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99KingHigh

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A Alternate History for Victoria II - The Reign of the Bourbons (1815-1863)

Prologue:
Prologue I - Charles X and the Revolution (1815-1830)
Prologue II - Consolidation (1830-1836)


Prince Jules de Polignac, 3rd Duke of Polignac
Chapter 1: The Elections of 1835-1836
Chapter 2: Carlistes et Crise - Polignac - 1836-1837 (Louis XIX)
Chapter 3: La douleur de l'Europe - Polignac (Louis XIX) - 1838-1841
Chapter 4 - The Elections of 1841 (Louis XIX)
Chapter 5 - La révolution et la guerre civile de 1841-1842 (Louis XIX)
Chapter 6 - La Grande Réaction - Polignac (Louis XIX - Henry V)

Louis Marie Albert, comte de Villèle
Chapter 7 - Fleur-de-lis - Louis Marie Albert (Henry V)
Chapter 8 - À l'aube - Louis Marie Albert (Henry V)
Chapter 9 - L'ordre Ancien - Louis Marie Albert (Henry V) - 1848-1851
Chapter 10 - La Ville-Lumière - Louis Marie Albert (Henry V) - 1851-1854
Chapter 11 - The Elections of 1854 - Louis Marie Albert (Henry V)
Chapter 12 - Turbulence - Louis Marie Albert (Henry V) - 1854-1858
Chapter 13 - The elections of 1859 - (Henry V) - 1858-1859

François Pierre Guillaume Guizot, Pair de France
Chapter 14 - Turcs et les Italiens - (Henry V) - 1859-1861
Chapter 16 - Notre Automne - François Guizot - 1863 - (Henry V)
 
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Introduction

Greetings readers, to another After Action Report, delivered by yours truly. This AAR shall be the forth of mine, succeeding the United Kingdom of America, and my ongoing Restoration Series for Kaisereich, which currently includes the restoration of the Brazilian Monarchy, and a Polish restoration - one of which has concluded. It is my desire that this shall significantly improve upon the quality of the former, and hopefully upon the latter as well.

This tale has been within myself for a long time, but it was only fueled after Densely recently insulted France repeatedly in his own AAR. Therefore, I believe I am entitled to a small rebuttle, which shall go upon display on the second prologue.

It is important that the author provide some philosophical insight into this story, so that all of the readers shall have the benefit of understanding the origins of the Alternate History provided. The nation of France, has had the unfortunate curse to be in the current status of a Republic, which it has maintained since 1871. Though in truth, the legitimate rulers of France, were deposed in 1830, and then were succeeded by progressively "liberal" monarchs until the collapse of the Second French Empire. Perhaps the most frustrating portion of French History (from the perspective of a Royalist - of which I intent to embody), occurred upon the deposition of Napoleon III, whereas Royalists dominated the legislative body, but were unable to take action due to the refusal of the present pretender, to accept the Tricolour.

The restoration of the French monarchy is a frequently utilized object for Alternate Histories, though in general, they revolve around the Bonaparte Family or the House of Orleans. It is my intention, to provide a story that is rarely elaborated, and instead, divulge into the Royal Court of the Bourbon Monarchy, attempting to preserve its existence from all of those that would deem to destroy it.

And the British.
 
The big subsribesies
 
I don't think Charles could have remained in power any longer, as Paris deeply resented him. And Paris was the driving force that made governments fall until 1871.
 
I don't think Charles could have remained in power any longer, as Paris deeply resented him. And Paris was the driving force that made governments fall until 1871.

Who said anything about keeping Charles? ;)
 
So, doing the Legitimists, eh?

This will be fun to watch. Good luck turning France into another Russia (but without Lenin to spoil it) :D
 
Prologue I - Charles X and the Revolution (1815-1830)

"Russian, Austrian, and Prussian troops stomped their boots through the shadowed alleyways of Paris, hoisting flags of victory, and singing praises to their sovereigns. Citizens peered outside their homes, confirming the somber reports; The Six Days Campaign, the finest hour of the Emperor, had fallen short. The early weeks of April, had been marked with growing uncertainty. Napoleon, once master of Europe, had partially abdicated the rights of his throne to his child, whilst the majority rejected this transition. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, the traitor of all regimes, had established a Provisional Senate in Paris, offering the throne to the Count of Provence, the Bourbon claimant to France. Contradicting rulers, a French Marshall mutiny, and the occupation of Paris, culminated in the Treaty of Fontainebleau, where Napleon made his official abdication, before entering exile to Elba.

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Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, First Prime Minister of France


Louis Stanislas Xavier, the son of Louis, Dauphin of France, had reigned as the de jure King of France since the deposition of his brother, Louis Auguste de France (Louis XVI). The Count of Provence had spent the majority of the years following the Revolution (and the Imperial era), in the courts of foreign kings, constantly moving, as did the Emperor of France. These years of exile were not in vain, for the Coalition Forces offered the elderly Louis the throne of France, following the abdication of Napoleon. Charles Philippe of France, the Count of Artois, and the youngest brother to Xavier, held a brief regency until the rightful Bourbon arrived in Paris. Stanislas styled himself as Louis XVIII, holding an extravagant royal procession that returned the true rulers of France, to the Tuileries Palace. The exuberant parades of King Louis celebrated a restoration of power, though the new sovereign was nearly immediately compelled to adopt a constitution that would restrict the authority that had existed during the Ancien Regime. Pressured by the Coalition Armies, Louis accepted the Charter of 1814, whose terms implemented a bicameral legislative branch, composed of a Chamber of Deputies, and a Chamber of Peers.

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Louis XVIII, King of France (1814-1824)


The Chamber of Deputies was a elected body, though a high tax requirement was instituted. The monarch also had the ability to appoint the Presidents of the Electoral Colleges, establishing powerful Sovereign authority over the elections. Louis also managed to wrestle domination over the Chamber of Peers, where he had total appointee power as well as the ability to choose a unlimited number of delegates to the chamber. The success of the restored throne was exemplified in the restoration of France's 1792 borders, coupled with the quick withdrawal of foreign soldiers from the nation. The fight for foreign domination, was a different story; with Prussians desiring the annexation of Saxony, and a general diplomatic struggle to remove the remaining Bonaparte Kings, from their prompted thrones.

Whilst Talleyrand and the Count of Artois took strides in pressuring the other powers of Europe to withdraw support for the Bonapartes, especially within Napoli, the true threat, that of Napoleon, reared its ugly display. The deposed Emperor arrived in France after a escape from Elba, prompting the King of France (now suffering from sporadic sparks of gout), to motion the army to apprehend the pretender. Charles Philippe, accompanied by Marshall Jacques Macdonald, marched the army to Bonaparte, with the intention of arresting the Emperor. However, Louis had failed in purging the Bonapartist elements of the Royal Army, which defected en masse at the sight of the conqueror. Louis was forced into a second exile, as Napoleon resumed his reign as Emperor of France, sparking the infamous Hundred Days Reign, concluding in the British victory at Waterloo.

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Napoleon returns from Elba, and welcomes the defection of the Royalist Army.

Louis XVIII famously returned to France, "in baggage train of the enemy," convincing French settlements into surrendering to Royalist forces at the command of Wellington, which earned him a subtle popularity amidst the Paris population. Illness and exhaustion became the primary concerns for Louis, delegating the majority of his authority to the appointed ministries. As new foreign terms were enforced upon France, animosity in the country-side against the Bonapartes grew to violent levels, with a Second White Terror taking grip of Southern France. Despite opposition to violent acts, the government showed approval, especially in regards to Marshalls that had defected a second time to Napoleon, including Marshall Ney. The famed war veteran was executed by firing squad, at the command of the Royal Ministry.

The movement, shrouded in violence, gave birth to a new political faction within France, the Ultra-Royalists. The first elections of the restored monarchy, displayed a radical shift in political standing within the nations elite, and a crushing defeat for Prime Minister Talleyrand. Instead of the predicted a moderate parliament, the Chamber of Deputies was swept by Ultra-Royalists, forming the Chambre introuvable. Disgusted by the results, Talleyrand resigned his position, leaving the vacant ministry in the hands of King Louis. In accordance with the Royalist fervor that had gripped the elite, Louis appointed Armand-Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu, as the next Prime Minister. At the time of his appointment, Richelieu could barely recognize a person within the chambers, or even his own ministry.

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Armand-Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu, Prime Minister of France (1815-1818, 1820-1821)

The new Parliament fervently panned Louis for his inefficient actions against the Revolutionary Forces within France, taking measures into its own hands by dismissing nearly 80,000 members of the government, believing them to be liberal sympathizers. Charles Philippe, the effective leader of the ultra-royalists, managed to wrestle control of the state expenditure, and place it in the hands of the Parliament, whilst the sovereign of France was caught in a battle between his own supporters. Even worse, the King was forced into signing massive war-indemnities for betraying the coalition a second time, thrusting France into economic crisis as violence spilled across the country. Finally, in September of 1816, Louis dissolved the Parliament and called elections.

To the dismay of the Count, moderate royalists grappled a disparate, but effective authority over the Chamber of Deputies. Richelieu reigned as the Prime Minister for another two years, resigning in December of 1818, firm of mind that stability had been restored to France. The former was succeeded by Jean-Joseph, Marquis Dessolles, and then the centrist, Élie Decazes, 1st duc Decazes and 1st Duke of Glücksbierg. Decazes adopted policies[1] that reconciled the Revolution and the Monarchy, easing censorship, and relaxing electoral restrictions to prevent another Ultra victory. The initial success of these policies were brief, as was the downfall of Decazes. Triggering the collapse of the centrist government, was the mysterious death of Charles Ferdinand d'Artois, Duke of Berry son of the heir-apparent, Charles. Decazes was forced to resign, and Richelieu returned to power, initiating a political crackdown and reversal of the previous policies.

The elections of 1820 delivered the Ultra-Royalists a resounding victory, enforcing the appointment of the prestigious Royalist leaders - Jean-Baptiste Guillaume Joseph Marie Anne Séraphin, comte de Villèle. Jean-Baptiste would remain the Prime Minister of France, for several years. In order to win popularity amongst the people, the Ultra-Royalists ignited a war to restore Ferdinand VII of Spain, the Bourbon King of Spain, to his rightful throne. The expedition, coined "the Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis" was commanded by Louis Antoine of France, Duke of Angoulême, eldest son to Charles. Louis managed to defeat liberal forces at the Battle of Trocadero, and restore Ferdinand to the Spanish Crown, returning home a Iron hero of the Kingdom. The popular support commanded by the victory, lead the Royalists to another sound victory in 1824.

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Jean-Baptiste Guillaume Joseph Marie Anne Séraphin, comte de Villèle, Prime Minister and Leader of the Ultra-Royalists (1821-1828)


On the 16th of November, 1824, Louis XVIII of France passed away, thus bringing the throne into the possession of his younger brother. Charles Philippe, was crowned Charlex X of France in 1825, to a traditional Gothic-Medieval theme[2]. Charles was urgent to confirm the authority of the ultra-royalists, retaining Jean-Baptiste as the Prime Minister of France, and forcing through legislation proposed by the Légitimistes. Many of these policies injured the economy, such as the payment of nearly 18 million francs to emigres as a indemnity, whilst the Kingdom was struggling to pay off its war debts to the coalition. State payments slowed down, but the policies of Charles did not, continuing in the pursuit of Ultra-Royalist doctrines. Soon enough, a financial crisis had gripped France, with the Left gaining momentum against the ultra-royalists in the 1827 election. The excessive policies of Charles culminated in a resound victory for the left, though a true majority was unable to be decided.

Charles appointed Jean-Baptiste Sylvère Gay, vicomte de Martignac, a centrist, as Prime Minister. Martignac attempted to reconcile the right and the left, but found heavy opposition amongst Charles and the ultra-royalists, which concluded in the fall of the government. It had become apparent, that France was in the midst of a political and economic crisis, a situation Charles worsened by appointing Royalists to the Ministry, most profoundly, Prince Jules de Polignac, 3rd Duke of Polignac. Liberals carried a deep despise towards the Prince, and soon, whispers of coups and tax strikes became a constant sound to the political ear.

In March of 1830, Charles X delivered a speech to the Chamber of Deputies which was received harshly by a absolute majority of Deputies. In response, Charles dismissed Parliament, and together with Polignac, perused an aggressive foreign policy[3] to appease and distract the populace. Additionally, the King forced through the Four Ordinances of Saint-Cloud: restricting individual and political freedoms across the country as unrest bubbled with greater fervency. The following day after the publishing of the ordinances, Royalist police seized a newspaper printer, as Paris crowds gathered, chanting slogans against the Bourbons and Charles."

"On the seventh hour in the evening, the silence that had guided the patrols came to a sudden halt. We heard the colliding of rock and pavement, and soon it had appeared that every window in Paris had been thrust open. Tremendous rocks, furniture, and even roof tiles were flung from the heavens, smashing against the marching troops that skirted to cover. Then, drawing our weapons, we let forth a great barrage of threatening fire, but the silence did not hold. Instead, we turned our shimmering instruments of end, and thundered its components towards our pursuers. Rioters, all of them with darkened, younger faces, charged through the alleys, grasping weapons they could not hold."

Charles ordered Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont, 1st Duke of Ragusa on the second day of fighting, to openly combat the revolutionaries. Despite the advice of his ministers, Charles rushed to Paris, calling forth on Louis to intervene with a Royalist Army. Meanwhile, the revolutionaries, formed a oppositional committee, led by wealthy merchants and bankers and some liberal military officers, delivered a request to Marmon to repeal the Ordonnances. As violence spread across Paris, Mormont was pressured to accept the demands of the committee, but Polignac blocked the acceptance, even going as far as to proclaim collaboration as treason.

The most intense fighting was near the Hôtel de Ville, where Marmont had made his plea with reservist and nearby military forces to come to the assistance of the King, before they could sack the Tuileries. The revolutionaries, now fairly well organized and intent on forcing Charles to abdicate, managed to force the Swiss Guards into a surrender, and sack the palace. Charles X, on the 29th of July, signed his abdication in favor of his son, Louis. Louis-Auguste-Victor, Count de Ghaisnes de Bourmont, a prominent military commander, arrived from Algiers with nearly 25,000 soldiers. Victor's force, though outnumbered by Parisian groups, were able to maneuver into a merge with Duke Louis, who had fled Paris after the abdication. The combined force, rallied in Angoulême, and marched towards Paris with intent to depose the Revolution. Simultaneously, Louis Philippe d'Orléans, cousin of the King, was rushed into Paris and proclaimed King of the French, to preserve the legitimacy of the movement.

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Revolutionaries push towards the Hôtel de Ville.

The popularity of Duke Louis, especially in the aftermath of his victorious Spanish intervention, brought new support from the countryside, swelling the forces of the Bourbons. On the 11th of August, Louis laid siege to Paris, dispersing the unity of the revolutionaries and allowing the Royalist Armies necessary time to prepare for a assault. Nearly three days after, Étienne Maurice Gérard, one of the primary military leaders of the Revolution, defected to the Royalists, thus destroying the unity of the revolution. The following day, Royalist forces attacked and occupied Paris.


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Louis, Prince Regent of France, returns to Paris amidst cheers and protests.​


[1] The policies enacted by Élie, duc Decazes, are generally known as Decazes, which were moderate royalist factions.

[2] Charles, while he was renown for his "Imperial Style," decorated his coronation as to separate the Monarchy from the Empire of Napoleon, preserving tradition.

[3] The French government perused a victorious war against Algeria, and drew plans to invade the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
 
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[video=youtube;aB1jPwy8f3Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB1jPwy8f3Y[/video]
 
Looks good King. Will read
 
Looking forward to seeing the bourbons restored just so they might be overthrow again.
 
Prologue II - Consolidation (1830-1836)

The reign of Louis Philippe I, as King of the French, had lasted a total of 17 days, from the abdication of Charles X, to the capture of Paris on the 15th of August. Louis Philippe managed to escape the advancing Bourbon armies, fleeing Paris by the Marne, and entering exile in Great Britain. The defeat of the revolutionaries was resound, as the Dauphin managed to twist the loyalty of many rebel leaders, and most importantly, the merchant bourgeoisie with placated promises. The brief July Monarchy was dissolved, and Louis Antoine of France, Duke of Angoulême, was crowned Louis XIX, King of France and Navarre.

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King Louis XIX, King of France.​

In the immediate aftermath of the Revolution, sporadic outbreaks of violence continued across the urban centers of France, as devoted rebels intended to shower themselves in a glorious last stand. Louis, refusing to make martyrs, starved out the last remaining rebels and forced them to submit surrenders to the Royal Army, shedding little blood. In Paris, a host of emotions had gripped the city, as bodies were swept up from the pavement, and the blood-stained streets were drowned with a summer rain. Louis XIX, aged at 52, and childless, went quickly to work to resolve the issues that faced his Kingdom. The Four Ordinances of Saint-Cloud were partially repealed, especially the terms that corresponded with the appointment of Ultra-Royalist members into the Chambers. As Parliament had been dissolved, Louis sought support through a relaxing of electoral restrictions, and a resumption of elections to be held at the conclusion of the month. The majority of such policies shocked the royalist core of the Kingdom, as Louis had usually been aligned with his father in terms of political opinion. As France was engulfed in chaos, Louis deemed it necessary to implement such reforms, and patch the political differences between the left and right. The Count of Artois was especially opposed to these alterations, and soon there were talk amidst the nobility about a possible restoration of Charles X. Charles Philippe refused to betray his son, resigning from politics, and moving to the territory of his title.

In addition, Louis XIX was faced with the issue of succession, as Marie Thérèse Charlotte, Queen Consort of France and Navarre had not borne any children to her spouse. Thus, the Dauphine of Viennois passed to Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonné d'Artois, duc de Bordeaux, comte de Chambord, the ten year old posthumous son of the murdered Duke of Berry. France, henceforth, had miracoulsly secured the line of Bourbon, though it would come down to the election, to see if the restoration would be sustained. Three factions had emerged in the aftermath of the July Revolution, the Ultra-Royalists, the Decazes, and the Orleanists. The latter faction, had been permitted into the election by Louis, allowing them to legislatively peruse liberal reforms as long as they retained loyalty to the Bourbons.

The election of 1830 was convened on the 1st of September, and displayed a moderate return to centrist policy. The Orleanists were able to steal second place from the Ultra-Royalists, whilst the Decazes just skimmed a majority. Nonetheless, Louis permitted Élie Decazes to form a ministry, appointing the Duke as Prime Minister for the second time. Jules de Polignac, was especially angry at the apparent betrayal of Louis’s root opinions, though the Prince agreed to collaborate with Decazes in opposition to the Orleanists. The Prime Minister was forced to compromise with the Ultra-Royalists, enforcing the Édit de Septembre, a general ban on Republican and Bonapartiste parties, from participating in the successive elections. Louis portrayed reluctance to the act, whilst in truth, the motion was signed almost immediately after it entered the Tuileries Palace. François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand, widely considered the father of Romanticism and popular supporter of Freedom of the Press, venomously opposed the Edict, and soon turned on the Royalist Decazes of which he was previously aligned. The vicomte retained his beliefs as a moderate conservative, eventually rising to prominence as the leader of the Orleanists.

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François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand, leader of the Orleanists and then the Doctrinaires.

The economic situation remained delicate, despite the efforts of Louis to slowly erode tariffs that assisted the wealthy landowners alone, prices fluctuated as a result of these policies. Incurring the wrath of many Ultra-Royalists for these policies, Louis reversed his stance towards the indemnities paid to the emigres, a policy that Charles had enforced, patching together the relations that were beginning to splinter amongst the royalists. In the interests of preserving the faltering Industrial status of France, François-René reformed the Orleanists into a remodeled faction: the Doctrinaires, which remained the prominent Centro-liberal party. This reformation allowed the dispersed Deputies to come to a general consent, promoting interventionist policies that allowed the Monarchy to halt the repression of the economy.

Prime Minister Élie, duc Decazes, had secured the domestic front, forming a joint unity coalition of Ultra-Royalists, Moderate Royalists, and Centro-Liberals. Many with elitist Parisian circles were astonished at the political unity that existed in 1831, but in truth, Decazes had formed the coalition for a separate reason. On the North-Western border of France, revolution and rebellion had been brewing across the southern territories of King William I. Following the apparent success of the July Revolution during the previous year, Wallonian and Flemish rebels had engaged in a general rebellion against the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, forming a brief establishment, Belgium. In August of 1831, Prince Willem Frederik George Lodewijk van Oranje-Nassau invaded the Belgian state and managed to suppress the rebellion in ten days. Leopold Georg Christian Friedrich, King of Belgium, requested intervention by Louis and the Royal Armies. Many within the Chamber of Deputies were reluctant for the motion, especially Jean-Baptiste de Villèle.

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Belgian Revolution of 1830


Desperate to escape the yoke of Dutch rule, King Leopold struck a secret agreement with the Chamber of Peers on the 21st of August, which was ratified by Louis XIX the following morning. The King of France, intent on displaying his valor and popularity amongst the indifferent population, placed the Royal Army under his direct authority. King Louis, accompanied by Étienne Maurice Gérard, comte Gérard, Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia, and the Chief of General Staff, Louis-Auguste-Victor, Count de Ghaisnes de Bourmont, amassed a force of 60,000 soldiers and marched towards Belgium. Armée du Nord, as it was called, did not face initial resistance during its offensive in September, nearing Ghent and Brussels. The Prince of the Netherlands, however, denied the French forces an oppurtunity to swiftly split their forces and march on each city, positioning an army of 47,000 just west of Aalst.

King Louis, Soult, and Victor prepared to take the initiative, approaching Haaltert, and fortifying their position. As the night drew to a close, Louis was joined by Leopold I, whom was preparing to establish the head of the Belgian Government in Brussels. The camp, swollen with Royal and Belgian soldiers, slept silently through the night, to the surprise of the leaders, but by morning, Dutch artillery barrages had forced the Armée du Nord into a swift march. The Orange soldiers greeted the French Army at the Battle of Aalst, igniting three consecutive days of slaughter. The former Duke of Dalmatia, was to make the decisive tactic, shattering the right flank of the Prince's army with a combined arms offensive, driving the tattered Dutch army off the field. At the day's conclusion, 9,000 casualties had been delivered to the Dutch, whilst Louis had suffered 2,500 less. In the following days, Franco-Belgian forces occupied Ghent and Brussels, whilst the bulk of the Dutch Army withdrew to Antwerp.

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The Battle of Aalst, September 15th 1831


Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult led a French detachment to Luxembourg, where he defeated a surrounded Dutch Army under the command of David Hendrik, Baron Chassé. Dutch forces managed to grasp control of Antwerp through the early months of 1832, culminating in a series of tactically indecisive maneuvers that brought the front to a relative stalemate. Eventually, Soult managed to subdue all of Luxembourg, and then joined up with the triumvirate of officers, marching on Antwerp in the early months of Summer. After a prolonged siege of the city, Prince William surrendered Antwerp to Franco-Belgian forces in September, thus concluding the war.

Joseph-Marie, comte Portalis, Foriegn Minister of France, and King William I, convened in Amsterdam to discuss the terms of peace. At the conventions conclusion, King William was forced to recognize the total independence of Belgium, and the annexation of Luxembourg to France, before the Great powers could even reply. Suddenly, France had reasserted itself as a European Powerhouse, though the great diplomacy of Louis was far from concluded. Belgium was proclaimed a protectorate of France, with constitutional rights enshrined in the Constitution of Belgium to the King of France, including limited veto powers on certain legislation. Leopold could rule Belgium, but so could Louis.

In 1834, Louis-Auguste-Victor, Count de Ghaisnes de Bourmont announced his candidacy for Prime Minister of France, acting as a independent, with wide support from the Army and Moderate Royalists. The Prime Minister, intent on maintaining his position, sought allies within the Doctrinaires, gaining a important endorsement from liberal politician, François Pierre Guillaume Guizot . In order to grapple support from the wealthy bourgeois class, that had earned the right to vote, Élie embraced the liberal economic policy, Laissez-faire. The impact resulted in a slight economic boost, much to the pleasure of the Prime Minister, though stirring unrest in poor urban areas grew stronger, especially after the Prime Minister eliminated the economic barriers in Belgium, sparking unrest and uprising in Flanders.

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Louis-Auguste-Victor, Count de Ghaisnes de Bourmont, Marshall of France, Prime Minister of France (1834-1836)


Many within the court of Louis were surprised that the King allowed the radical polices of the Minister to drag on for such a extended period of time. As rumors spread across the aristocracy about the King's indecisive action, Louis became infuriated, dismissing Parliament and calling for fresh elections, just three months prior to the date they were planned. Amidst the excitement of the electoral season, dissent grew stronger in Belgium, and especially in Flanders, where hostility was building against the apparent French (Walloon) domination of Flemish factories. Finally, as the electoral results streamed in across France, proclaiming the election of the Louis-Auguste-Victor, Count de Ghaisnes de Bourmont, Flanders (and some sections of Wallonia) erupted into rebellion against France. Leopold quickly found himself overwhelmed by angered mobs and rebellious organizations, lacking swift French military support. Jan Frans Willems, father of the Flemish independence movement, petitioned the Dutch and British intervene. William I, bound by the Treaty of Paris, was unable to respond, allowing the British to take the matters into their own hands. George Augustus Frederick FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster, landed in Flanders and officially recognized Jan Willems as Prime Minister of Flanders, bringing the eastern state into effective occupation.

Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, was dispatched with a sizable army to repress the uprising in Wallonia. Angered landowners, calling for the dissolution of Belgium and the establishment of a Wallonian state, managed to hold Leopold hostage in his own palace. Royalist Forces attempted to rescue the King of Belgium, storming through rebellious territories and putting down uprisings across the country, especially in areas where Flemish workers resided. By the turn of the year, Wallonia had been pacified, but the trouble caused by the rebellious northern state was enough for Louis; declaring it annexed into the realm of France, with Leopold I as its Duc.
 
So the Legitimists survive 1830, will look forward to seeing how things develop after you start playing the game.
 
This AAR isn't even Interactive and yet already the Paradoxian Communists (and Republicans) are trying to take it over! :D

Naturally at this stage I remain principally interested in what you'll do to the default political parties and how they'll impact the game. Given that the Legitimists are by default reactionary, and France tends not to vote Reactionary, I wonder how an assumedly Legitimist monarch would deal with an overwhelmingly anti-Legitimist (and knowing Vicky, likely a pro-Republican one as well) National Assembly?
 
This AAR isn't even Interactive and yet already the Paradoxian Communists (and Republicans) are trying to take it over! :D

Naturally at this stage I remain principally interested in what you'll do to the default political parties and how they'll impact the game. Given that the Legitimists are by default reactionary, and France tends not to vote Reactionary, I wonder how an assumedly Legitimist monarch would deal with an overwhelmingly anti-Legitimist (and knowing Vicky, likely a pro-Republican one as well) National Assembly?

Those damn Reds.

I intend to modify the political parties and present them as they have been described within the story. However if things proceed as I expect them to, and more parties enter the fray, it will indeed become a matter of concern for our Monarch.
 
Chapter 1: The Elections of 1835-1836

The effective annexation of Wallonia, and the birth of Het hertogdom van Vlaanderen, had represented a apparent failure within the demesne of foreign policy. Such accusations consistently neglected the incorporation of a French-speaking province, instead attempting to place blame for the resurgence of British authority on the continent. Louis-Auguste-Victor, Count de Ghaisnes de Bourmont, encountered the brunt of the contemporary criticism, whilst in truth, the actions of the ministry had preserved the lowlands from total British hegemony. Nonetheless, unrest amidst the independents that Victor represented, boiled to its climax, culminating in the dissolution of the centre block, and the withdrawal of conservative support. King Louis, having drastically improved his public opinion for expanding the realm, enjoyed the spoils of success, whilst Victor was panned for a logistical disaster. In celebration of his victory, the King provided grand parades to celebrate the incorporation of Wallonia, thousands storming the streets of Paris to catch a glimpse of the sovereign. In order to sustain this disguise, Ultra-Royalists suggested that immediate elections be convened and the current Parliament dissolved, demanding the resignation of Bourmont.

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The elections of 1835-1836, was generally regarded by contemporaries as the most imperative electoral cycle of the early restoration. Prior to this specific series, instability in the political sphere had resulted in several parliamentary dissolutions, as well as the rapid succession of Prime Ministers, resulting in inconsistent and brief terms. Almost at the outset of the primaries, political monitors were appalled and stunned with the deposition of Élie, duc Decazes, by a collective of angered conservative politicians, replacing Elie with Étienne-Denis Pasquier. Pasquier, was a prominent opposition persona of the ultra-royalists, having resigned his office during the early reign of Charles X and the Ultra-Royalists. In his first act as party leader, Étienne attempted to reform the title of the Decazes, but supporters within the party refused to lend support to the alteration, displaying the first action action of Pasquier as a general blunder.

Elections were convened in November, with Pasquier commanding the Conservatives, and Rene retaining control over the moderate liberal, Doctrinaires. Meanwhile, Prince Jules de Polignac stormed the Ultra-Reactionaries into elitist circles, famously advertising; "To any man with a title." Amongst the most controversial aspects of the election, revolved around the astoundingly low turn-out of the electoral process, a sign that France was becoming weary of the constant depositions and resurgences in political powers. Initial election reports in November suggested a 60% absence in eligible voters, though numbers were unusually high in Luxembourg and Wallonia, where stern reactionary and nationalist fervor were beginning to clash. Leopold had personally endorsed the traditionalist-royalists, rallying the new Wallonian aristocracy, whom sprung into action. Ballot-counters, reported that the electoral results were extremely close, but to the surprise of the nation, the Doctrinaires had been crushed; thus shifting the attention to the Ultra-Royalist and Decazes parties.

In December, it became apparent that a parliamentary majority had not been achieved, with the results of the election displaying a 10 seat lead by the Ultra-Royalists. Faced with the possibility of a hung parliment, Louis, with his divine grasp, demanded Pasquier form a coalition with Jules de Polignac, thus concluding the cycle. However, resentment amongst the conservatives towards the "stubborn" Ultras halted the coalition process. Only a official threat by the crown, declaring his intention to dissolve Parliament again, forced the coalition into function. Prince Jules de Polignac, 3rd Duke of Polignac was officially appointed Prime Minister of France, whilst conservatives managed to negotiate the enactment of a low-tariff economic policy, restricted at 5%, retaining a portion of the Elie Decazes economic enactments.

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C'est magnifique! La France, elle est une monarchie! Très bien, mon amis; très bien. J'attends la continuation de cette AAR avec impatience!

Je me suis abbonné.

[Eng: It is magnificent! France, she is a monarchy! Very good, my friend; very good. I'm very much looking forward to the continuation of this AAR.

I've subscribed.]