena was granted to Francois d'Este.
-Genoa was allowed to remain independent, but was forced to pay 20 years' worth of tribute to Sardinia.
-Tuscany was given to several minor Italian families, but was to pay 10 years' tribute to Austria and was to be demilitarized.
-Lombardy was to receive an Austrian prince, but was allowed to become independent.
Switzerland:
-Became Europe's first full-fledged neutral nation.
-Received Geneva, Neuchatel, and Wallis.
-Republican system installed at suggestion of Napoleon & Jefferson, the former American president.*[]
-Multiple embassies established in Geneva, with permission of the Swiss government.*
Ottoman Empire*:
-Lost most of Bosnia to the Austrians, although Sarajevo remained in Turkish hands.*
-Herzegovina and Montenegro were made independent, and merged into a single republic, as suggested by Thomas Jefferson.*[]
-Romania was to start the road to independence in October, 1816, to become fully so over the next decade.*
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[1]Only real difference is, the Roman Empire lasted over 1,000 years whereas Napoleon's only around a decade, according to Mme. DuParry....although the good Canadian neglected to mention what would happen to France not 3 years afterwards...
[2]The occupation ended on 9 Feb., 1814, as per the negotiations. Tragically, the average starvation & disease death rate over those 92 days was approximately 1,650 a day. Added up, that makes for a total of about 150,000 unfortunate Parisian souls.
[3]Note the irony here; just 20 years earlier, Louis the 16th tried the exact same routine! And look where that got him.
[4]And boy, did he fall hard.
[5]Saxon general, who was ironically an ally of Napoleon IOTL, believe it or not.
[6]A Prussian(Wundler) and Pomeranian(Schonemuhl) came together in Berlin in 1806, and founded this publishing company best known later in its existence for producing war propaganda. I should probably mention that this was published in 1865, btw.
[7]I had something a little harsher in mind in terms of von Thielmann's dialogue...I gave in, though, for the sake of not making him look like a Goering wanna-be.
[8]In case you hadn't noticed already, this really is just an ATL version of the Congress of Vienna.
[9]As for the Finns...while some of them longed to be under Swedish administration again, many others hoped that the Russians would allow them to be more independent.
[10]Despite Louis's partial abdication in 1809, he remained influential until the end of the war, although the Van Oranje family had been able to take over much of the southern half of the country, after a major Anglo-Prussian offensive in 1811. They were fully restored in 1815.
[11, 12]Jefferson was viewed as an ace statesman by many, and many of his suggestions were well respected by virtually all parties(with the possible exception of the Prussians).
I'd also like to say that although Switzerland's republican system was respected by some, particularly the French, the British, and the Dutch, others were somewhat opposed to it, particularly the Prussians, who complained of having to deal with “yet another France”, in reference to Napoleon's influence in the matter. Montenegro & Herzegovina would also begin to reap enormous benefits from their new system as well, although this irked both the Austrians and the Ottomans to no end...more on this later.
--
So, there you have it. The Napoleonic Wars are finally over.
BTW, folks, I am really going to need some people to help me out with the writing of this story. If anyone wants to consider helping me out, please do send me a personal message(if you want me to give you some pointers, as in, suggestions on what we can work on, please don't hesitate to ask
). I would greatly appreciate it.
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For convenience, could you say what specifically is difficult about the treaty from OTL? I don't see anything much that stands out but I'm bad at reading lists Looking forward to future updates.One other thing, I was wondering why does Napoleon go with an inglorious attempt to flee when in OTL he tried to commit suicide in similar circumstances?
Looking forward to future updates.One other thing, I was wondering why does Napoleon go with an inglorious attempt to flee when in OTL he tried to commit suicide in similar circumstances?For convenience, could you say what specifically is difficult about the treaty from OTL? I don't see anything much that stands out but I'm bad at reading lists
Well, I did use asterisks to try to differentiate events that I thought were significantly different from OTL, from those that didn't seem so.....The list may need to be revised, however, and I'll see if I can fit a better explanation in there sometime.
Also, I realize that Napoleon had indeed considered suicide after the loss of the war IOTL(although I hadn't remembered that when I was writing, admittedly.
), but here I thought that perhaps he might have become fearful of being executed by a victor, by one of the German states in particular(especially Prussia after how badly Berlin was trashed.), and that his family might suffer a similar fate. His saga isn't quite over yet, though. I'm gonna have something in the works that'll really throw everybody for a bit of a loop.
Things are really going to start heating up in the states, too. Watch the states of Ohio and New York in particular, Ted. You'll see why.
You're welcome. A couple of the things I had in mind was the admission of Maine as a state, as well as more stuff on the S.o.N.E., which I think was long overdue at this point anyway.
Good read so far
just a few nitpicks, but at this time luxembourg is still in personal union with the Netherlands, William I was its ruler. Does this change here?
And them loosing Limburg is also a rather different outcome from otl which in the future will not make the things easier.
No greater Netherlands either to act as a buffer against france?
just a few nitpicks, but at this time luxembourg is still in personal union with the Netherlands, William I was its ruler. Does this change here?
And them loosing Limburg is also a rather different outcome from otl which in the future will not make the things easier.
No greater Netherlands either to act as a buffer against france?
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Hmm....hadn't quite seen that bit about Luxembourg. Well, thank you, I'll try to make the necessary revisions.
Yeah, Denmark lost Iceland.......Norway is, as of April 1814, in a state of transition, to be unified with Sweden pretty much as OTL, but with it's own king. I may need to revise this a little.
I wish I could but I'm VERY short on map making skills, particularly from anytime before the Civil War era. I do need some major help with this, and if you'd like to help, it would be greatly appreciated.
The Netherlands loosing limburg is very different from otl, it will create maximal animosity against those who decided on it, it will almost guarantee that the Netherlands will team up with france for a revenge later. It will also make the position of the house of orange untenable.... because they let that happen. William I&II were already rather bad rulers just add this and you have no popular support left. (btw considering some battles were different can't you have crownprince william (later william II) perish? it definately would improve the future lol)
Limburg was also techically part of the german bund, and the whole makes it rather unlikely for the loss to happen. IN fact it would be more likely that they press on the whole of the Netherlands to become part of the germand bund.
(would cause LOTS of butterflies as prussia all of a sudden would have a rival in the bund).
Loosing limburg would mean the netherlands gets punished harder than france in regard to loosing territory, so seems very illogical. And and it also contradicts what you posted (after all the netherlands were occupied by the french):
In otl they created a greater Netherlands to work as a buffer against france, and even though things have gone different, i hardly think that kind of mindset would change. Actually it would be more likely that they incorporated the entire french part of the dutch language area too now (the pas de calais).
and i noticed that the Netherlands did not loose south-africa or half of their guyana colony, cool.
Limburg was also techically part of the german bund, and the whole makes it rather unlikely for the loss to happen. IN fact it would be more likely that they press on the whole of the Netherlands to become part of the germand bund.
(would cause LOTS of butterflies as prussia all of a sudden would have a rival in the bund).
Loosing limburg would mean the netherlands gets punished harder than france in regard to loosing territory, so seems very illogical. And and it also contradicts what you posted (after all the netherlands were occupied by the french):
In otl they created a greater Netherlands to work as a buffer against france, and even though things have gone different, i hardly think that kind of mindset would change. Actually it would be more likely that they incorporated the entire french part of the dutch language area too now (the pas de calais).
and i noticed that the Netherlands did not loose south-africa or half of their guyana colony, cool.
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The Netherlands loosing limburg is very different from otl, it will create maximal animosity against those who decided on it, it will almost guarantee that the Netherlands will team up with france for a revenge later. It will also make the position of the house of orange untenable.... because they let that happen. William I&II were already rather bad rulers just add this and you have no popular support left. (btw considering some battles were different can't you have crownprince william (later william II) perish? it definately would improve the future lol)
Limburg was also techically part of the german bund, and the whole makes it rather unlikely for the loss to happen. IN fact it would be more likely that they press on the whole of the Netherlands to become part of the germand bund.
(would cause LOTS of butterflies as prussia all of a sudden would have a rival in the bund).
Loosing limburg would mean the netherlands gets punished harder than france in regard to loosing territory, so seems very illogical. And and it also contradicts what you posted (after all the netherlands were occupied by the french):
In otl they created a greater Netherlands to work as a buffer against france, and even though things have gone different, i hardly think that kind of mindset would change. Actually it would be more likely that they incorporated the entire french part of the dutch language area too now (the pas de calais).
and i noticed that the Netherlands did not loose south-africa or half of their guyana colony, cool.
Okay. Well, given what you've said, I can certainly take another look and revise as needed, and/or explain why such occurred.
Maybe an interesting thought, maybe the Netherlands gets to keep east-frisia, cleves & bentheim as an incentive to join the (north) german bund? it would make sense in some ways. If they would join, it would provide some interesting butterflies later like increasing the chance that prussia will be on its own against austria, or even the the members of the North german bund (who were dissatisfied with prussian dominance) or even butterflying away the austro-prussian conflict. The netherlands joining the bund, would definately balance out prussia (i think someone did a tl that featured a 3 kaiser bund (austria/netherlands/prussia)).