WI: Napoleon Captures Louis XVIII at Verona (1796)

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No big PODs with this one.
While in exile Louis XVIII resided in the Italian city of Verona until being forced to flee in 1796 by Napoleon's invasion of Venice. But what if by happenstance he and his cadre fell into Revolutionary French hands, specifically those commanded directly by Napoleon, during a bungled escape?

With the King in chains, what effect would this have had on the legitimacy of the fledgeling Directory? How could Napoleon use him to politically further his own machinations several years prior to OTL's coup?
Could the King and thus House Bourbon be brought into collaboration with either the Directory or any future Napolonic Empire of the French?
 
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Giving the recent royalist successes in the elections of 1795, Bonaparte tries his hardest ignoring Louis XVIII and the obvious bait, in order not to strengthen them even more in a "well, we have the king and we can force him to agree on parlementarian monarchy". Louis still flees and Bonaparte is quietly thanked by the Directoire.
 
Giving the recent royalist successes in the elections of 1795, Bonaparte tries his hardest ignoring Louis XVIII and the obvious bait, in order not to strengthen them even more in a "well, we have the king and we can force him to agree on parlementarian monarchy". Louis still flees and Bonaparte is quietly thanked by the Directoire.

Or the Directorate (no matter how grateful) is openly blaming him for letting Louis to escape... After all, the little Corsican upstart became excessively popular after this campaign and who can tell what this may led to ..... :cool:

How about arranging escape which ends with an unfortunate accident well beyond the French lines so the Austrians could be blamed (or at least circumstances of the death are open to the speculation)?
 
rey-luis-xviii-chuletas--644x362.jpg


No big PODs with this one.
While in exile Louis XVIII resided in the Italian city of Verona until being forced to flee in 1796 by Napoleon's invasion of Venice. But what if by happenstance he and his cadre fell into Revolutionary French hands, specifically those commanded directly by Napoleon, during a bungled escape?

With the King in chains, what effect would this have had on the legitimacy of the fledgeling Directory? How could Napoleon use him to politically further his own machinations several years prior to OTL's coup?

But what were Nappy's political ambitions in 1796? His proposal of the military expedition to Egypt may be interpreted as an absence of the political ambitions within France (or it may be interpreted in many other ways including being an early symptom of certain mental problems ;)).

Or how about him demanding a Roman-style triumph: Nappy with a laureal wreath on his head leading the troops and Louis in chains marching behind his horse (chariot would be slightly too much and an open carriage not heroic enough)? Just kidding. :cool:

Could the King and thus House Bourbon be brought into collaboration with either the Directory or any future Napolonic Empire of the French?

Strictly speaking, Louis probably was not a true king because he was not crowned but, anyway, was he cowardly enough (it does not look like he was excessively intelligent) to cooperate if captured? OTOH, would it be politically feasible for the Directorate at that time to roll things back to the monarchy and was the Directorate ready to give away its own power?
 
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