What if Michel Ney got his reinforcements?

mowque

Banned
Another Russian-Prussian force wails on Napoleon in the next battle...or the next one. He isn't magic. The game is long over by this point. Waterloo was not a turning point but merely the inescapable finale to a long and tortuous play.
 
NEY SMASH!!!!!

Eh, Wellington loses his battle, the Prussians still attack. If they too are beaten, a new coalition is formed. He can't keep winning forever, nobody can against those odds.
 
Another Russian-Prussian force wails on Napoleon in the next battle...or the next one. He isn't magic. The game is long over by this point. Waterloo was not a turning point but merely the inescapable finale to a long and tortuous play.

The Destruction of the Anglo Dutch army and the Prussian too (next day ?) would put old Nappy into the position to negotiate. (Russian and Austrian/GErman troops were still far away)

If the Allies acknowledge that Nappy is ruler of France it would make an interesting TL (France still would be down and priobably not able to wage an aggressive war for some decades).
 
The Destruction of the Anglo Dutch army and the Prussian too (next day ?) would put old Nappy into the position to negotiate. (Russian and Austrian/GErman troops were still far away)

If the Allies acknowledge that Nappy is ruler of France it would make an interesting TL (France still would be down and priobably not able to wage an aggressive war for some decades).

Maybe he could negociate a peace where his son become the sovereign with Marie-Louise as a regent while he retire in Elba again (he only came back because the 1814 peace treaty terms weren't respected). This would also do a cool TL.
 
Maybe he could negociate a peace where his son become the sovereign with Marie-Louise as a regent while he retire in Elba again (he only came back because the 1814 peace treaty terms weren't respected). This would also do a cool TL.

Seconded. He would have an ally in that in the form of his father-in-law, Emperor Francis. In OTL, Francis originally wanted his grandson on the throne but was overturned by the rest of the coalition.
 
If it was anyone else but Napoleon, the coalition could very well negotiate. Because it is Napoleon, I don't see anyone wanting to do it. They just spent twenty years at war with France, and Napoleon has already proved incapable of keeping the peace. He squandered too many past opportunities. He's simply too dangerous to be left in charge of France.
 
If it was anyone else but Napoleon, the coalition could very well negotiate. Because it is Napoleon, I don't see anyone wanting to do it. They just spent twenty years at war with France, and Napoleon has already proved incapable of keeping the peace. He squandered too many past opportunities. He's simply too dangerous to be left in charge of France.

This. I realized this writing my own TL — no matter what happens, he's still Napoleon. There's no lesson you can teach him that he won't forget the next time he wins a battle.
 
The Destruction of the Anglo Dutch army and the Prussian too (next day ?) would put old Nappy into the position to negotiate. (Russian and Austrian/GErman troops were still far away)
Wouldnt the negotiators be even further away? :confused:

True, it would give the French some time to consolidate but still.
 
Napoleonic Wars continue, possibly for another decade.

*UK might sell parts of western Canada to US
*Spain might sell parts of its Empire to the US
*Ottomans sit back and let the heathen destroy each other
*Russians become more dominant in Coalition and threaten to make satellites out of Prussia and Austria
*Austrians and French work together, Napolean has at least two more children to ensure line of succession
*Europe goes through another off/on again war coalitions, military technology improves, *might* push railroads ahead of OTL somewhat in England
 
Wouldnt the negotiators be even further away? :confused:

True, it would give the French some time to consolidate but still.

Give the French a few weeks to recover from "the battle of Belle Alliance" and they might have an army that is strong enough that the Russian/Austrian/German troops hesitate to attack. Thus an envoy from Nappy mighht make it to Vienna in time (I assume armies travel slower than a messenger).

The "Austrians" might have second thoughts and might agree that Nappy is Regent for his son (Duke of Reichstadt who is also a Habsburg from his mothers side) until the son is ?? 25 ?? 30 ??? ;) It will give Nappy power without being the Sovereign... ;)
 
What if Napoleon gave Ney his reinforcements to try and finish off Wellington at Waterloo?

Would it make any difference?

I doubt the French people would aquiess to another round of conscription and taxation - 1814 did them in big style.

Also, the treaty signatories were solid on one point - Napoleon is not to be allowed to remain at large. They would seek him out and bring him to battle in short order. It's all over bar the shouting!
 
What if Napoleon gave Ney his reinforcements to try and finish off Wellington at Waterloo?

Would it make any difference?


If I recall correctly the only reserves that Napoleon had when Ney begged for reinforcements were the Imperial Guard – and a large chunk of the Young Guard were being used to plug the gap at Plancenoit. Napoleon behaved very atypically at Waterloo as he normally kept the Guard in a glass box with a sign on it saying “Do not use unless it’s an emergency”. When he threw the Middle Guard at 7.30pm it was a desperate gamble that failed.
 
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