[What If] Napoleon dies in the Russian Campaign

I dunno, I've never seen this scenario, which baffles me because it could be very interesting.

So, let's say, after retreating of Moscow, General Winter hates Napoleon more than he did in OTL, and the hypothermia, lack of food and such prove too much to our dear emperor, who dies at November of 1812

What happens next?
 
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I'd be interested in this too. Maybe for starters, France keeps the bits of territory that it lost after the Hundred Days? Maybe more?
 
I dunno, I've never seen this scenario, which baffles me because it could be very interesting.

So, let's say, after retreating of Moscow, General Winter hates Napoleon more than he did in OTL, and the hypothermia, lack of food and such prove too much to our dear emperor, who dies at October of 1812

Taking into an account that retreat from Moscow started only in mid-October, that the cold weather did not start until at least mid-November and that Nappy was the last person in the Grand Army to suffer from the food shortages or cold weather, combination of the date and reason of his demise is a little bit on a fantastic side. ;)

What happens next?

Most probably French will keep going Westward and Kutuzov will keep trying not to catch up with them unless this was absolutely unavoidable. The 1st serious problem would be at Berezina crossing: it took some brilliant maneuvering (combined with Kutuzov's and Witgenstein's unwillingness to make risky movements) to avoid the trap.

But after the French are out and Nappy is "under" chance for a speedy peace is greatly improved. Most probably, France is losing possessions in Germany (except for those West of the Rhine) and Nappy's brothers are kicked out of the Netherlands and Westphalia but chances are that Empire may preserve Northern Italy: "The Ogre" is dead, which removes the personal element (Alexander's main motivation), but his successor is half-Hapsburg and there are still plenty French troops in Germany and France.
 
Taking into an account that retreat from Moscow started only in mid-October, that the cold weather did not start until at least mid-November and that Nappy was the last person in the Grand Army to suffer from the food shortages or cold weather, combination of the date and reason of his demise is a little bit on a fantastic side.;)

On the other hand, if the cause of death is Cossack then 25th October is entirely plausible, given that it would only take a very slight shift in the course of the skirmish after Maloyaroslavets.
 
Talleyrand takes power and try to negotiate peace as fast as possible?

I'm not sure that Talleyrand could become a regent, he is not even a head of the Foreign Ministry since 1807, and the regency would go either to Maria Louise or to Joseph Bonaparte if he abdicates and runs to France fast enough (probably he would be too late even under most optimistic scenario).

As far as I can tell, none of the marshals is a statesman (the only one who is now in Sweden) so they hardly can be much more than the military "backup" to the regency: the most capable of them is Davout who is generally disliked (his open dislike of the surrounding nincompoops does not create too many friends), while the most popular one, Ney, even in his best days was not the brightest apple on any tree and now, as someone (Jomini, I think) is in a permanent "shell shocked" state and the most picturesque (and formally one with the highest non-military rank) one, Murat, is just a clown. Bertier would probably be an acceptable compromise figure of a top military personage but his is pretty much a glorified Napoleon's clerk.

As a result, Talleyrand is called from his retirement, appointed an ambassador (with or without re-appointment as a Foreign Minister) and sent to negotiate with Alexander (the only monarch who at this specific moment matters). His future influence depends on success of the negotiations.
 
On the other hand, if the cause of death is Cossack then 25th October is entirely plausible, given that it would only take a very slight shift in the course of the skirmish after Maloyaroslavets.

Yes, of course. I was just commenting upon the proposed reasons of his death.

To think about it, it is also possible that with his death immediately after Maloyaroslavets the earlier negotiations ("we are going home, thanks for everything and sorry about the damage") are possible: the main question is who is going to make the decisions on the French side.
 
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