Especially now there isn't anyone to stop them short or medium term. Sure russia and france are there after they form germany...but that's after germany forms, which we know with hindsight is a little too late.
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Especially now there isn't anyone to stop them short or medium term. Sure russia and france are there after they form germany...but that's after germany forms, which we know with hindsight is a little too late.
Yeah, the problem with Prussia is that it's a lot harder to split. In any case, the hope is that Prussia can be beaten down by the France-Russia couple before they get too dangerous.
While I'd like to see super-Netherlands be a force in Europe, I don't think France or Prussia or GB would allow it to exist for long. That would certainly be an early crisis to appear.
Keeping Bavaria out of Prussian hands is a priority right now and it might be nice to keep Austria alive under a friendly regime to keep German lands as divided as possible
And the Crown of Thorns was saved, as well as the nails from the Cross. I am unabashedly agnostic, the son of secular-agnostic France time and time again, but let's just say that I want to be able to doubt and doubt again till I finally get that First-class, one-way ticket for the Big Adios. Shoot, even if that was just Big Pierre's Heavy-Duty, Easy-to-Hammer Ordinary Iron Nails, I want them preserved somewhere, because, hey, for want of a nail and all that jazz.
Good room temperature beer, now that's something that to me is beyond the existence of God!
Chapter IV: From the “Rise of the Second Empire”
The Second French Empire arose as a direct consequence of the Moroccan war.
In Autumn of 1850, several reports had reached the ear of Minister of the Interior Samuel Sardou that Moroccan tribes had been illegally passing through French Algerie and causing much grief to the local population.
Samuel Sardou was born in 1817 at Toulon to a family of influential academics of the University of Marseille. In his youth, he followed his parents' directions and avidly studied the classics before being taken up as a secretary to his father in 1832. His secretarial work saw him gaining important connections in academia until he was finally appointed as Professor of Philosophy alongside his father. With the revolution of 1848, he was elected to participate in the Constitutional Assembly and there became known enough to be chosen for the Ministry of the Interior in the de l'Eure cabinet.
As a consequence of Moroccan trespassing, Foreign Minister Pierre-Marie Gardet requested that the Sultan of Morocco surrender the border territory of Taza to a French governor that would impede any such incursions into Algeria proper. Gardet’s request was quickly denied by the Sultan, prompting Prince-President Louis Napoleon Bonaparte to give the order to mass troops on the border with war being officially declared on the 19th of November 1850.
With a large amount of the army being called abroad, a plot to overthrow the state was hatched by radical members in Parliament, including former Ministers Adolphe Thiers and Louis de Broglie. However, investigations undertaken by Sardou managed to uncover the ringleaders and planned their capture for December 2nd. On that day, the national guard in Paris arrested the MPs and swiftly took apart the barricades that their supporters had hastily erected in the morning.
The rebel barricades are taken down by the army
In the next days, further dissident members were found and arrested before being publicly tried for their crimes. Thiers managed to obtain an exile in recognition for his service to France during the Franco-Belgian War, but de Broglie was found with radical socialist books in his home and shot on the 6th of December.
In view of these unexpected developments, a series of edicts were promulgated to grant Prince-President Bonaparte enough power to ensure the safety of the country and the possibility to re-write the constitution to limit any future insurrections. Dissident Deputies of the parliament were arrested and barred from participating in political life while a referendum confirmed these emergency powers until the stability of France could be ensured.
With strong doubts about the loyalties of the cabinet, Emperor Napoleon sacked Prime Minister Dupont de l’Eure and elevated the former Minister of War Médard de Valence to head of the cabinet lead by the Légitimiste faction.
In the meantime, French forces in Africa had obtained the expected results and achieved complete military victory over Morocco who agreed to hand over Taza on the 31st of January 1851.
The new province of Taza extends the Algerian possessions
With peace established, a Constitutional Assembly was called to ensure that there would never again be engulfed by the political turmoil of the previous months. Elections were undertaken under previous electoral laws and soon Édouard Affré, grown in fame since his diplomatic expedition to Hungary, emerged as unofficial director of writing.
The elections coincided with another referendum where 87% of eligible voters accepted Louis Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor Napoleon III.
Emperor Napoleon III
The constitutional assembly began its work by abolishing voting rights across France to curb the interference of Socialist dissidents who would foment revolution. The Upper House was maintained as a body with members appointed by the Emperor who would select them among the most prominent citizens of each region. Further measures against Socialist encroachment included the abolition of trade unions, unsanctioned public meetings and the closing of all newspapers that had attacked the person and institution of the Emperor.
The following years of the empire’s life saw a consolidation of the new political order and the growth of the industry and economy of France under the supervision of the Minister of the Interior Yvon Brousseau who pointed out the need for a domestic supply of cotton and coffee to stimulate further development.
Yvon Brousseau was born 1816 to a peasant family in the outskirts of La Rochelle, he would not have moved far from his home village if it weren't for the attention of the parish priest. From a young age, Brousseau demonstrated a significant aptitude for learning and thus the prelate took it upon himself to pay entirely for his education where the young Yvon studied law until graduating in 1832. In these years, he struggled to find legal employment due to his low status, so he chose to join the army to make a name for himself. He served dutifully in Algeria and Europe also becoming a prisoner of war in Belgium during the Franco-Belgian War. In 1842 he retired from military service and began an impressive career as a Realist writer where he described the life of common families in the French countryside together with the unfiltered experiences of what it is like to serve in the army. Precisely for this contact with the common man the Emperor chose Brousseau to direct his Ministry of the Interior.
Minister of the Interior Yvon Brousseau
Emperor Napoleon found the resources required for France's development in the long-rebellious colony of Haiti who had been resisting French authority since 1791.
In June 1855, after the Haitian government failed to pay the indemnities it owed to former French plantation owners, Foreign Minister Guillaume Renaudin proclaimed that this breach of contract was justification enough to reclaim the rebellious colony.
Guillaume Renaudin was born in 1800 to a rural family of modest means in the vicinity of Pau. As a boy, he helped his family tend to the fields until moving to Bordeaux at the age of 15, seeking employment as a dockworker. In this line of work, he often found himself in the company of rough men and this caused him to be imprisoned for a period of five months in 1821 for a violent argument he had with a captain about payment. With the conquest of Algeria, Renaudin decided to seek fortune there and became one of the first French colonists in the region. He established himself as a vendor of naval supplies in the city of Algiers where he became a welcome sight to French emigrants who could feel at home in this foreign land. His small store soon grew to become one of the principal providers to the French fleet stationed in the Mediterranean until he managed to produce enough funds to relocate the Renaudin Maritime Supplies to the more comfortable city of Marseilles. Having become a prominent citizen, he was appointed to the Imperial Upper House where he was chosen as Foreign Minister in recognition of his skills in dealing with international business partners.
The war with Haiti began in August 1855 when 20.000 French soldiers performed an amphibious attack on the island of Hispaniola and took control of the main cities and old colonial fortresses. The native response was limited in scale and scope: a rebel army of around 5.000 attempted to re-take the city of Les Cayes but they were repelled by a combined barrage of naval and shore-based artillery. Further resistance was met in the form of small guerrillas in the mountains and forests who harassed the army and attempted to cut supply lines. This offense, however, was readily handled by the general who had studied previous attempts and managed to root out these rebels before any real damage could be done.
The island of Hispaniola is re-incorporated into the Empire
With the occupation of the island, Brousseau set up offices in both France and the Colony where old plantation owners could re-claim their lost lands and where the inhabitants of the island could prove that they were not the descendants of slaves. All those who could not provide this proof were taken by the occupying army and returned to their owners, if an heir could be found, or sold by the State to those who would wish to be new investors and colonists.
In Autumn of 1850, several reports had reached the ear of Minister of the Interior Samuel Sardou that Moroccan tribes had been illegally passing through French Algerie and causing much grief to the local population.
Samuel Sardou was born in 1817 at Toulon to a family of influential academics of the University of Marseille. In his youth, he followed his parents' directions and avidly studied the classics before being taken up as a secretary to his father in 1832. His secretarial work saw him gaining important connections in academia until he was finally appointed as Professor of Philosophy alongside his father. With the revolution of 1848, he was elected to participate in the Constitutional Assembly and there became known enough to be chosen for the Ministry of the Interior in the de l'Eure cabinet.
As a consequence of Moroccan trespassing, Foreign Minister Pierre-Marie Gardet requested that the Sultan of Morocco surrender the border territory of Taza to a French governor that would impede any such incursions into Algeria proper. Gardet’s request was quickly denied by the Sultan, prompting Prince-President Louis Napoleon Bonaparte to give the order to mass troops on the border with war being officially declared on the 19th of November 1850.
With a large amount of the army being called abroad, a plot to overthrow the state was hatched by radical members in Parliament, including former Ministers Adolphe Thiers and Louis de Broglie. However, investigations undertaken by Sardou managed to uncover the ringleaders and planned their capture for December 2nd. On that day, the national guard in Paris arrested the MPs and swiftly took apart the barricades that their supporters had hastily erected in the morning.
The rebel barricades are taken down by the army
In the next days, further dissident members were found and arrested before being publicly tried for their crimes. Thiers managed to obtain an exile in recognition for his service to France during the Franco-Belgian War, but de Broglie was found with radical socialist books in his home and shot on the 6th of December.
In view of these unexpected developments, a series of edicts were promulgated to grant Prince-President Bonaparte enough power to ensure the safety of the country and the possibility to re-write the constitution to limit any future insurrections. Dissident Deputies of the parliament were arrested and barred from participating in political life while a referendum confirmed these emergency powers until the stability of France could be ensured.
With strong doubts about the loyalties of the cabinet, Emperor Napoleon sacked Prime Minister Dupont de l’Eure and elevated the former Minister of War Médard de Valence to head of the cabinet lead by the Légitimiste faction.
In the meantime, French forces in Africa had obtained the expected results and achieved complete military victory over Morocco who agreed to hand over Taza on the 31st of January 1851.
The new province of Taza extends the Algerian possessions
With peace established, a Constitutional Assembly was called to ensure that there would never again be engulfed by the political turmoil of the previous months. Elections were undertaken under previous electoral laws and soon Édouard Affré, grown in fame since his diplomatic expedition to Hungary, emerged as unofficial director of writing.
The elections coincided with another referendum where 87% of eligible voters accepted Louis Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor Napoleon III.
Emperor Napoleon III
The constitutional assembly began its work by abolishing voting rights across France to curb the interference of Socialist dissidents who would foment revolution. The Upper House was maintained as a body with members appointed by the Emperor who would select them among the most prominent citizens of each region. Further measures against Socialist encroachment included the abolition of trade unions, unsanctioned public meetings and the closing of all newspapers that had attacked the person and institution of the Emperor.
The following years of the empire’s life saw a consolidation of the new political order and the growth of the industry and economy of France under the supervision of the Minister of the Interior Yvon Brousseau who pointed out the need for a domestic supply of cotton and coffee to stimulate further development.
Yvon Brousseau was born 1816 to a peasant family in the outskirts of La Rochelle, he would not have moved far from his home village if it weren't for the attention of the parish priest. From a young age, Brousseau demonstrated a significant aptitude for learning and thus the prelate took it upon himself to pay entirely for his education where the young Yvon studied law until graduating in 1832. In these years, he struggled to find legal employment due to his low status, so he chose to join the army to make a name for himself. He served dutifully in Algeria and Europe also becoming a prisoner of war in Belgium during the Franco-Belgian War. In 1842 he retired from military service and began an impressive career as a Realist writer where he described the life of common families in the French countryside together with the unfiltered experiences of what it is like to serve in the army. Precisely for this contact with the common man the Emperor chose Brousseau to direct his Ministry of the Interior.
Minister of the Interior Yvon Brousseau
Emperor Napoleon found the resources required for France's development in the long-rebellious colony of Haiti who had been resisting French authority since 1791.
In June 1855, after the Haitian government failed to pay the indemnities it owed to former French plantation owners, Foreign Minister Guillaume Renaudin proclaimed that this breach of contract was justification enough to reclaim the rebellious colony.
Guillaume Renaudin was born in 1800 to a rural family of modest means in the vicinity of Pau. As a boy, he helped his family tend to the fields until moving to Bordeaux at the age of 15, seeking employment as a dockworker. In this line of work, he often found himself in the company of rough men and this caused him to be imprisoned for a period of five months in 1821 for a violent argument he had with a captain about payment. With the conquest of Algeria, Renaudin decided to seek fortune there and became one of the first French colonists in the region. He established himself as a vendor of naval supplies in the city of Algiers where he became a welcome sight to French emigrants who could feel at home in this foreign land. His small store soon grew to become one of the principal providers to the French fleet stationed in the Mediterranean until he managed to produce enough funds to relocate the Renaudin Maritime Supplies to the more comfortable city of Marseilles. Having become a prominent citizen, he was appointed to the Imperial Upper House where he was chosen as Foreign Minister in recognition of his skills in dealing with international business partners.
The war with Haiti began in August 1855 when 20.000 French soldiers performed an amphibious attack on the island of Hispaniola and took control of the main cities and old colonial fortresses. The native response was limited in scale and scope: a rebel army of around 5.000 attempted to re-take the city of Les Cayes but they were repelled by a combined barrage of naval and shore-based artillery. Further resistance was met in the form of small guerrillas in the mountains and forests who harassed the army and attempted to cut supply lines. This offense, however, was readily handled by the general who had studied previous attempts and managed to root out these rebels before any real damage could be done.
The island of Hispaniola is re-incorporated into the Empire
With the occupation of the island, Brousseau set up offices in both France and the Colony where old plantation owners could re-claim their lost lands and where the inhabitants of the island could prove that they were not the descendants of slaves. All those who could not provide this proof were taken by the occupying army and returned to their owners, if an heir could be found, or sold by the State to those who would wish to be new investors and colonists.
I'm hoping to keep Austria out of German hands for long enough but it's definitely a possibility!
Prime Minister Britishman, the French are revolting!
Oh god...not again. Well at least-
They've named Napolean Emperor!
What! Already? Okay, well maybe-
Oh, and they've reintroduced slavery and taken over Algeria and Hati!
PM Britshman has a heart attack and dies.
Honestly, it's like the last 50 years hasn't happened...
Hey! I really love your AAR so far. So much so, I have nominated it in the Weekly AAR Showcase! Really enjoy your AAR, and hope to see more!
The richest island in the world. By some measure, the most valuable bit of real estate ever owned by any state. So yes, this will pay for a fleet by itself. However, starting slavery again, especially in the infamous sugar industry? And France just installing napolean? Yeah...we're going to war with GB soon. We're going to need that money.
PM Britishman is my favorite historical figure!
I wish I could see the look on a geriatric Wellington's face, not the best time for him to kick the bucket.
I can't remember exactly but I don't think it was too much, it came up as a decision connected to Napoleon becoming emperor.
Haiti used to be the most lucrative colony in the Western hemisphere but, of course, that was before the massive slave revolt and brutal civil war. It will take some time to get all the cash crop plantations back in order but it does have a lot of promise.
Wow! Thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoy it and I hope it'll keep being up to standard!
He'll be back then. I like adding a skit to my favourite AARs every so often...
Yeah, Hati is a mess. But a sexy, money bin mess. If they can get slavery back up and running, then gold will be theirs.
...hum...just to say that slavery is bad guys.
Chapter V: From the “Accounts of the American War”
The annexation of Hispaniola provided much needed raw materials to the French industry but still more were needed to keep up with ever-growing demand. In 1856, Renaudin begun talks with the Khedive of Egypt to work out a proposal for the realization of a long-desired canal between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Such a structure would allow for faster and cheaper access to the French colonies in the Spice Islands while avoiding the port tariffs so often levied on trade convoys that would stop to resupply in the British possessions in Africa. The Foreign Minister assured the Khedive that this project would bring great wealth and modernization to his realm and, to ensure his support, Renaudin financed a railroad that would connect the first cataract on the Nile with Alexandria, thus providing an efficient line of communication across Egypt. These gifts and assurances convinced Khedive Mohamed Sa'id Pasha, who had been himself educated in Paris, to sell France a concession on the isthmus of Suez. The construction project lasted from 1857 until inauguration on the 24th of June 1859. For the occasion, prominent families from across the Empire flocked to see the first ships pass through this wonder of modern engineering while Emperor Napoleon presided as host together with Sa'id Pasha.
The Suez Canal connects East and West
The occupation and enslavement of Hispaniola caused unforeseen consequences across the Atlantic when it accelerated the slavery debate in the United States. Elements of the Southern States admired the French action in the Caribbean and were anxious to extend American influence and slave plantations across the region. In the North, the extent of French intervention was deemed to be excessive and a dangerous precedent for a European power meddling in American affairs. These tensions ultimately led to the start of the American Civil War in Autumn of 1858.
Emperor Napoleon saw this as a chance to both legitimize French use of slave labor and strike a decisive blow to the quickly growing American influence on the world stage. In a series of cabinet meetings in December 1858, Prime Minister de Valence and Minister of the Interior Brousseau opposed joining the war on the grounds of the navy being insufficient to conduct such a distant war against a Great Power. Intense private discussions followed these common meetings and, for a while, it seemed that the Valence line would prevail but Renaudin finally convinced the Emperor to declare war in the hopes of gaining a powerful political foothold in the Americas.
On the 14th of January 1859, 50.000 French troops set sail for the American South to turn the tide of the war. A first landing near Washington was successful and resulted in the occupation of the capital but, soon after, problems started to arise with the expedition. The French fleet suffered a defeat in Chesapeake Bay that forced them into the Atlantic, leaving the army isolated on the continent. Poor coordination with Confederate forces allowed the Unionist army to isolate the French expeditionary force and, without a navy or Confederate support, the French commander surrendered to save the life of his soldiers.
The French expeditionary force is surrounded and defeated
With the Americans quickly advancing in the South and a counterattack deemed too costly, the representatives of the CSA accepted unconditional surrender. On the 21st of October 1859, Renaudin, Union President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate President Jefferson Davies signed the treaty of Baltimore whereby France recognized the annexation of the CSA into the Union and agreed to limit its influence on the American continent to the sole colony of Guyana.
A few days later, by encouragement of the Emperor and de Valence, Renaudin resigned his position and it was assigned to the renowned former Deputy Édouard Affré. Affré had long been the leader of the Légitimiste party during the July Monarchy and had been a guiding force in writing the constitution of the Empire. In recent years, he had retired from political life to write a memoir of the recent tumultuous history of France to which he had contributed so much.
In the next couple of years, Emperor Napoleon assigned the reconstruction of the armed forces to the new Minister of War George Fétique who attempted to re-form the army lost during the American War.
Minister of War George Fétique
Georges Fétique was born in 1816 in Lavalle to a rather unsuccessful local building contractor. His family managed to gather enough savings to send their son to a law school in the hopes of providing the family business with important legal advice. Upon graduation in 1833, Georges returned as a full partner to his father and contributed greatly to the growth of the venture which acquired a certain local prominence. This, however, came to an end in 1842 when Georges' father died suddenly in an accident while visiting a work site and, in the following months, Georges decided to leave the business to his siblings while he would seek election to the National Assembly. Elected in 1843, he became a vocal supporter of the Légitimiste party and was identified by Affré for his political talent. For this reason, his name was suggested to the Emperor as a valid candidate to deal with the sizeable task of managing the logistics of the Imperial Army.
The reconstruction of the army was given particular urgency under the new political climate in Europe. The loss of Hungary had plunged the Austrian Empire into a severe recession and, in early 1860, they were excluded from the concert of Great Powers with their place being taken by the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
The fall of Austria allowed Prussia to extend its already considerable influence in Germany up to convincing the other princes North of Bavaria to join it in the so-called North German Federation. It is, however, clear to all observers that this new Federation is simply a Prussia with more subjects and that it embodies all the militaristic and expansionist tendencies of the old Kingdom. It appears that the states of Southern Germany are still waiting for the dust to settle on this new country before choosing to commit one way or the other while the felled Austria seems to still cling onto some pride. The far-reaching effects of such an upheaval are still hard to determine but they provided a clear incentive for the necessity of a strong France at the heart of Europe.
A new stain appears on the map of Europe
The Suez Canal connects East and West
The occupation and enslavement of Hispaniola caused unforeseen consequences across the Atlantic when it accelerated the slavery debate in the United States. Elements of the Southern States admired the French action in the Caribbean and were anxious to extend American influence and slave plantations across the region. In the North, the extent of French intervention was deemed to be excessive and a dangerous precedent for a European power meddling in American affairs. These tensions ultimately led to the start of the American Civil War in Autumn of 1858.
Emperor Napoleon saw this as a chance to both legitimize French use of slave labor and strike a decisive blow to the quickly growing American influence on the world stage. In a series of cabinet meetings in December 1858, Prime Minister de Valence and Minister of the Interior Brousseau opposed joining the war on the grounds of the navy being insufficient to conduct such a distant war against a Great Power. Intense private discussions followed these common meetings and, for a while, it seemed that the Valence line would prevail but Renaudin finally convinced the Emperor to declare war in the hopes of gaining a powerful political foothold in the Americas.
On the 14th of January 1859, 50.000 French troops set sail for the American South to turn the tide of the war. A first landing near Washington was successful and resulted in the occupation of the capital but, soon after, problems started to arise with the expedition. The French fleet suffered a defeat in Chesapeake Bay that forced them into the Atlantic, leaving the army isolated on the continent. Poor coordination with Confederate forces allowed the Unionist army to isolate the French expeditionary force and, without a navy or Confederate support, the French commander surrendered to save the life of his soldiers.
The French expeditionary force is surrounded and defeated
With the Americans quickly advancing in the South and a counterattack deemed too costly, the representatives of the CSA accepted unconditional surrender. On the 21st of October 1859, Renaudin, Union President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate President Jefferson Davies signed the treaty of Baltimore whereby France recognized the annexation of the CSA into the Union and agreed to limit its influence on the American continent to the sole colony of Guyana.
A few days later, by encouragement of the Emperor and de Valence, Renaudin resigned his position and it was assigned to the renowned former Deputy Édouard Affré. Affré had long been the leader of the Légitimiste party during the July Monarchy and had been a guiding force in writing the constitution of the Empire. In recent years, he had retired from political life to write a memoir of the recent tumultuous history of France to which he had contributed so much.
In the next couple of years, Emperor Napoleon assigned the reconstruction of the armed forces to the new Minister of War George Fétique who attempted to re-form the army lost during the American War.
Minister of War George Fétique
Georges Fétique was born in 1816 in Lavalle to a rather unsuccessful local building contractor. His family managed to gather enough savings to send their son to a law school in the hopes of providing the family business with important legal advice. Upon graduation in 1833, Georges returned as a full partner to his father and contributed greatly to the growth of the venture which acquired a certain local prominence. This, however, came to an end in 1842 when Georges' father died suddenly in an accident while visiting a work site and, in the following months, Georges decided to leave the business to his siblings while he would seek election to the National Assembly. Elected in 1843, he became a vocal supporter of the Légitimiste party and was identified by Affré for his political talent. For this reason, his name was suggested to the Emperor as a valid candidate to deal with the sizeable task of managing the logistics of the Imperial Army.
The reconstruction of the army was given particular urgency under the new political climate in Europe. The loss of Hungary had plunged the Austrian Empire into a severe recession and, in early 1860, they were excluded from the concert of Great Powers with their place being taken by the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
The fall of Austria allowed Prussia to extend its already considerable influence in Germany up to convincing the other princes North of Bavaria to join it in the so-called North German Federation. It is, however, clear to all observers that this new Federation is simply a Prussia with more subjects and that it embodies all the militaristic and expansionist tendencies of the old Kingdom. It appears that the states of Southern Germany are still waiting for the dust to settle on this new country before choosing to commit one way or the other while the felled Austria seems to still cling onto some pride. The far-reaching effects of such an upheaval are still hard to determine but they provided a clear incentive for the necessity of a strong France at the heart of Europe.
A new stain appears on the map of Europe
"WHAT!" PM Britishman said, quietly and with reserve. It was eveningtime at Chequers, and one was not allowed to shout or emit emotion above 5 decibels. "This is an outrage! I wwanted to tear Egypt in two!"
"Well they're only planning it at the moment, sir." The aide was mildly concerned the monocle would fall from the Prime Minister's face.
"Hmm, very well. Assemble a top team of loveable rouges and underdogs wanted by the police. Have them steal the plans for the canal so we can build it instead."
"...sir, the French own the construction rights. Only they can build the canal. Unless you're suggesting we can somehow steal the concept from their very minds?"
"Indeed sir, I dare to imagine such an impossibility! Make it so."
"But sir, they'd still have to invest heavily in a merchant navy to make this worthwhile. It would take decades for them to pay off such an expense."
"Hmm. That gives me an idea. Start bribing amercian senators to argue about slavery."
"Sir?"
"You'll see."
"Sir, this war is going to kill thousands of people."
"No, it's going to kill thousands of frenchmen, and amercians. And hopefully waste lots of their time and money."
'But sir! We rely on southern cotton."
"Indeed. Time we invested in our own cotton plantations in India. The war will inflate prices as the supply dries up. Then when the war ends in Union favour, the southern plantations will be even less competitive! And the new french colony in hati can't produce half as much without a slave population, which now only exists in the amercias."
"Sir...you're a genius."
"My goodness, this is going even better than planned."
"Sir? France is one of rhe greatest land powers in the world."
"And their navy is just large enough to send a large portion of that army to their deaths. This calls for a drink!"
"So, let's see. The Union is weakened and has to rebuild the south, and is now heavily anti-french.
The world cotton supply and industry, the modt valuable trade in the world, belongs to us. The south is ruined and won't rise for many years.
The French have lost their army and navy, lost to an outnumbered former colony, supported slavery and pissed off their only natural ally in the world. They now have to spend years rebuilding their military and have to find slaves from Brazil or risk the Atlantic trade and our fleet."
"So...we win?"
"Basically. And all we publically did was supply the union with guns for money, which gives us the moral high ground for once."
"I am in awe. What next?"
"Well..."
Oh dear how embarising.
"Davenport? I forget. Do we support Germany today or not?
"It's Wednesday sir."
"Ah, then congratulate the german ambassador for me. And apoligise for my rude letter he'll receive tomorrow."
Or at the very least, someone the British can play for all their worth.
it was a very short Civil War, the USA will come out of this much stronger and anti-French than ever
It was a short civil war, wasn't it? Was that because French failure counted towards overall war goals to such an extent? If so, oh dear, the entire US is going to hate them for that. In fact, might start their cheese eating surrender monkey jokes a century early, given they sailed all the way to America on crap ships, and then promptly surrendered.
At least this means Lincoln won't be assassinated and the south wasn't completely wrecked by the war.
At least this means Lincoln won't be assassinated and the south wasn't completely wrecked by the war.
True but this happens every time the French try to involve themseleves in north amercian wars so not sure what they were expecting to happen. In fact, this is probably a light setback compared to bankrupting the monarchy or losing the entire fleet (just most of it, and it wasn't very good anyway).
Mind you this was probably the last chance they had in the new world. Need to look east now instead.
I can be satisfied that I made Britishman express an emotion and that it was one of rage! I look forward to denying all access through Suez and laughing at the ships circumnavigating Africa
This was so British that a cup of tea spontaneously materialized in my hands!
I'm not sure what the underlying factors were but mostly the Confederacy fell apart like wet toilet paper. I was hoping to play a supporting role but there was nothing to support so my expedition couldn't do much good. Also, the American fleet was MUCH better than I was expecting. Oh well, time to modernize the navy anyway.
Yeah, luckily the involvement was limited this time. The NGF might be a bit of a worry though...