"The forgotten story of how Napoleon wanted to start ..." Topic

…a new life in America.

"God was bored with Napoleon," mused the French writer Victor Hugo, and so the indomitable French commander, strategist and emperor went on to lose the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. The bicentennial marking the decisive clash between Napoleon's forces and a combined army of British and Prussians is later this week and has already been the subject of numerous commemorations, including a series of historical reenactments and a controversial coin.

Napoleon's defeat on a field in what's now Belgium signaled the end of his imperial ambitions in Europe and paved the way for nearly a century of British dominance in global politics.

But in the aftermath of Waterloo, the coalition forces ranged against him grappled with a far more immediate question: What to do with the diminutive Corsican?…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Having just ended a war about 4 months before (war of 1812) do you think it would be a good idea for the US to let Napoleon into the US. Between the problems in South America, the new Louisiana territories being settled (with a large French speaking population around New Orleans) and many ex French soldiers and officers coming to America it might not be a good idea to let Napoleon into the US.

The US could have hired him as a general and had another go at the 1812 land-grab.

Against this idea is the fact that there's no Spanish entanglement as previously to divert the majority of British land forces, Japan 1941-style; but in its favour is that this time the USA would have the second-best general of the era, and the best in north America, in command this time.

Has anybody ever gamed this? A War of 1816 with Napoleon commanding Americans plus Old Guard, versus British and Canadians? The goal would have to be for him to win before Wellington arrived from Britain.

I like that what if!!

Amicalement
Armand

Having just ended a war I don't see the US as being too eager to start another. The US didn't need a great general, it needed time to digest the Louisiana purchase. If Spain wasn't so busy in South America it might have gotten involved with the Louisiana territory that Napoleon sort of borrowed from Spain and sold to the US.

Then the British, Austrians, Spanish, Russians and others are going to let Napoleon just go to the US and become a general. Napoleon's exile to St Helena and out of action is much more likely.