Insane_Panda
Deity
Of Eagles and Lions
an alternate history timeline.
The year is 1850, and much of Europe remains under the grip of the French Empire. Napoleon Bonaparte has passed away in the last year. 5 million people visited the funeral procession in Paris. France cried, but there was still hope left, as Napoleon II took the riegns of leadership. In our world, Napoleon the Second was never recognized, and never ruled. He lived his short life out as an prisoner, and shortly succumbed to sickness and died. In THIS timeline, however, Napoleon II does not die, and instead, becomes a highly competant leader, as great as Napoleon himself, perhaps, and with even greater foresight than that of his father's, a symptom of being surrounded by the Grande Armee's greatest men.
The Years of Triumph: 1805-1815
These were the years of great success, the years of conquest on which the empire was founded on. It began with the victory at Austerlitz, and the subsequent peace of Pressburg. It was a horrible defeat for the Austrians, and beyond the clauses establishing "peace and amity" and the Austrian withdrawal from the Third Coalition, the treaty also took substantial European territories from Austria. The gains of the previous treaties of Campo Formio and Lunéville were reiterated and Austrian holdings in Italy and Bavaria were ceded to France. Certain Austrian holdings in Germany were passed to the French allies - the King of Bavaria, the King of Württemberg and the Elector of Baden. Austrian claims on those German states were renounced without exception. The treaty marked the effective end of the Holy Roman Empire, Francis II became instead Emperor Francis I of Austria and a new entity the Confederation of the Rhine was later created by Napoleon. An indemnity of 40 million francs to France was also included in the treaty, a indemnity which Austria has never really recovered.
Napoleon proceeded to form the Confederation of the Rhine, French puppet states of Germany. In all they numbered about 19, and had a total population of about 15 million people, they served as a huge manpool for the Grande Armee. The Confederation was lead by Bavaria, and absorbed most of the western Prussian territories after the French victories at Jena and Austerdat.
After Elyau, the peace of Tilsit was signed, and the Europe was at peace, but it was not even given time to take a deep breath, and soon Napoleon was at it again. Napoleon marched into Spain, sweeping away Barcelona and by December, Madrid. Resistance was heavy, but instead of having his marshalls do the work for him, in this timeline Napoleon went directly into France, leading the Grande Armee of about 300,000 men himself. In the west the peace treaties still held, the Austrians, Russians, and Prussians still weary of their humiliation in 1807 at Tilsit. The British declare war on the French, but are without allies while France seems on the verge of victory.
Portugal is initially taken by France, but Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Welington, lands and sends the French retreating. This victory starts to turn around French luck, and guerillas aided by Britain start heating things up. Soon though, after a short trip to Paris, Napoleon is back, and the French beat the British in open field. Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, is proclaimed King of Spain, and in turn Portugal is absorbed into the Spanish crown. Guerilla fighting continues, but without British support it is eventually stiffled.
The Austrians, wrongly confident that the French are still preoccupied in the Peninsula, launch a surpise attack into Bavaria, this fails, however, and after the Austrian defeat at Wagram, the Austrians are again forced to peace, and are again forced to pay large war indemnities. The Confederation of the Rhine effectively stopped Prussia from trying anything, while Russia quietly kept their treaties with France.
1815-1835: Europe is redrawn and the Sublime Porte stumbles down a flight of stairs
After Wagram, Europe was peaceful for quite a few years. Napoleon uses this time to rebuild the French Navy and rebuild the Empire's industrial capacity. France's population is still a tad smaller than it was, but is quickly stabalizing. The Navy, meanwhile, is getting more and more funds, and soon a naval 'cold war' of sorts starts between England and France. Napoleon dominates the mediterranean, while the British still maintain an effective hold over the North atlantic. French ships are larger than their British counterparts, but are less mobile, while British ships outpace their French counterparts, but are armed with less guns.
The British bid their time, strengthening their colonies, and navy. The French revamped the Grande Armee, introducing more effecient muskets and artillery. But then came the 'Athenian Incident'. 500 Greeks were executed on the streets by Ottoman soldiers, after peacefully protesting for Greek independence. Napoleon, setting his eyes on colonies and an eventual dream of India, took this incident and blew it out of proportion, declaring war on the Ottoman Empire soon thereafter. Austria followed suit and so did Russia. The French took Algeria, Tunis, and Suez, while making Greece a French ally. The Austrians took much of the balkans from the Ottomans, while the Russians took Crimea. The Sublime Porte was crippled, and casualties for the Ottomans were horrendous, while European casualties were at an all time low. The war took about a year at most, and Egypt was turned into its own, seperate state from the Ottomans.
Steam power was also beginning to be first introduced around this time, and the first steamships, the French SS Algiers and the English HMS Trenton, enter service as small gunboats. The Algiers smashed a fleet of 10 Ottoman Frigates on its own off the coast of Alexandria, owing to the fact that the Ottoman ships were horribly outdated, still using ships from 100 years before.
1835-1850: Delusions of Grandeur
The French enter the 30's with an even larger empire than before. France holds claims to much of North Africa, and the Grande Armee is still unrivaled on land, perhaps except from the Russian army, whose wieght in numbers and modern weaponry makes them quite formidable. French troops adopt an early breach loading rifle, but have yet to use this in their artillery. The first ironclads enter service within the French and English navy, and the rest of the world quietly watches.
Prussia, slowly, but surely, is rebuilding her army and retraining her troops, in hopes of one day defeating France, but is still technically allied. England is in 'Splendid Isolation' and is basically shut out from the continent by the French continental system. The English still hold the strongest navy, but the French have been faster to modernize.
Russia, the sleeping bear, is industrialising herself, trying to bring herself on par with western nations. Russia is pretty much nuetral, and relations with France are quite good. Austria is now a second rate power, and holds no Imperial claim as it once did. Austrian soldiers are poorly trained, but numerous, although it is hard to coordinate such a force. The diversity of the Austrian empire brings with it challanges.
In the 40's, the French have turned their southern Indian base of the Pondicherry into a powerhouse, a rich port city. However, the British still dominate Indian markets, and Napoleon looks on quietly. He is an old man now, in his 70's, but still he contains in him great ambition. Railroads begin a widespread introduction, and all of France in addition to the lowlands are connected by rail.
Sweden is ruled by the old Marshall Bernadotte, who was adopted by the childless king, and Bernadotte, although he used to be a marshall, keeps nuetral in most european affairs.
Wellington, in an odd string of luck, became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and was much more succesful in politics than he was in RL. He runs on a Tory platform, and pursues an agressive anti-french policy.
In 1849, Trajedy struck. Napoleon silently passed away in his sleep. All of France wept, and the old marshalls (how ever many were still alive) attendend, along with 5 million Frenchmen. Wellington himself was reported to have attended. Shortly thereafter, Napoleon II was proclaimed as Empereur of France. The restoration and expansion of the empire has been his main policy, and under Francis Napoleon Bonaparte II, the colonies have been greatly expanded, and French trading fleets begin to enroach upon Annamese and Siamese natives in Asia. Francis has also continued his fathers dream of reaching India from the mediterranean, and the Suez Canal is secretly under construction, hid from the British.
And now the stage is set.
an alternate history timeline.
The year is 1850, and much of Europe remains under the grip of the French Empire. Napoleon Bonaparte has passed away in the last year. 5 million people visited the funeral procession in Paris. France cried, but there was still hope left, as Napoleon II took the riegns of leadership. In our world, Napoleon the Second was never recognized, and never ruled. He lived his short life out as an prisoner, and shortly succumbed to sickness and died. In THIS timeline, however, Napoleon II does not die, and instead, becomes a highly competant leader, as great as Napoleon himself, perhaps, and with even greater foresight than that of his father's, a symptom of being surrounded by the Grande Armee's greatest men.
The Years of Triumph: 1805-1815
These were the years of great success, the years of conquest on which the empire was founded on. It began with the victory at Austerlitz, and the subsequent peace of Pressburg. It was a horrible defeat for the Austrians, and beyond the clauses establishing "peace and amity" and the Austrian withdrawal from the Third Coalition, the treaty also took substantial European territories from Austria. The gains of the previous treaties of Campo Formio and Lunéville were reiterated and Austrian holdings in Italy and Bavaria were ceded to France. Certain Austrian holdings in Germany were passed to the French allies - the King of Bavaria, the King of Württemberg and the Elector of Baden. Austrian claims on those German states were renounced without exception. The treaty marked the effective end of the Holy Roman Empire, Francis II became instead Emperor Francis I of Austria and a new entity the Confederation of the Rhine was later created by Napoleon. An indemnity of 40 million francs to France was also included in the treaty, a indemnity which Austria has never really recovered.
Napoleon proceeded to form the Confederation of the Rhine, French puppet states of Germany. In all they numbered about 19, and had a total population of about 15 million people, they served as a huge manpool for the Grande Armee. The Confederation was lead by Bavaria, and absorbed most of the western Prussian territories after the French victories at Jena and Austerdat.
After Elyau, the peace of Tilsit was signed, and the Europe was at peace, but it was not even given time to take a deep breath, and soon Napoleon was at it again. Napoleon marched into Spain, sweeping away Barcelona and by December, Madrid. Resistance was heavy, but instead of having his marshalls do the work for him, in this timeline Napoleon went directly into France, leading the Grande Armee of about 300,000 men himself. In the west the peace treaties still held, the Austrians, Russians, and Prussians still weary of their humiliation in 1807 at Tilsit. The British declare war on the French, but are without allies while France seems on the verge of victory.
Portugal is initially taken by France, but Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Welington, lands and sends the French retreating. This victory starts to turn around French luck, and guerillas aided by Britain start heating things up. Soon though, after a short trip to Paris, Napoleon is back, and the French beat the British in open field. Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, is proclaimed King of Spain, and in turn Portugal is absorbed into the Spanish crown. Guerilla fighting continues, but without British support it is eventually stiffled.
The Austrians, wrongly confident that the French are still preoccupied in the Peninsula, launch a surpise attack into Bavaria, this fails, however, and after the Austrian defeat at Wagram, the Austrians are again forced to peace, and are again forced to pay large war indemnities. The Confederation of the Rhine effectively stopped Prussia from trying anything, while Russia quietly kept their treaties with France.
1815-1835: Europe is redrawn and the Sublime Porte stumbles down a flight of stairs
After Wagram, Europe was peaceful for quite a few years. Napoleon uses this time to rebuild the French Navy and rebuild the Empire's industrial capacity. France's population is still a tad smaller than it was, but is quickly stabalizing. The Navy, meanwhile, is getting more and more funds, and soon a naval 'cold war' of sorts starts between England and France. Napoleon dominates the mediterranean, while the British still maintain an effective hold over the North atlantic. French ships are larger than their British counterparts, but are less mobile, while British ships outpace their French counterparts, but are armed with less guns.
The British bid their time, strengthening their colonies, and navy. The French revamped the Grande Armee, introducing more effecient muskets and artillery. But then came the 'Athenian Incident'. 500 Greeks were executed on the streets by Ottoman soldiers, after peacefully protesting for Greek independence. Napoleon, setting his eyes on colonies and an eventual dream of India, took this incident and blew it out of proportion, declaring war on the Ottoman Empire soon thereafter. Austria followed suit and so did Russia. The French took Algeria, Tunis, and Suez, while making Greece a French ally. The Austrians took much of the balkans from the Ottomans, while the Russians took Crimea. The Sublime Porte was crippled, and casualties for the Ottomans were horrendous, while European casualties were at an all time low. The war took about a year at most, and Egypt was turned into its own, seperate state from the Ottomans.
Steam power was also beginning to be first introduced around this time, and the first steamships, the French SS Algiers and the English HMS Trenton, enter service as small gunboats. The Algiers smashed a fleet of 10 Ottoman Frigates on its own off the coast of Alexandria, owing to the fact that the Ottoman ships were horribly outdated, still using ships from 100 years before.
1835-1850: Delusions of Grandeur
The French enter the 30's with an even larger empire than before. France holds claims to much of North Africa, and the Grande Armee is still unrivaled on land, perhaps except from the Russian army, whose wieght in numbers and modern weaponry makes them quite formidable. French troops adopt an early breach loading rifle, but have yet to use this in their artillery. The first ironclads enter service within the French and English navy, and the rest of the world quietly watches.
Prussia, slowly, but surely, is rebuilding her army and retraining her troops, in hopes of one day defeating France, but is still technically allied. England is in 'Splendid Isolation' and is basically shut out from the continent by the French continental system. The English still hold the strongest navy, but the French have been faster to modernize.
Russia, the sleeping bear, is industrialising herself, trying to bring herself on par with western nations. Russia is pretty much nuetral, and relations with France are quite good. Austria is now a second rate power, and holds no Imperial claim as it once did. Austrian soldiers are poorly trained, but numerous, although it is hard to coordinate such a force. The diversity of the Austrian empire brings with it challanges.
In the 40's, the French have turned their southern Indian base of the Pondicherry into a powerhouse, a rich port city. However, the British still dominate Indian markets, and Napoleon looks on quietly. He is an old man now, in his 70's, but still he contains in him great ambition. Railroads begin a widespread introduction, and all of France in addition to the lowlands are connected by rail.
Sweden is ruled by the old Marshall Bernadotte, who was adopted by the childless king, and Bernadotte, although he used to be a marshall, keeps nuetral in most european affairs.
Wellington, in an odd string of luck, became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and was much more succesful in politics than he was in RL. He runs on a Tory platform, and pursues an agressive anti-french policy.
In 1849, Trajedy struck. Napoleon silently passed away in his sleep. All of France wept, and the old marshalls (how ever many were still alive) attendend, along with 5 million Frenchmen. Wellington himself was reported to have attended. Shortly thereafter, Napoleon II was proclaimed as Empereur of France. The restoration and expansion of the empire has been his main policy, and under Francis Napoleon Bonaparte II, the colonies have been greatly expanded, and French trading fleets begin to enroach upon Annamese and Siamese natives in Asia. Francis has also continued his fathers dream of reaching India from the mediterranean, and the Suez Canal is secretly under construction, hid from the British.
And now the stage is set.
