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Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM |
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This Day in Alternate History Blog
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Let’s suppose LaTouche Treville
doesn’t get that disease in Haiti. IMO, he would’ve easily been capable of
getting past Nelson and securing command of the channel, after unlocking the
Brest fleet. It’s important to remember that
Villeneuve, who was perhaps one of the more incompetent admirals, did escape
from Nelson, and he didn’t even continue Treville’s training policy. Without the sickness he had in OTL, he
would be more inclined to make a go of it in 1805. The plan is changed so that
the Toulon squadron breaks out, runs the straits, and joins the squadron from
Rochefort to break open the squadron from Brest. The two fleets link up in
March, while the British fleet is dispatched to the Caribbean [1]. LaTouche is able to sail into the
Caribbean, escaping Nelson, who sails for Egypt instead [2]. LaTouche is able to
free the squadron in Brest. This gives him a sufficiency of ships to clear
Cornwallis from the Channel. On March 4th, when Nelson is
still searching the Caribbean, the invasion of England begins. May
5th, 1805 The legend about the ravens had come
true, reflected Moore. Most of them had flown away during the occupation of
London. And today was the day that Napoleon was to sign the peace treaty. Ah, damnit, he thought. If only Nelson
hadn’t dallied in the Caribbean. If only the militias had stood. He hadn’t
expected them too, but still. The battle of Chatham had been brief, and he’d
wound up a prisoner of the Consul [3]. The King, last he’d heard, had fled to
the fortress in Weedon. Now that too had fallen. William Pitt had also gone north, and
was now the prime minister. He’d reportedly said, after signing the treaty,
that they would not need a map of the world for the next ten years. Now the
French had occupied York, and the court had surrendered. The Irish were
revolting, but what could one expect? The cannons were firing off in the
distance, and he could hear that French tune playing. That meant Napoleon had
accepted. The terms… ah, damnit. The English could only have 20 ships of the
line, and had to pay a massive indemnity, on the order of millions of pounds,
over the next decade. The French would occupy Southern England until that was
completed, but the Kingdom would administer it. Britain would lose its Caribbean
colonies, and Ceylon would be restored to Holland. Jamaica, the Bahamas…. All
gone. Oh, they’d keep Canada, but Napoleon had even demanded the penal colony
of Sydney. Hanover was transferred to France, as well, along with Malta.
Gibraltar… well, that was Spanish now. What choice was there, though? Nelson
couldn’t attack the French fleet, and the assault on Bolougne had failed
again. Pitt had signed it. He looked out the
window of the tower. Much would have to be done. June 1st, 1805 The actual terms of the treaty were
harsh. 1) Gibraltar restored to Spain. 2) Jamaica, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Antilles are given to France. Trinidad is restored. 3) Quebec is returned to the Empire. In a gesture of magintamity, Britain is allowed to keep its Hudson’s Bay Company. 4) Ceylon is restored to the Dutch. 5) Bombay, Calcutta, Bengal, and all other parts of the East India’s property are transferred to France. 6) Australia is turned over to Napoleon. (He had wanted to set up a colony there himself). 7) Britain must pay several million francs in an indemnity. 8) Britain’s fleet is reduced to 20 ships. 9) Southern England, including London, is to have an occupation force until the indemnity has been paid, which shall finish in 1820. 10) Hanover is given to France. [6] 1806, Napoleonville (formerly known as
Sydney). Augereau fumed. How dare the Emperor
dispatch him to this barren land in the southern hemisphere? He’d led his army
against Plymouth, taking the city, defeating the militia, and the emperor’s
reward was to subdue rebels in this wilderness. Oh, sure, there were settlers,
but most of them were English. Who the hell wanted to live in a land run by
them? He wondered how the war in Europe was
going. 1805-1806, a summary With the conquest of England, the plans
to develop a concerted Russo-Austrian alliance against Napoleon are put on hold.
Austria does not protest the seizure of Savoy until December of 1805, but Russia
still pushes it in to a war. Fundamentally
it cannot tolerate France. Russia also cannot tolerate it. The Tsar
is jealous of Napoleon, and has signs of megalomania. Russia covets Turkey, and
Napoleon is making plans to occupy Constantinople [7]. England joins in too, making plans to
cast out the occupying force. But they largely are impotent; Britain’s army
has been defeated, and it’s paying France several million pounds a year. The
Austro-Russian army of the 1806 campaign is 500,000 strong. Napoleon can afford
to raise a million men. He doesn’t, of course, but the forces are actually
more equal, numerically, than OTL. The campaign of 1806 takes place in
southern Germany. Napoleon advances with 300,000 men along the Danube. The
campaign against the Austrians takes place before the Russians can get the
troops into position, and he captures 50,000 men under Mack. The Austrians believe the main theater
shall be in Italy. The Austrian attack into Bavaria is blunted, and soon
they’re on the defensive. As Napoleon plays up the myth of a national army,
the great clash of Krenovitz takes place. July 5, 1806 Krenovitz, reflected Thiard, was the
Emperor’s most perfect victory. The panic stricken Russians were fleeing back
into Poland, and Napoleon was now not only Caesar, but Hannibal.
He had taken 15,000 allies captive, and killed 16,000. The sun never
shone so brightly as it did upon this glorious day, the end of the battle. The
Tsar had sent a letter telling Napoleon that The Emperor had performed miracles.
The Austrian Emperor had sued for terms; Venice, Istria, and Dalmatia had passed
to the Kingdom of Italy; Swabia and Tyrol were given to Wurttemberg and Bavaria,
and Austria had to pay 40 million francs in indemnities. Bavaria and Wurttemberg
were new kingdoms, he had created a Confederation of the Rhine, and he had
already made mention of the possibility of a new kingdom of Westphalia,
encompassing Hanover and western Germany, for a brother. Messina, August 4, 1806 Luigi greeted his wife as he walked
through the door. “What’s the news from the city?” she asked. “Oh, nothing much. We have a new king.
One of those Bonaparte’s is replacing the Bourbons.” Plymouth, September 09, 1806 Moore looked through his telescope at
the city. The French had been driven out of England by troops from abroad. Sure,
the Irish were still revolting, but they always were. He grinned at the pun.
Once Plymouth was taken, the English would be secure in their island. Explanation: The revolt of the English
is predictable, and it puts Napoleon in a bind. He has to return to France,
unable to pursue the Russian army, and embarks across the Channel in October,
with 100,000 men. The end result is probably typical,
given that Britain was hoping for an Austro-Russian Victory. Napoleon solves the
problem by placing a brother on the throne. December 21, London, 1806 Napoleon stood before Parliament and the
former king of Britain. The declaration had to be translated, of course. George
III had been forced to read it, and it was probably, said most, as well that he
had gone mad. “We, George
William Frederick; Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron
Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Great Steward of Scotland, 2nd Duke of Edinburgh,
Marquess of the Isle of Ely, Earl of Eltham, Viscount of Launceston, Baron of
Snowdon, King of Great Britain and
Ireland, renounce our claim to the throne of Britain. Let the new King, Jerome
Bonaparte, take his place amongst you.” Ah,
thought Wellington. We thought the King was mad when he talked to trees. We knew
he was mad when he talked to Napoleon. Washington,
July, 1807 Thomas
Jefferson put his quill down to the paper. “Considering
the character of Bonaparte, I think it material at once to let him see that we
are not of the powers who will receive his orders. It cannot be to our interest
that all Europe should be reduced to a single monarchy. Yesterday he took
London. Today he has taken Prussia, and how long will it be before his army
parades through New York? Will we see Murat, or one of his brothers, crowned the
King of America? Will he demand the cession of our Louisiana, dearly bought from
him in peace? Poland, August, 1807 The
two Emperors met on a raft in the Oder. The Tsar had agreed to the peace; with
Prussia defeated, Saxony incorporated into the Confederation, and Hanover
incorporated into that abomination of “the Kingdom of the Netherlands”, from
Hamburg to Amsterdam, it was Alexander’s only option. Alexander’s
reaction is different from OTL. Napoleon’s in a much more powerful position,
and he can’t hate the English as much as Napoleon. (They’re loyal subjects
of the Emperor, aren’t they?) And
he’s still Napoleon, so rather than be content with hegemony for France, he
focuses on the Ottoman Empire. The stage is set for yet another war… [1] Well, not all of it. It’s the
British fleet. There’s a substantial force in the channel under Sir William
Cornwallis. But it’s outnumbered two to one. This is the key to the French
plan; defeat the divided RN by concentrating its forces. [2] Hey, if Villeneuve’s escape
momentarily caused Nelson to do so, so would LaTouche’s. [3] Moore had a very low opinion of the
ability of the militia to actually fight the French. I think, given his
experience, I’ll go with his word on that. Every impression I’ve ever seen
of them implies they were definitely not the English landwehr.
Sorry Scott. [4] One of the many reasons to grab
Hanover, actually. [5] There are people who feel that 1806
was a fluke. I don’t think so, personally. Napoleon’s army was much better
than that of the Austrians, and they only did better in 1809 because of his
growing… instabilities, and their reforms.
Note that with a fleet, and command of the seas, Napoleon’s able to
effectively dominate the Mediterranean. [6] On Elba, Napoleon said he’d set up
a British republic. But he was telling this to his Irish doctor. Given the lack
of political support, simply taking the Empire’s colonies is more likely. [7] His grand plan, it seems, was to
restore the psuedo-Roman Empire of his dreams. Constantinople was to be
conquered, and the Pope to be merely a bishop of Rome. [8] Essentially the Neapolitan reaction
upon the entrance of King Joseph. Nobody really cared but him. [9] OTL Jefferson took a pro-Bonaparte
stance, because England was terrorizing American trade. That no longer being a
factor… Also note that Jefferson’s taking a lot of flack. |
