okay everyone, 12 hour shift in the shop is done, lets see what you-
OH MY GOODNESS!
Here we go.
Relevant question, no one really knew Theresa was safeguarding the two Royals prior to this did they? Because as favorable of the Royalists will be towards Napoleon, finding out Theresa was keeping them safe all this time and arrive like the proverbial hand of god to drop the hammer on the radical parisians will have her seem like an angel bit her to move.
Only ten people knew Therese cared for the royals when they first joined us that were not their former gurdians. Napoleon, Brian, Robespierre, Saint-Just are the only ones prior to our campaign to still be alive. The rest were executed by Brian after his first coup after those men were found guilty.
We've been rather quiet on that front, and our generals know, but only that they are kids we hired. That story did not stick after awhile, but no one really bothered to ask if it was them.
They didn't know they were prince and princess until we were well underway.
Holy shit the Royalists will lose their goddamn mind at this.
They have lost their god damn minds. They think the Pope has basically removed the Burbon's right to rule over France by Making Louis Excommunicated.
And that means that they realized that the Kings or Frane were not divine rulers, but men and women who were just as burdened as they were... and that made them think of one thing.
A child raised to rule a kingdom is far better than a man who took power by force.
Basically, they want to groom Louis into being a capable administrator... or even Auralious' and Plato's Philosopher King mold.
This is probably going to single handedly move France to have its own church like the Church of England after this. Also this is fodder for nationalist spirit that "the heir would risk his immortal soul for the brave soldiers of france."
Louis just wants his friends and brothers in arms to have their souls go to heaven, and is not taking the Pope's Shit for anything.
He even invoked his Royal title (which he hates with a burning passion by the way) to try and intimidate the man.
It didn't work, but he is totally willing to do a lot of things he hates for his friends and allies.
Right this degree of perfidy is not to be underestimated. This is the sort of thing which means you can't negotiate ANYTHING in good faith, because there is no faith to be had. At this point no treaty with Britain can be trusted going forward and is dubious. Britain his mortgaged their honor with this betrayal of the peace negotiations. This is the sort of thing that in a war you refuse to accept a ceasefire because you don't trust the other wise to not use it for personal advantage, and the war ends with complete unconditional surrender or total degredation of the enemies ability to continue fighting.
The thing about this situation is... they did something like this IRL... for the entire Revolutionary war/ Napoleonic Era.
Also about Britain's perfidy is twofold.
And honor has nothing to do with it, because they had no honor, to begin with. They in fact are breaking a treaty that they consider blatantly illegal and should not have been legally binding.
The diplomats who made those mistakes are dead, and arguably committed treason towards the nation by creating such a treaty that violates a whole lot of shit. Like seriously, Pitt resigned in disgrace, and he took his entire government down with him, and it cost GB shit that should have never been on the table in the first place.
Two, in England, the PM Burke decried the treaty immediately after he was elected, saying he would force it to change or there would be war.
The civil war happened before any negotiations could take place.
So they decided to assert dominance onto France while they were down.
FUCK FUCK. Right at this point everything I said about needing to make Britain regret this? On Super Steroids because without clever deployments from us it might well work which will encourage them to do it again even if we scrape by a narrow win. Only a harsh peace will work. I'm reconsidering the idea of some tactics I don't typically consider like Balkanizing Britain if we win, Ireland and Scotland independent at minimum, and maybe we can pry out whales into something independent too. Other forms of wrecking the British economy are now in play too.
That is going to be impossible unless you can find a way to beat the Royal Navy.
And that is near impossible.
The most you can get out of them is by taking away ships and money from them, and making more of their overseas colonies revolt or get lost. India being a prime target, but one that will be next to impossible to change unless you do fucking miracles.
Now that I've said that, we're going to have a few chances.
Yeah Europe you fucked up. Especially you Naples. And man Russia way to turn on us the moment you could or were they planning to screw us over from the beginning?
Well the situation in Russia changed rapidally.
So rapidally, I belive that Alexander is trying to use his membership in the coalition to get funds to buy people off.
Spitballing some ideas for making Britain regretting this, but for one I'd like to carve out a port in Britain or island chain we can fortify to make future invasion easier, maybe shenanigans like demolishing London or forcibly making them relocate the capital, and empowering a different noble clan to ruling the UK. If we want to play a tactic the UK likes to do of putting minority groups in power who without foreign support they'd collapse(and be ripped apart by those we rule over). I think the UK would be much better with a Scottish monarch wouldn't you say?
INB4 we take the Isle of Man, Ireland, or Wright's Island.
Narrator: Napoleon was in tough spot and things were looking dark for France...
Therese: Hello, Napoleon I brought 50,000 troops ready to march. The other half is still in Italy having finished a talk with a Pope, their ready to crush Naples before they can join he war and move on Austria the moment they get orders.
Royalist: By the way we are joining you since the freaking Pope is a moron and Therese has at least been keeping the Royal heirs safe.
Napoleon: *Loins Combust* How do you get more incredible every single time I see you?
Therese: Aw stop!
Accurate.
99 years lease on the Wight Island?
SOON tm
Things are going pear shaped
You mean they haven't already?
If I was Great Britain, I would have jumped at this chance to attack France when it was weak and descending into Civil War. The basis of British policy at this time was to make sure that there was no continental rival that could threaten Great Britain. France in this timeline is becoming the continental rival that could threaten Britain, thus the British can't ignore France or (at the moment) leave it in peace.
I mean, this is Britain's Entire Forign policy for over 100 years at this point...
They are about to learn that trying it on a nation that hates them is a very bad idea.
Like, we are the Super Power of this World Idea.
Regarding whether the British will face bad consequences for breaking this treaty. It will depend. The last treaty was mostly the result of incompetent British diplomats. Honestly, the British gave a lot more to France than it should have. I imagine that the French were pretty shocked by how the British quickly rolled over. Even if France defeats all its continental rivals again in this War of the Second Coalition, Great Britain is more than capable of staying in the fight as long as it has its navy.
Indeed.
While Britiania Rules the Waves, Britain is untouchable and can do anything it wants.
you think I'm joking, but I'm not.
Austria picked a bad time to take a bribe. Their troops are not in the best of spirits from losing the last war. They payed a big number of money already to France. Now with breaking the peace deal wouldn't surprise me if they aren't looked the best from the countries that aren't joining.
The thing is, they swore their oaths to the French Republic.
Not to the Restoration Authority, so there is a loophole...
But yeah, oathbreakers.
Russia is very far away and Alexander needs to clean house first which will take time. And man Russia was trying to make a deal with us that could of screwed us possibly on purpose. A low blow if you ask me.
At least we're not marching across Europe in the Middle of Winter.
Spain is.....not in the best state right now. Lost so much already money and men wise. So no idea what they were thinking.
THey didnt' fight in the first coalition.
So they have only lost money and presige.
Naples.....yeah they fucked up. Only thing I can think of why the King of Naples is doing this is thinking we already left, hoping the rest of Europe will do all the fight while recovering with the British money and just thinking he isn't worth it. Sadly for him though is Davout is about to make an example of him. Also probably thinking being on the "Winning" side will help his lose.
DAvout: In all honesty, this a waste of time, but I'll do it anyway for Louis.
HRE States not completely sure what they bring to the table but probably joined because most of Europe joined with Prussia and Austria joined.
Francis is the Emperor, he called them in.
GB obviously want revenge and to get back on top. Probably will try destroying our ships at the least which we can't let happen. How far they are willing to join I'm not sure. Surprised they are just throwing money around when they are having a money crisis. Any good targets we can hit with Sicily under our control?
One. Gibralter.
As for their money Crisis, that was resolved due to the Bank of England's financial wizardry.
Can only imagine what the map will look like after this war is won. France will have the Netherlands and basically Italy under their control. Wouldn't surprise me if the rest of the little Italy states just decided to join the rest of Italy under France.
Charlemagne Eat your heart out!
Edit: I don't think Sweden is even joining a side at this time. Neutral I think?
They are at peace with us.
Alexander, who was the one who made the offer to us, was the successor. The father died, ending the civil war, and he's declared against us now that we can't benefit him with military aid. So personally I'd be open to seeing what might be made of Sweden, or if all else fails, their territories.
Alexander's situation changed from being on the ropes to control all of Russia in less then a year.
Trying to make friends with the rest of Europe is something that he is doing to secure his power. Fighting France, even though he just asked for help from them? Hey it's just politics to him.
Refuse to accept their surrender on the field of battle. Soldiers captured anyways sentenced to period at hard labor penal colonies for what seems appropriate(1 to 5 years perhaps). Captured generals we make an example out of with trial and either execute or thrown into prison and forgotten. I lean to execution.
I would argue being someone who pushed for the laws of war to be followed might make us even better looking in the Eyes of Europe.
Whereas everyone else is being traitors and oath breakers, its the upstart french, people who should, by all means, disobey these self-same rules, that follow them.
It will make other powers realize what they are dealing with... and who is actually benefiting from this unjust and horrifying war.
On the other hand, every Frenchman that dies to Robbie's insanity is a tragedy, and linking up with Napoleon and our bro would give them a staggering numerical advantage, which when combined with our sterling reputation among the French populace might convince the troops to surrender. Avoidable manpower losses are to be avoided and all that.
Lets just say that due to a combination of the Vendee being brought down early, the Terror not starting on schedule, demobilization, remobilization, and a year or two of peace?
There are more Frenchmen alive now then there were in 1795 in OTL.
