Tango01  | 08 Nov 2025 1:02 p.m. PST |
"…If Napoleon had remained emperor of France for the six years remaining in his natural life, European civilization would have benefited inestimably. The reactionary Holy Alliance of Russia, Prussia and Austria would not have been able to crush liberal constitutionalist movements in Spain, Greece, Eastern Europe and elsewhere; pressure to join France in abolishing slavery in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean would have grown; the benefits of meritocracy over feudalism would have had time to become more widely appreciated; Jews would not have been forced back into their ghettos in the Papal States and made to wear the yellow star again; encouragement of the arts and sciences would have been better understood and copied; and the plans to rebuild Paris would have been implemented, making it the most gorgeous city in the world…"
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Armand |
| Eumelus | 08 Nov 2025 1:39 p.m. PST |
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 John the OFM | 08 Nov 2025 6:52 p.m. PST |
It would definitely have an effect on the ABBA song. |
| 21eRegt | 08 Nov 2025 7:53 p.m. PST |
Winning at Waterloo doesn't decide anything. The outcome is still the same, only the body count is drastically increased. And I'm an ardent Bonapartist. |
| BillyNM | 08 Nov 2025 11:06 p.m. PST |
What this counter-factual requires is for the rest of Europe to accept Napoleon's return and leave him in peace and for him to stay content within his borders, these seem too unlikely to be the basis for such daydreaming. Once the fighting starts defeat is almost inevitable. Winning Waterloo would just delay his demise. |
| Erzherzog Johann | 08 Nov 2025 11:28 p.m. PST |
"It would definitely have an effect on the ABBA song." Only slightly, squeeze in an extra syllable ,like Bill Nighy managed to do in "Love Actually". "At Waterloo Napoleon didn't surrender" Musically challenged,
John |
| 14Bore | 09 Nov 2025 7:53 a.m. PST |
No difference, the allies were not going to quit, Russians and Austrians were coming as well as Prussian corp held back. |
| John the OFM | 09 Nov 2025 8:43 a.m. PST |
Assuming that at the "Times up!" point of the battle, let's suppose that the British had broken. Not the French.
How many casualties had they taken? What shape was their army in?
Oh, yes. I've heard stories about some Marshal back in Paris recruiting and conscripting, but let's look at that realistically. Would that really make any difference?
And the Russian and Austrian armies, as noted, were coming up too. |
 deadhead | 09 Nov 2025 11:20 a.m. PST |
What's if stories are are daft but irresistible. D'Erlon's Corps attack should have had better cavalry support. Good as Picton's infantry did to stand and fire away, those attackers should not have been scattered by the Union Brigade. Something went badly wrong there. Blucher's march to Plancenoit, away from his supply lines, leaving a small corps in his rear, outnumbered at Wavre, across the face of Grouchy's advance, to support an army that did not (OK, could not) support him, at Ligny. That was an insane gamble. Thing about gambling is that you might throw two sixes occasionally. Anything after an ignominious defeat for the coalition at Mt St Jean is a political question, not for wargamers |
| Tango01 | 09 Nov 2025 3:51 p.m. PST |
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| Tango01 | 09 Nov 2025 3:56 p.m. PST |
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shares his techniques for painting, rigging and basing Age of Sail warships.
