WI:French Venetia?

Prefrence

Banned
After the Austro-Prussian War, Austria was required by Prussia to ceede Venetia to thier ally Italy. However, Austria had beaten Italy in every respect and battle (except one where they were outnumbered 2 to 1) in thier theatre and refused to directly ceede Venetia to Italy. Therefore it was proposed that Venetia would be ceeded to France (who was a supporter of Italy and would likely just give it to them).

What would happen if Napoleon III had decided to just keep Venetia?
 
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I doubt Prussia will do anything about it right after the Austro-Prussian war, but I imagine once a Franco-Prussian war rolls around, not necessarily the one that OTL had, the Italians will jump in.
 
The better timing would be during the Second Italian War of Independence, though you'd have to change Louis-Napoléon's character so that he didn't have such an aversion to the mass-death of modern warfare. Simply have the French push further and capture Venetia from the Austrians, then keep both Lombardy and Venetia as a satellite ('sister republic'). The Piedmontese had did little-to-nothing to support the French forces in the campaign IOTL; why should Frenchmen bleed and die for Piedmontese gains? Plus many tend to forget that Louis-Napoléon was a staunch proponent of Italian unification. Even before his attempted 'invasions' of France in 1836 and 1840 he had been busy battling the Austrians in Central and North Italy during the 1830 Carbonari Uprising. Watching his older brother, Louis II of Holland, die in his arms had a severe psychological impact on young Louis-Napoléon.
 
After the Austro-Prussian War, Austria was required by Prussia to ceede Venetia to thier ally Italy. However, Austria had beaten Italy in every respect and battle (except one where they were outnumbered 2 to 1) in thier theatre and refused to directly ceede Venetia to Italy. Therefore it was proposed that Venetia would be ceeded to France (who was a supporter of Italy and would likely just give it to them).

What would happen if Napoleon III had decided to just keep Venetia?

Ever heard of the age of nationalism? :rolleyes:
Ever read any serious book on post-1448 European politics? :rolleyes:
 
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