Yeah but not the idea of an independent Scotland. France would now be in a better position to deliver than in 1745 because now the French are actually in England.
Who supported an independent Scotland in this period?
Yeah but not the idea of an independent Scotland. France would now be in a better position to deliver than in 1745 because now the French are actually in England.
Who supported an independent Scotland in this period?
Why must a 'successful invasion' be absolute? It is one thing to get there, and even win a battle or two but conquer the entire UK? With no land connection and tenuous logistics at best? With a Europe who will be chafing the whole time he is gone?
Why must a 'successful invasion' be absolute? It is one thing to get there, and even win a battle or two but conquer the entire UK? With no land connection and tenuous logistics at best? With a Europe who will be chafing the whole time he is gone?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon's_planned_invasion_of_the_United_Kingdom
From 1803 to 1805 a new army of 200,000 men.. A large "National Flotilla"[1] of invasion barges was built in Channel ports along the coasts of France and Holland (then under French domination as the Batavian Republic), right from Etaples to Flushing, and gathered at Boulogne... when Napoleon ordered a large-scale test of the invasion craft despite choppy weather and against the advice of his naval commanders such as Charles René Magon de Médine (commander of the flotilla's right wing), they were shown up as ill-designed for their task and, though Napoleon led rescue efforts in person, many men were lost.
Napoleon also seriously considered using a fleet of troop-carrying balloons as part of his proposed invasion force and appointed Marie Madeline Sophie Blanchard as an air service chief, though she said the proposed aerial invasion would fail because of the winds.[4] (France's first military balloon had been used in 1794 by Jean-Marie Coutelle.[5]) Though an aerial invasion proved a dead-end, the prospect of one captured the minds of the British print media and public.
I'm surprised nobody has posted the obvious yet.
Actually, I can't decide whether a Napoleonic invasion would lead to a natoinal crisis, like it did in Spain, or to everyone rallying around the flag. Hrm.
Napoleon is used to foraging and the UK is a much richer environment than anywhere else in Europe. And the British Army is small.
Otoh, how many men can Boney land?
Cough.. Sea Lion... cough.
This is Britain, we can do both at the same time!
.
I'm surprised nobody has posted the obvious yet.
*IMAGES*
I think a Revolutionary France is more likely to pose a threat to Britain's elite than Napoleon, if only because the Revolution had a powerful hold on a lot of the British "left" up until a general seized a crown from the Pope.
... Which was worth it.
Actually, I can't decide whether a Napoleonic invasion would lead to a natoinal crisis, like it did in Spain, or to everyone rallying around the flag. Hrm.
Cornwall and Northern England (Northumberland + surrounding areas) would probably not support such an idea though it might be toyed with.