|
Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM |
|
|
Join Writer Development Section Writer Development Member Section
This Day in Alternate History Blog
|
The Death of the
Emperor
October
12, 1809 Napoleon
rasped, coughing up blood. That Saxon, Staps… he should never have trusted his
petition. He was insane, after all, being a Lutheran. Oh,
the German had been killed. His death words had only been heard by those
present. “Long
Live Germany! Death to the Tyrant”[1]. The
Emperor’s last words would be emblazoned on his monument in Paris. As the
blood continued to ooze out, he whispered, with his last breath, “For
Josephine and France.” October
15, 1809 Bernadotte
looked through his telescope at the island. The British were still encamped on
Walcheren, and it was his duty to protect France. He
had heard the news from the east. The Emperor was dead. It was still a secret,
and would be for a few more days, officially, but most everyone in power knew,
by now. Clearly,
some one was going to have to go to Paris and restore order. He might as well do
it, after all. He could bring 20,000 troops with him, and leave 40,000 to guard
against the British. And
if something more came of it? Well, he could hardly be to blame if the people of
France spoke, could he? Of course, he had always been a republican, but he
supposed, if the circumstances willed it… October
20, 1809 The
Emperor and Charles were fighting again. This tended to happen rather often,
actually Metternich
cleared his throat. “Of course, we need not go to war with France. We could,
indeed, help the new Emperor.” “So,
do you think Joseph will come?” asked Talleyrande. Bernadotte laughed. They were in a mansion on the outskirts of the city, and he was reasonably sure there was no one to spy on them. “Please, that idiot? Maybe if some one can pry him out of the bottle, but I doubt he’ll get here in time.” Talleyrande
shrugged. If Bernadotte wasn’t aware that Joseph had already moved north, and
pulled his troops to the Ebro, it wasn’t his lookout. Suchet was enroute with
thirty thousand men. On
the other hand, he doubted that Joseph would be much better than Napoleon. God
forbid the fool get notions about being king of Spain and Portugal…. Bernadotte,
then. “Do
you think the Senate will back you?” Claiming
the purple would be a bit hubristic, for after all, who could equal Bonaparte?
Actually, thought Bernadotte, that sounded quite good. He’d have to write it
down, for his address to the army. November
15, 1809 “We
cannot help but mourn the passing of the Emperor. He has made France the goliath
that it is, and saved us from the scourge of the revolution.
The senate, quite used to this sort of thing, voiced its agreement. They
would put their support behind Bernadotte. Which, actually, wasn’t that bad of a policy. Bernadotte had a number of persuasive points. The withdrawal from beyond the natural boundaries, aside from some places, such as Switzerland, an end to the war in Spain, and perhaps, if he could make peace, an end to conscription [3]. This, reflected Talleyrande, was not an advantage that Joseph could have. He would either have to cut his brothers lose, and sacrifice Spain, or he would lose support from the notables. He’d heard that Joseph was crossing the Alps with most of the army in Spain. January, Danzig, 1810 Carl
Von Clausewitz cursed, silently. Danzig was held by a loyalist garrison, who
were faithful to the Corsican’s brother, who even now was marching on Paris,
to restore order. The Jacobins had managed to win the support of most of the
army in Austria, thanks to Murat, but now it was time to act. There were those
who felt that they should not risk the attack on the French, but their only
chance would be now, while their armies were on the other side of Europe. The
Russians could be counted on for support too. The Tsar had immediately entered
negotiations with the King, and Von Hardenberg [4] had ended up agreeing. Russia
would support Prussia in a war to drive the French out of Prussia, if Prussia
would accept the loss of its Polish territories. Alexander would be the Czar of
Russia and the King of Poland. He
looked at his watch. 10 o’clock. The attack began. Florence,
January, 1810 The
soldiers of the King of Italy entered the city at 10 in the morning. The King
himself, Eugene I, was among the first through the gates, and was present when
his proclamation was read. Surprisingly florid, the gist of it was that the
deparmtnets of Marengo, Taro, Mediterranee, Arno, Ombrone, Trasimene, Genes, and
Montenotte [5] would be occupied by the kingdom, in the interests of peace and
order during the chaotic times in the home territories of France. Of
course, there were those there who wondered what this meant. Eugene was to be
made King if Napoleon had no heirs, and isn’t that what had happened? And just
what did that clause on until the restoration of order mean, anyway? Finally,
it had come to pass. With the Senate having voted in favor of a restored
republic (or possibly a Bourbon restoration; it probably depended on how well
Bernadotte did), there was no option. War,
then. In a
way, the royalist force was a truly international army. Under Soult, there were
Spaniards, Frenchmen, Italians, Germans from Westphalia, the Dutch from
Louis’s kingdom, and even the Swiss. While it was slightly larger, its forces
were disparate, and many were garrison troops [6]. The
republicans under Bernadotte were a different story. Berthier, Davout, and
Massena had joined the republicans, giving them 90,000 men and 300 guns. By 10
o’clock, the battle had been joined. Paris,
February, 1810 The
battle had ended after hours of fighting. The marshals of France, once united in
their conquest of Europe, now were dead or victorious, with their armies
wounded. The Prussian-Russian armies had invaded Germany, occupying Westphalia
and the French occupied northern coasts. The Spanish civil war descended into
chaos as Talleyrand released the Bourbon king, while the French remained north
of the Ebro. Bernadotte had immediately issued a proposal for peace talks,
contingent upon France’s natural boundaries, and these had been agreed. (Italy
remained occupied by France, after a battle against Austria in Lombardy). Prussia
receives most of Westphalia, while the Confederation of the Rhine is replaced
with a German Confederation. Poland, in its entirety (aside from Danzig, of
course) goes to the Tzar. Austria receives the Illyrian provinces back and
counts itself lucky, and the Pope receives Rome, but
not the legate, back. (I’m
simplifying, of course). The
real winners are France, who gains its “Natural boundaries”, and the coal of
Wallonia and the Saar, Italy, which remains under Eugene and French rule, and
the hundreds of thousands of Europeans who would have otherwise died over the
next few years. Alexander’s Russia also benefits, as he remains more liberal
without the War of 1812. An
Anticlimactic conclusion, I know, but then, so is a republican victory. (A
bourbon restoration is a possibility, but I’m not sure whether or not it
happens; if it does, it’s definitely a France where the king has very few
powers). [1]
OTL, Frederick Staps was only stopped by General Rapps, who had a chance
movement which averted the blade. Our Beloved Emperor, in this Timeline, was
stabbed. We mourn his passing. Really [2] the Duchy’s troops did very well, actually [3]Not
that people such as these are bothered by conscription. They can pay to have
their sons let out of it. But the war’s are dragging on, taxes are high.
Bernadotte is more likely to get the notables, as well. [4] I
brought him back earlier than OTL, on the basis that without pressure from
Napoleon, and the chaos now engulfing Europe, he would be very valuable. [5]
Basically Tuscany and the region around Genoa. Austria is debating whether or
not to occupy the Illyrian provinces. [6]
Suchet commanded 80,000 in Aragon and Catalonia; Joseph’s personal corps is
14,000 strong, and there were 60,000 to guard the passes. Another 60,000 were
under Soult in the south. From this, we have Joseph’s corp, 50,000 from
Suchet, and Soult’s sixty
thousand. Unfortunately, quite a few men are deserting, which is why even with
the additional troops from the kingdom’s, there are only 120,000 royalists. In addition, more than one of the other puppet princes has left some of their guard at home, notably Jerome, who remembers 1809. And the troops of the Confederation of the Rhine are conspicuously absent. |
