Alternate History Thread II...

[das]

OOC: Damn, couldn't resist. I indeed am even now working on a brand new althist project. Here's a teaser:

IC:

History is not a linear thing at all; neither is it cyclic. It is hard to speak of its structure, but its probably similar to a hybrid between a particularily bizzare, zigzaged construction. Time and again, tendencies and events carried the world into some obvious direction... only to suddenly jerk in the opposite direction, or, more often, sidewise. It is all very confusing, and especially so when events are catalysed and social, political and economical enthropy rules supreme - in other words, in the Interesting Times.

One cannot argue that the 1790s were boring. Terrifying, bloody, but not boring. Another thing about them that is undeniable is that these times were very, very confusing. They are confusing even now, when many of the old passions of these days have been put aside and when we had had centuries to properly examine the ongoings in contemporary Europe.

At the heart of it all was France - in a sudden return to the tradition of the 17th century and the first few decades of the 18th. Economical, political and social crises developed without efficient hindrance to such a degree that the Ancien Regime fell and the Revolution begun. After that followed the rise and fall of the Jacobin Club and the Reign of Terror, the levee en masse and the Coalition's war against France; the young republic fought on two fronts, against its own people and against all the other great powers of Europe - and prevailed, even after betrayal from within brought the Revolution down from its Robespierran zenith as the Thermidorian Reaction set in. Although revolutionary fervour receded and the conquests of the revolution were being gradually surrendered, the French armies kept winning and winning even under the Council of Five Hundreds, better known as the Directory. Inefficient government, corruption, rapid resurgence of economic woes, internal power struggles and growth in public resentment of the Thermidorian oligarchy have plagued France, yet its soldiers overran Belgium and the Rhineland, overthrew the old Dutch republic and created a new one, and, under a bright Corsican who went by the Gallificized name of Napoleon Bonaparte, drove across Italy and towards Mantua, overthrowing prince and Pope, routing Austrian and Savoyard. Carrying all before him, greeted by Italians as a liberator and cheered by Frenchmen as a hero, Bonaparte charged on January 14th 1797 at the Austrian positions at Tromballora Heights, charged into immortality and into the Elysian Fields, for Joubert's wavering a few hours ago had put the outcome at Rivoli into doubt, caused Napoleon to risk his life... and die under Austrian fire. Demoralized and outnumbered, his forces were routed by Joseph Alvinczy, and Louis Rey's division that could've saved the day came too late and had to pull back as well. For the want of a division, a brilliant campaign, career and life were lost, lost forever. The relief of the vital Austrian fortress of Mantua was accomplished, the tide was turned, and the Coalition now struck back in all the theatres with fury and eagerness to avenge its past defeats.

The Directory, whose very survival depended on continued military victories, was put into a very precarious situation indeed...

 

[Disenfrancised]

Hmmm probably should have it all up and done by tonight, eta on the start in a few hours.

There are only two nations that I'd like applications for; the Ottomans and the HRE, which apparently will go to das and Insane_Panda. Everything else is non-critical enough to be first come first serve (though if he asks I might save a certain Malay nation for a certain penguin).

 

[Azale]

Reservations in this thread or when the NES opens?

If its in this thread, then Ill reserve the Acolhuan Empire.

 

[Disenfrancised]

Sorry Azale but...

Everything else is non-critical enough to be first come first serve.

It will be starting in an hour or so though

 

[Azale]

well, thats what I meant, first come on THIS thread or on the nes

Ill just lurk in the backgrounds I suppose, I dont think Kal is around to snatch it away anyway

 

[Insane_Panda]

Oh god.

That alt-hist is nothing but blasphemy!

 

[das]

Indeed, indeed. On the other hand it underlines the immense importance of Napoleon for world history, so maybe its not all that bad? Besides, I'm only beginning to write it (even in plotting, I only have some vague idea of the first few decades, though rest assured that indeed Napoleon - or, as the case might be, Joubert, as the PoD begun with him - had saved the world from lots of confused political intrigue, ruthless powermongering and bloody warfare, replacing it with completely different confused political intrigue, ruthless powermongering and bloody warfare).

 

[Insane_Panda]

On the other hand it underlines the immense importance of Napoleon for world history, so maybe its not all that bad?

Indeed. Perhaps it isn't THAT bad.

(even in plotting, I only have some vague idea of the first few decades, though rest assured that indeed Napoleon - or, as the case might be, Joubert, as the PoD begun with him - had saved the world from lots of confused political intrigue, ruthless powermongering and bloody warfare, replacing it with completely different confused political intrigue, ruthless powermongering and bloody warfare).

Lets hope it is French powermongering!

 

[das]

I shall remain cryptically silent on the matter.

 

[das]

OOC: I have decided to post this althist - at first, anyway, I'll probably revert to my usual lengthy style after things settle down somewhat (though I do hope in this althist to go over the 19th century in great detail, as most of my 19th century althists lacked in this) - in comparatively small portions, for the sake of cliffhangers. Like this one.

IC:

The death of General Napoleon Bonaparte at Rivoli in early 1797 changed history radically. Unlike many other deaths I could mention that had a similar effect, this death had an immediate effect. It may not have shaken the world, but it certainly shook France. And not only because it meant that the triumphant French march across Italy was at an end, that Mantua was relieved and that the Austrians were rapidly pursuing the remnants of the Army of Italy, whilst Britain and Prussia, aghast at Napoleon's victories, now felt that the tide was trully turning as it did. This sudden turnaround and the beginning of a new Coalition onslaught alone would certainly have disturbed France.

But the facts were such that even had Napoleon's forces won Rivoli without him, the death of Napoleon Bonaparte would still have completely and immediately changed the political situation in France, as a death of a powerful minister or a king would have in ages past, though Napoleon, formally, was but the commander of the French forces in Italy - an important post to be sure, but not a one of much political power.

Napoleon didn't hold power even de facto. But de facto he was much more important than he was de jure, ever since the 1795, the Day of the Sections, when a Royalist uprising against the Directory was put down by Napoleon Bonaparte's troops. It gained him fame, wealth as his reward - and the friendship of Paul Barras, the most influential of France's five directors. The Day of the Sections had shown that as with the Roman Republic of the Antiquity, the French Republic had become greatly dependant on its military leaders, only much faster than Rome did (but then, all of Revolutionary France's history could be described as the history of the Roman Republic set very fast forward in certain regards). The farsighted could easily predict that if now, the military leaders alone prevented the militants of various factions from seizing power and saved governments, soon one or another of them WOULD seize power himself. Barras was very farsighted. He was farsighted enough to see that this Napoleon would go far, and decided to connect his own fortunes with him. Alas, the gift of far sight is, like all such abilities, a double-edged sword. Those who plan for the long-term have often been brought down by inability to adapt to the short-term changes, especially those brought about by the most irrational factor in human history - luck.

As luck would have it, Napoleon Bonaparte died, and Barras' long-term plans came crashing on his head. No, he survived for now, but his future became very uncertain indeed, and he had no time to build a new long-term plan. For certain short-term circumstances, such as the British crushing the allied Spanish fleet at the Cape of St. Vicent and landing in the Batavian Republic; Austro-Prussian (as Prussia rejoined the Coalition now) forces crossing the Rhine at several points and threatening to reverse all the French gains since 1792; another Austrian army advancing into Piedmont and removing all traces of French presence; and whisperings at the Spanish court that the Treaty of Ildefonso, that bound the Spanish Kingdom towards the French Republic in alliance was perhaps too hasty... And ofcourse the internal troubles - intrigues within the Directory, conspiracies against it, and the resurgence of the Vendee...

It was such a headache. Things were made even more complicated by the fact that, though Napoleon Bonaparte was far from the only good military commander in France, a great many of the older ones were various disgraced as a result of their own political intrigues or those of their enemies, while the newer ones, apart from Bonaparte, often didn't have enough experience. Finally, intrigues only intensified after Bonaparte's death. The generals were just as likely to defend their country against the invaders together as they were likely to fight for power on the streets of Paris as the armies of the Coalition advanced.

That, thankfully, they didn't do - not yet, anyway. As a matter of fact, things weren't going as badly as they seemed to. The Spanish, for instance, knew that their future was mostly tied to that of France anyway, for all the murmurings at court. The Vendee, aside from a few uprisings, remained quiet. The British navy was wrecked by mutinies, whilst the invasion of Netherlands was an abysmal failure due to logistical problems. Pierre Francois Charles Augerau, having ultimately been apointed general of the Army of Italy, was no Bonaparte, but managed to save the army's remnants and halt the Austrian advance in Savoy. In Rhineland, however, things went very badly. Ailing, chronically unlucky and hindered by political intrigues, Louis Lazare Hoche was defeated by a joint Austro-Prussian force at Andernach and died soon after during the disastrous retreat. Jean Victor Marie Moreau was impeded by the same political intrigues, to which perhaps the undersupplied state of his army could be attributed. He had once more faced his old enemey Erzherzog Karl von Osterreich-Teschen, the best Austrian commander, who now added to his list a great victory at Kaiserslautern. Moreau himself was taken prisoner. Much of Rhineland was occupied by the Coalition forces within slightly over a month, while their vanguards already probed further. France needed new generals. Even if they were, gulp, politically unreliable.

Fortunately, they were all willing and eager to prove themselves. Jean-Baptiste Jourdan had gladly returned to his military career after a political intermezzo, though not before he persuaded the Directory to introduce a new conscription law, to help create the army he came to lead. Lazare Carnot, "Organizer of the Victory", didn't protest much being offered the Ministry of War and helped organize a new levee en masse. The most dubious (in the eyes of the Directory) candidate put forward his candidature himself, knowing that the Directory didn't have much of a choice. General Charles Pichegru rode again.

Much to Barras' dismay, the disgraced Sauveur de la Patrie proved to be the most succesful French general as the campaigns of 1797 went on. In the Battle at Verviers (near Liege) he had shattered one of the Prussian armies; later, after Erzherzog Karl's victory over Jourdan at Esch, Pichegru checked the Austrian advance at Verdun and later defated the Erzherzog decisively at Metz and at Illange. With the defeat of the second British expidition to Netherlands and Augerau's victory at Passy, the Austro-Prussian forces in Rhineland were firmly forced to a defensive. Though attempts to drive them out of there altogether were unsuccesful, the Directory still could claim a victory. Unfortunately, so could Pichegru.

At this point I couldn't but add that Barras' suspicion of Pichegru was very well-based. For one thing, though this was not made public, Pichegru did get involved in a conspiracy to restore the monarchy back in 1795. For another thing, he - and several allies new and old within both the Royalist circles and the Directory itself - was now preparing another such royalist conspiracy. He, and his supporters, such as Lazare Carnot (a minister of war as well as one of the less important directors) and Francois-Marie de Barthelemy (yet another director), had also realized that if a military leader could keep a government in power, he could just as easily overthrow it and set up another - or even head it himself. With a trail of victories behind him, Pichegru planned exactly this. Barras did ofcourse suspect this all along. He didn't expect Pichegru to be able to gain so many important supporters though. Thinking him a simple soldier, Barras thought that Pichegru would simply launch a straightforward blunt military coup d'etat. Instead, Pichegru launched an elaborate conspiracy.

Despite the partial stabilization of the military situation, as 1797 dragged on, the economical crisis worsened and the social strife intensified as the numerous noveau riches, especially the corrupt statesmen, produced by the Thermidorian Reaction, became trully hated by the poor. Some agitated for a return to the ideals of the Jacobins; some, such as Gracchus Francois-Noel Babeuf, wanted to go even more radical than that. But the Jacobins were mostly crippled as they were, while Babeuf's poorly-crafted conspiracy was easily crushed. The left wing was weak, the moderates were discredited. It was then that the royalists made their move, once more spreading their agitation and promising an end to oligarchic misrule. The masses, generally, were willing to go for that if it meant some relief. So on Fructidor 17th of Year V of the Republic, a series of royalist-organized riots started in Paris. Georges Cadoudal, the diehard monarchist partisan and leader of the Chouans, was one of the most notably leaders of the rioters. Barras requested by Lazare Carnot put down the rebels. Taking command of the Paris garrison, Lazare Carnot did everything as planned - as planned by Pichegru and him previously. That is to say, the army joined the rioters in their march on the Tuileries Palace, which was then besieged. Desperate last-moment attempts to levy some defenses against this failed pathetically, especially after the sudden arrival of Pichegru on the next day with a small company of retainers; in secret, Pichegru departed from his army, leaving some trusted lieutenants to command it, and made haste for Paris a few days ago. The Directors refused to surrender, but at this point Francois-Marie de Barthelemy let Pichegru, Carnot and their troops in. The Tuileries was occupied, Barras, Rewbell and La Revelliere, as well as those of the Council of Five Hundreds that opposed this coup, were all arrested.

The success of Pichegru's coup however only marked the beginning of France's troubles, as far from all supported it...

 

[alex994]

What a great alt-hist to celebrate Bastille Day das Are you turning Francophobe?

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Nice alt das.

 

[Insane_Panda]

Wonderfully written and very interesting, as always, das.

Shall we perhaps see le Saveur de la Patrie march triumphantly through Paris, and vanquish those most vile Monarchists once and for all?

I should certaintly hope so.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

Wonderfully written and very interesting, as always, das.

Shall we perhaps see le Saveur de la Patrie march triumphantly through Paris, and vanquish those most vile Monarchists once and for all?

I should certaintly hope so.

Watch out--Das might get some ideas for NES2 VI...

 

[Cuivienen]

I have a proposal/challenge, and I'd like to see if someone is willing to take me up on it. The challenge is thus: I will create a map of the world in 1400, but it will be an alternate timeline. Someone will then create an alternate history for that map, with the point of divergence at any point in history desired. I will provide the names of various countries, but determining their histories is up to the althistorian.

Would anyone be interested?

 

[Swissempire]

I'll do it

 

[Cuivienen]

As many people as want to can do it.

 

[Cuivienen]

Speaking of which, anyone know where the blank world map is?

 

[North King]

Wonder if it'll attach?

Hey, it did. And it's the newest version, not even released yet. Whaddya know?

 

[das]

What a great alt-hist to celebrate Bastille Day das

I only by accident realized this coincidence yesterday... It was more because of my research for PandaNES - another irony, because my plans for it are completely the opposite...

Are you turning Francophobe?

Au contraire , I am merely growing more reactionary. Plus I never did like the Directory too much...

Shall we perhaps see le Saveur de la Patrie march triumphantly through Paris, and vanquish those most vile Monarchists once and for all?

One can always hope. But things certainly will be interesting, especially once a certain emigre comparatively freshly returned from your country gets involved...

Would anyone be interested?

I would.