I am sure that many of you would be enthusiastic over a set of expansion scenarios for Wars of Napoleon. 1808, 1809, 1812, 13 & 14 would all be interesting in differing ways. The scenarios included with Wars of Napoleon are well received and there is no doubt that scenario scale was preferable to their older cousins included in “Napoleon’s Campaigns.”
But for me, the prospect of “What if” scenarios is even more attractive. In 1810, after the Danube Campaign and before he had decided to wage a renewed war against Russia, Napoleon contemplated another Asian > India campaign. He did not have the perfect war machine that he had had from 1805-1808, but still in 1810 it was far better than what he had had in the Egyptian Campaign when he had been turned back at Acre. Could he have gotten to India and would his army have been able to defeat the combination of Indian kings and the British Occupation Army?
Such a scenario would probably take an impractical amount of work in terms of the map, but my dream “What if” scenario would use a pre-existing map. Here goes: It is 1810, emboldened by Napoleon’s attack on Spain, The Mexican war of Independence begins. It continues through that decade. In 1815 after his loss at Waterloo, Napoleon retreats to Malmaison and contemplates his future. Davout has raised another 100K men in Paris and is urging a continuation of the struggle. Grouchy has retreated with his wing of the Armee du Nord. Rapp is withdrawing with his forces untouched from the Rhine. Ney, Soult and even Murat (from Naples) all understand that each of their future is in the hands of the Emperor.
But Napoleon has no stomach for another fight on French soil. He will leave and will decide between the U.S. and Mexico who had sent him envoys with an invitation. Although this is open to some debate, when he goes to the coast, many suspect he is, in fact, on his way to Mexico. When the English apprehend him, he asks permission to continue his journey but is denied. But “What if”… What if the English, smarting from the recent War of 1812 had decided to send a “time bomb” to the American shores in the form of Napoleon Bonaparte, along with a select unit of Imperial Guard and a cadre of his most loyal generals? They would have known that sooner or later Napoleon would have challenged U.S. hegemony.
Of course Mexican revolutionaries would have given Napoleon the presidency as they later offered it to Joseph Bonaparte in 1820 and eventual to their poor choice of Maximilian. What would Napoleon have done as the newly appointed “El Presidente” of Mexico?
Reform the government, modernize the economy, conscript, reform and train the military? Of course. And then what?... skirmishes against the Apache to harden them? Colonization of California? Or…. Would his former “French” cities of New Orleans and St. Louis be too alluring for him? Would Napoleon try to buy back the Louisiana Purchase, claiming that he did not know that he was giving the American’s such a one sided deal? …. America paid 3 Million for land they had expected to pay 15M for. And when the US refuses to give him back New Orleans and St. Louis?
So Napoleon sends a small army under his leadership with Soult, Ney, and Suchet as divisional commanders, Drouot in charge of the Guard, Grouchy or Murat his Cavalry and Rapp with a force on the West Coast…. Davout remaining at the War Ministry in the capital.
America would have responded with “Old Hickory” and his Tennessee boys, with as many Army regulars as could be mustered. (And remember that America had been embroiled with Spain in Florida in 1820). America’s population was twice that of Mexico at that time, but could the U.S. stand up against Emperor? Well, I would love to have the opportunity to see. And Ageod already has the Civil War II Map that could be used. <smile>
So what are your thoughts? Would Old Hickory be able to stand against L’Empereur?