What if Napoleon wins against the Brits in Waterloo and ends up killing or seriously wounding Duke Wellington? How long would the Hundred Days go on?
What if Napoleon wins against the Brits in Waterloo and ends up killing or seriously wounding Duke Wellington? How long would the Hundred Days go on?
A defeat of Wellington which would leave the British general seriously wounded would probably result in the withdrawal of the British forces from the Lowlands. If this is followed by a defeat of the Prussians then there is a major problem for the allies.. The Austrian Commander would probably fall back or at the very least slow to a crawl. There would be internal pressure on the Czar to withdraw from the war and it is likely that in London the government would fall.
It might be possible for Napoleon to achieve a peace settlement with the British and the shutting of of the flow of Gold to Austria and the others would in effect mean the end of the war.
It is highly likely that the French army in Belgium would have its ranks replenished by Belgian defectors from the allied Army as well as Belgians who dislike the Dutch. The Unification of Holland with the Belgian territories had been a bad idea and the war had just helped to create even more friction between the Dutch crown and their new subjects.
Also the Danes were not happy to be involved in the fighting at all. They had lost their territory ( Norway ) to the Swedes and had been a French ally. Nor were all of the German states happy. The uprising in Saxon had nearly lead to a war between the allies and the Prussians were not exactly popular in the western part of their new German lands.
It should also be pointed out that Spain was suffering both internal problems as a result of missteps by its King an a revolt in the American Colonies.
But where & how do they re-stock on enough suitable replacement horses for their cavalry & artillery?It is highly likely that the French army in Belgium would have its ranks replenished by Belgian defectors from the allied Army as well as Belgians who dislike the Dutch.
Didn't we have this exact same discussion a while ago?
Anyway, the only result is that Napoleon prolongs the inevitable. That is all.
EDIT: Also good point on the horses, Simreeve. Losing so many in Russia was the real killer for Napoleon - in addition to losing the Grande Armée, of course.
It's not even as if Great Britian doesn't have the manpower to replace the losses - it's best troops were still making their way back from the 1812 conflict with the USA
Yes, there was a big thread on it and the the majority opinion seemed to be there was no way for Nap to survive. I think the map provided by Cook shows that.
The whole 100 Days was a giant excuse in hubris by Bonaparte and the Marshals/soldiers who joined him in thinking that France was the great military power it once was and it could dominate and defeat handily the other countries the way it once did. Demographics alone doomed France. They had lost too many able-bodied men to replace (and were reduced to recruiting boys in school to defend the Homeland during the 100 days) and had by their behavior particularly in Spain and Russia and Prussia and Austria and in the UK (which may have been war-weary but hated Nap more than any other) that there was no way they would be "ok" with seeing him remain in power in France to rebuild the French military (which I think we all know is exactly what he would have done given time). Even a victory (which wouldn't be overwhelming considered the Allied number) would have been pyrrhic and just given Bonaparte a few more months at most.
Depends which is more important. Napoleon down, the uppity Yanks kept inside the US itself rather than adding all those beavers.One must remember one's priorities, in this case being dealing with upstart Colonials At least according to one or two of our spacier members.
Agreed with all. Did not the Allied Powers DoW Napoleon, rather than France?
Depends which is more important. Napoleon down, the uppity Yanks kept inside the US itself rather than adding all those beavers.
Using a Royal Navy proudly deploying for battle using more Impressed Americans than existed in the US Navy. I always wondered what would have happened (the political consequences, if any) had there been a case of an Impressed American seaman doing a suicide attack [1] and setting off the powder magazines of a British ship-of-the-line? Technically impossible? Most likely. But stranger things have happened in history.
1] If I were a British sea captain I'd keep any enslaved seamen far away from any weapons period, never mind the magazines. I think they'd be left to rat catching, bilge-work, and overall ship maintenance.
Well, there was at least one case of an Impressed Briton in the US Navy, so there's not a complete case of one-side-is-blameless.Using a Royal Navy proudly deploying for battle using more Impressed Americans than existed in the US Navy. I always wondered what would have happened (the political consequences, if any) had there been a case of an Impressed American seaman doing a suicide attack [1] and setting off the powder magazines of a British ship-of-the-line? Technically impossible? Most likely. But stranger things have happened in history.
1] If I were a British sea captain I'd keep any enslaved seamen far away from any weapons period, never mind the magazines. I think they'd be left to rat catching, bilge-work, and overall ship maintenance.
Other New England leaders, especially those with ties to the shipping industry, also doubted the severity of the problem. Timothy Pickering, the Bay State’s other senator, commissioned a study that counted the total number of impressed seamen from Massachusetts at slightly more than 100 and the total number of Americans at just a few hundred.
How does Waterloo destroy BOTH the Allied armies at Waterloo? I could buy making them both retreat, even holding off Prussia and smashing the Anglo-Dutch into flinders, but to turn around and do it to Blucher straight off?If a victory at Waterloo means that the english and prussian army are destroyed they a peace is probable...
The main question is "does Prussia, Austria and Russia have anything to get from attacking Napoleon again while UK is out of the conflict and is not going to provide any significant help"
Peace is possible not because they like Napoleon but because after 1814 Austria, Prussia and Russia had a look at Poland and some other places and they know that they are goint to fight each other soon. For Russia a weak Napoleon is better than nothing (as Prussia won't be able to focuss east) and so on. In England a huge defeat can turn the table too.
Militiraly speaking Napoleon can't win against all of them at the same time but this alliance is far from strong and some clever moves from Taleyrand can help.