WI: Napoleonic Algeria

POD: Sometime in the 1860s, Napoleon III manages to establish a few 'native states' where the Colons do not hold sway (the catholic settlers annoy him, he was impressed by the Arab leaders, and in TTL he manages to get more support in the metropole). The Franco-Prussian war goes more or less as OTL, but the Arabs of Algeria invite him in rather tahn accept the domiance of the 'athiest' French Republic... while both the colons and a fair number of Royalists in the Metropole hold similar opinions.

There is a degree of population exchange, but the new government in Paris is happy to be rid of the royalist/colonialist embarassment in North Africa... and they throw in St. Louis and the other African ports in the bargain as the Imperial Court moves to Algiers.

The new 'Empire' is more-or-less a Dual Monarchy, but Imperial patronage and sheer numbers results in increasing Arab influence. All civil service is open to Muslims by 1880, and the right to have court cases heard in Arabic or French throughout 'l'Empire Outre-Mer' is established shortly afterwards.

The Bey of Tunis signs a treaty of vassalage of Sultan Nabuliun IV in 1885.

Now what?

HTG
 

Rockingham

Banned
This is...awesome....
:p....


Do you envisage this being a Christian state? I could see a Bonaparte converting to Islam.....also, is the state "French" in nature, and do the Bonapartes claim their right to the region through the French throne, or another title?
 
This is...awesome....
:p....
Thanks
Do you envisage this being a Christian state?
In the sense of mass conversions? Nope. I doubt the Arch-Catholics that follow the Emperor over will adopt Islam for all they prefer dealing with Arabs over their laicist countrymen, but Muslims will have a solid majority and a fair bit of pull in the government.
I could see a Bonaparte converting to Islam.....
One of the Emperors? Too politically unbalancing and liable to antagonize the Army.

A sibling or cousin OTOH....
also, is the state "French" in nature, and do the Bonapartes claim their right to the region through the French throne, or another title?
Very much a hybrid eventually. The offical title of the Napoleons is Emperor of the Outre-Mer, as per a deal to avoid a fight with Paris.

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Rockingham

Banned
Thanks
In the sense of mass conversions? Nope. I doubt the Arch-Catholics that follow the Emperor over will adopt Islam for all they prefer dealing with Arabs over their laicist countrymen, but Muslims will have a solid majority and a fair bit of pull in the government.
One of the Emperors? Too politically unbalancing and liable to antagonize the Army.

A sibling or cousin OTOH....
Very much a hybrid eventually. The offical title of the Napoleons is Emperor of the Outre-Mer, as per a deal to avoid a fight with Paris.

HTG
No, I mean the governemnt of the state. As the Empire of France is a Christian state, is the governemnt formally Christian? On the one hand, their territories contain virtually no Christians.......

In regards to the Emperors conversion, I mean further down the line. The state won't retain a French army, unless the Bonapartes resume rule of France. They will intermarry with Algerians(not enough French women), and even if they remain Christians, they will eventually be Christian Arabs. As for the Emperor, he will probably enlist Muslims in his army, and once they are a majority.....we may see the adoption of the title of Sulatan to add on to Emperor.:D
 
No, I mean the governemnt of the state. As the Empire of France is a Christian state, is the governemnt formally Christian? On the one hand, their territories contain virtually no Christians.......
That is half the reason behind the Dual Monarchy. The Monarch is at least a nominal Christian but....
In regards to the Emperors conversion, I mean further down the line. The state won't retain a French army, unless the Bonapartes resume rule of France.
Most of the French professional Army and Navy were rather... unimpressed with the Republican factions. With somewhere to go they are likely to follow thier Emperor and thier faith.
They will intermarry with Algerians(not enough French women), and even if they remain Christians, they will eventually be Christian Arabs.
You may be underestimating the number of families that came over in OTL, and would come over along with the Emperor. I suspect there would be some intermingling though.
As for the Emperor, he will probably enlist Muslims in his army, and once they are a majority.....we may see the adoption of the title of Sulatan to add on to Emperor.:D
Oh the former is right off the bat, while the latter is within a generation as far as dealings with the Arab/Muslim world is concerned.

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Valdemar II

Banned
In regards to the Emperors conversion, I mean further down the line. The state won't retain a French army, unless the Bonapartes resume rule of France. They will intermarry with Algerians(not enough French women), and even if they remain Christians, they will eventually be Christian Arabs.

I find it unlikely what they will turn arab, it's more likely that the Arabs would turn into Muslim Frenchmen. There are few reason to this, the language of the adminstration and the army is going to be French, so will the language of education also. Algeria will most likely end up with a French Christian upper class, a middle class of French Jews, Muslims and Christians and a underclass of Arab and Berbers Muslims.
 

Rockingham

Banned
I meant in racial terms, fluid as they are. Their would be a rather signiifcant imbalance of Male/Female numbers, thus many Franco-Arabs....thsi trend woudl continue as the races continued to mingle.
 
Bumping this as I find it very interesting and the OP question of "now what?" hasn't been answered really. What would happen to Napoleonic Algeria during New Imperialism?
 

archaeogeek

Banned
The plan, I seem to recall, was to make King of Algiers the equivalent of King of Rome in the First French Empire.
 
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